Wednesday night gave Marlins fans a fresh reminder of why Agustin Ramirez still carries so much buzz.
The 24-year-old went 2-for-5 in Miami’s 8-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, and his biggest swing came in the third inning. Ramirez ripped an RBI double that pushed the Marlins into a lead they never gave back. The ball jumped off his bat at 110.6 miles per hour, got by third baseman Nick Gonzales, and kept rolling all the way to the left field wall.
That inning was a strange one in the best way for Miami: four runs, only two hits, three walks, and a hit-by-pitch. The Marlins drew eight walks on the night, matching their season high. The only other time they did that was in June against the Washington Nationals.
Ramirez also cracked a single in the second inning, and that one was no soft blooper either. It left the bat at 107.8 miles per hour.
“We still certainly believe in Augustin,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “He's a good player.
He's another one who swings fast and hits the ball hard. We've seen him do things like tonight.
So he's certainly very capable, and I think right now we just need contributions from him in as many places as we can get it.”
The path to this point has been bumpy. Ramirez came to Miami as a catcher in a 2024 trade with the New York Yankees and made his Major League debut in 2025.
But his defense became a problem, and the Marlins sent him to Triple-A Jacksonville in May of this year. The bat that had been sold as a plus-plus weapon in the minors and during his first big league season had flattened out too.
Through 31 games, he had just two home runs and a .663 OPS.
On Wednesday, Ramirez was in the lineup as the designated hitter, which has been the usual setup since his recall. His only start behind the plate in this latest Major League stint came on Sunday, and he was lifted after four innings for Joe Mack. After the trade deadline on August 3rd, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said Ramirez could also get looks at first base.
Since being called up on August 4th, Ramirez is 5-for-14.
He wasn’t the only Marlin doing damage, either. Griffin Conine added to the power display with a solo shot to center field in the fourth inning off former Marlin Lake Bachar, stretching Miami’s lead to 5-2 at the time. It was Conine’s third home run in three games.
The 29-year-old also had a home run taken away the night before against Paul Skenes, when Bryan Reynolds got up at the wall to make the catch. He entered Wednesday hitting .577 with a .919 OPS and seven home runs since the All-Star break.
Conine said the difference lately has been a better handle on the strike zone.
“I think it's being selective, knowing exactly what I'm looking for,” Conine said. “I think the more time I spend, the more at bats I get, it's like the plan becomes clear of what (the opponent) is trying to do.”
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