Liam John Sherwood Hicks…Instagram: @liamhicks28…son of Jennifer and Bill Hicks…brother, Connor, is a catcher at Indiana State University…named to the 2021 Buster Posey National Catcher of the Year Award watch list after batting .344 (54-157) with seven home runs, 30 RBI and a Sun Belt Conference-best .464 on-base percentage as a junior at Arkansas State University in 2021…ranked as the 23rd-best draft-eligible hitter in the 2021 class by D1Baseball. com…before transferring to ASU prior to the 2020 campaign, Hicks spent two seasons (2018-19) at Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Mo., where he batted .440 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI as a sophomore in 2019…the Toronto native was a four-year starter at catcher for Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute, and was rated as the No. 2 catcher in Ontario in the class of 2017 by Prep Baseball Report…grew up rooting for the Toronto Blue Jays.
2024
Entered the season ranked as the Rangers’ No. 23 prospect by Baseball America...Started the season with Double-A Frisco, slashing .260/.364/.353/.717 (76x292) with 15 doubles, four home runs, 33 RBI and 41 walks against 44 strikeouts in 80 games...Hit .333 (25x75) in 21 games during the month of June with five doubles, three homers and 11 RBI. Posted a .960 OPS...Hit two home runs on June 8 at Corpus Christi, going 3x5 with a season-high four RBI...Was acquired by Detroit with RHP Tyler Owens in exchange for catcher Carson Kelly on July 28. Reported to Double-A Erie...In 33 games with the Seawolves to finish the season, batted .272 (31x114) with five doubles, two home runs, 14 RBI and 23 walks against 14 strikeouts...Finished the campaign with more walks (64) than strikeouts (58)...His 64 walks between Double-A Frisco (Texas League) and Double-A Erie (Eastern League) ranked 15th among all Double-A players, and were second-most against Double-A catchers behind only Double-A Arkansas’ Harry Ford (Seattle)...Recorded 27 total multi-hit games, including two four-hit efforts and five three-hit efforts...Made a combined 61 starts at catcher (530.2 innings), posting a .986 fielding pct. (8 E/584 TC). Caught 17 of 75 base-stealing attempts (22.7%). Also made 49 starts at designated hitter...Batted .278 (88x317) with a .781 OPS against right-handed pitchers and .213 (19x89) with a .569 OPS against left-handed pitchers...In games where he played catcher, hit .329 (73x222) with an .869 OPS. Hit just .192 (33x172) with a .591 OPS in the 49 games he started at DH...Was selected by Miami in the ML phase of the 2024 Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 11.
2023
Followed up breakout 2022 season with an excellent 2023, slashing .275/.414/.372/.786 (82-298) in 92 G spent with Hickory (A+) and Frisco (AA)…set career highs in runs (35), hits (82), 2B (15), HR (four), RBI (45), BB (59) and SB (seven)…batted .311 (14-45) with 14 XBH and 5 RBI over first 15 G of season for High-A Hickory, earning a promotion to Double-A Frisco… his .446 OBP ranked T8th in the South Atlantic League (min. 50 PA) at the time of his promotion on 5/9…upon elevation to Frisco, hit .269/.408/.368/.776 (68-253) with three HR, one 3B, 14 2B, 40 RBI and 49 BB in 77 G, ranking among all Texas League hitters from 5/10-end of season (min. 300 PA) in OBP (4th) and walk rate (6th, 15.5%)…posted season-high 9-G hit streak from 7/8-28 (.328; 13-34 in span) and recorded a trio of 3-hit outings on 5/20 vs. AMA, 7/25 at WCH, and 8/2 vs. MID… reached safely via H, BB, HBP in season-high 15 straight G w/ a PA from 5/26-7/1…appeared defensively at catcher (42 G/39 GS) and first base (13 G/GS)…left-handed batter saw most of his PA against right-handed pitching (.261 BA; 62-238), but fared batter against opposing lefties in smaller sample size (.333 BA; 20-60).
