Agustín demonstrating intangibles of leadership as young catcher

CHICAGO -- Pop time. Blocking. Framing. Arm strength.

All of these elements in a catcher’s game have metrics to explain how good a player is or why a play unfolds in a certain way. Then come the intangibles, as witnessed in the Marlins’ 6-2 loss to the White Sox on Friday night at Rate Field.

Miami catching coach Joe Singley recently spoke about the unquantifiable things that make a good backstop. Sticking up for one’s pitcher would fall under that category.

After early close calls didn’t go right-hander Max Meyer’s way, rookie catcher Agustín Ramírez decided to say something to home-plate umpire Austin Jones in the decisive three-run seventh.

“There's certain things that are not tangible, like what you mentioned, but I just want to be a leader,” Ramírez said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “Be out there, try to help the team in any way to win the game, and just be a leader, help pitchers stay together as a team. And, like I said, just win some games.”

Following a first-pitch sweeper that missed just below the zone to Michael A. Taylor, Ramírez stood up and began conversing with Jones. As the exchange dragged on and became slightly heated, rookie second baseman Javier Sanoja ran to the plate to calm down Ramírez while manager Clayton McCullough talked to Jones.

Meyer, who entered the frame at just 72 pitches and two runs allowed, had been cruising. But Josh Rojas singled and Lenyn Sosa doubled before Brooks Baldwin’s go-ahead sacrifice fly.

The frustration boiled over in Taylor’s plate appearance, culminating in a walk. After a mound visit, Jacob Amaya drove in a run with a bunt hit, and Miguel Vargas walked to load the bases to chase Meyer, who had choice words for Jones as he exited the game.

“It was just a couple pitches in that moment that I felt like I needed to defend my pitcher in that situation,” Ramírez said. “But again, I understand that everybody's trying to do their best. It's a learning experience, and that's what I want to do, just trying to help a pitcher any way I can.”

The 23-year-old Ramírez and fellow rookie backstop Liam Hicks are learning on the job, just like the rest of the Majors’ youngest roster. Miami finds itself in this situation after its No. 4 prospect Ramírez, who began the season at Triple-A Jacksonville, played his way into staying in the Majors despite Nick Fortes being healthy again. The club is juggling playing time between the trio.

Framing was a point of emphasis for Marlins catchers this spring, so it's no wonder Ramírez stood up for his pitcher and took it personally. One noteworthy sequence occurred in the second inning against Andrew Vaughn, when two sliders that appeared to clip the zone were called balls. Instead of a 0-2 count, it was 2-0. The matchup ended in a home run.

“I think you're just having those conversations," McCullough said. “They go on all the time during the game, and just kind of keep working for your pitcher and keep working to get pitches as best as you can, and that's it. Guys are out there competing hard, and he was into it, and so no problem with the competition he has, and wanting it to go our way. It'll just be something, food for thought, as you keep going with this thing, you're just trying to build as solid, as strong a rapport with whoever's back there that day, as you can.”

Outside of the defensive growth, the rookie duo is contributing at the plate.

Rule 5 Draft pick Hicks pulled righty Caleb Freeman’s fastball over the right-field wall for a then-game-tying solo homer in the seventh, going deep for the second straight game. Ramírez drilled a double to left with an exit velocity of 114.7 mph -- the hardest-hit ball of his career. He now has 12 extra-base hits through his first 15 games.

“That's huge,” Hicks said of Ramírez’s actions. “I think the pitcher/catcher relationship is like the biggest thing that's going to keep you around in this game. You can be the best at all those attributes that you mentioned, but if pitchers don't want to throw to you, it's going to be really hard to stick around.

"So yeah, we preach it a lot. Joe, Gus, Nick, I feel like we all preach it, and we try to be good leaders behind the plate and guys that pitchers want to work with, and guys that the manager trusts to be out there.”