The Marlins announced today that catcher/first baseman has made the Opening Day roster, in the form of of manager Clayton McCullough telling the Rule 5 pick Joe Harris Jersey that he made the team. Hicks, 26 in June, was drafted by the Rangers in 2021. However, he was as part of the deal that sent catcher to Texas. But the Tigers left Hicks unprotected in the Rule 5 draft, which allowed the Marlins to nab him. His minor league track record has pluses and minuses. His defense isnt considered especially strong, which is why hes played a bit of first base in addition to his work behind the plate. Offensively, he has strong plate discipline but minimal power. He has stepped to the plate 1,097 times over various minor league levels with just 13 home runs. But his 15.1% walk rate and 13.4% strikeout rate are both excellent numbers. The overall result is a humpbacked slash line of .274/.405/.374, which translates to a 124 wRC+. He came into camp with a fairly wide open path to a big league job. The Marlins only have two other catchers on their 40-man roster. has hit just .222/.275/.344 in his career but should get a big league job based on his solid glovework. The other backstop on the roster is . Hes a top 100 prospect with a strong bat but questionable defense, so the Fish presumably want him getting regular reps in Triple-A. He was optioned earlier this week. Hicks has stepped to the plate 33 times in Grapefruit League action, with his numbers resembling his previous minor league work. He has six walks compared to just five strikeouts. His only extra-base hit is a double, leading to a .208/.424/.250 line. Thats enough for him to get an Opening Day roster spot. The Marlins will roll with a Fortes/Hicks duo behind the plate. The club isnt expecting to compete this year, so Hicks should get a decent amount of rope to prove himself. If he struggles, as a Rule 5 pick, he cant be optioned to the minors this year. If the Marlins want him off the active roster, they would have to put him on waivers before offering him back to the Tigers. Any claiming club would be bound by the same Rule 5 parameters as the Marlins currently are. Photo courtesy of Jim Ra sol, Imagn Images Chris Chiozza Jersey