Liam Hicks is driving in runs like no other, powering the Marlins' early success. Discover how this catcher became MLB's RBI king.
The Miami Marlins (5-1) have one of the most exciting hitters in the league, catcher Liam Hicks, who has started the 2026 season on fire at the plate.
Hicks is leading MLB in RBI with 12 so far this season, on a .467 batting average. He's doing so in his second year, ahead of his teammate Owen Caissie and the Athletics' Shea Langeliers, who both have eight RBI.
The 26-year-old is fourth in Miami's batting order against right-handed pitchers, and he's done a solid job of bringing his teammates -- Jakob Marsee, Xavier Edwards and Agustín Ramírez -- home when they're in scoring position.
Hicks recorded his first RBI in the second game of new season, against the Colorado Rockies (2-4) last Saturday. He hit a sacrifice fly that brought Edwards home for the Marlins' first run in the bottom of the third inning.
Two innings later, Hicks stood at the plate and smashed a pitch to right field of loanDepot Park for his first home run of 2026.
Adding power to his swing became a priority for Hicks this past offseason, and he said it's one aspect of his game that has been lacking.
"One swing doesn't mean that it's worked or anything like that, but it's just something I need to keep continuing to get better at," Hicks told reporters. "Something I need to keep working on. And the other things that I do in my game are good, but this one, this part of the game's definitely been lacking."
Hicks finished last season with 45 RBI and eight homers, and didn't have an RBI or home run in the first four games. Given his improvements, at his current pace, Hicks could surpass his 2025 totals by a long shot.
He added another home run and five more RBI in the first and second games of the Chicago White Sox's (1-5) series. Hicks hit his second home run to his favorite spot, deep right field, and brought Edwards home in the Marlins' 9-4 series-opening loss.
In Miami's 9-2 series-tying victory, he put the finishing touches to a center-field double by Ramírez with a double of his own. Hicks' hit rolled down the foul line, staying fair and bringing Ramírez and Edwards home.
Hicks' hot hitting continued with his performance in Miami's 10-0 series-clinching win against Chicago on Wednesday.
He added four more RBI and another home run to his totals. Hicks hit two singles that brought home Marsee and Otto Lopez, and his third home run of the season landed in his favorite area.
The Marlins' second-year catcher has been unstoppable at the plate, and is one of many reasons why the team currently boasts a 5-1 record, a start they haven't achieved since 2020.
Hicks believes the team can be good and isn't focused on setting high expectations for the year. Instead, he wants Miami to be competitive in every game and continue playing when September arrives.
"Hopefully, we look up in September, and we're in a playoff run," Hicks said at Marlins media day.
The Marlins will have one day of rest before starting the New York Yankees (4-1) series at Yankee Stadium starting April 3.
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