On August 3, catcher Liam Hicks of Toronto, Ontario changed Major League Baseball teams in the state of Florida. According to Rogers Sportsnet, he went from the Miami Marlins to the Tampa Bay Rays for three prospects (infielder Brayden Taylor, shortstop Adrian Santana and pitcher Jacob Kisting).
After Hicks’s great season so far in 2026 with the Marlins, it was no surprise he was traded for three players who could help Miami in the future. As a result, Hicks joined a team that clearly has World Series aspirations. Tampa Bay has never won the World Series in the history of the franchise.
At the time of the trade, Hicks batted .282 with 14 home runs and 62 runs batted in with the Marlins this season. During 101 games, 409 plate appearances, and 354 at bats, he had scored 54 runs and had 100 hits, nine doubles, one triple, three stolen bases, 40 walks, 153 total bases, one sacrifice bunt, six sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .363 and a slugging percentage of .432. The triple and sacrifice bunt came in blowout Marlins wins. The triple came on June 10 in an 8-0 Marlins win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The sacrifice bunt came on June 17 in a 12-4 Marlins win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Over the last month, Hicks has continued his success with the Rays. He is actually batting 25 percentage points higher with Tampa Bay than Miami. In 29 games, 88 at bats and 103 plate appearances, Hicks has scored nine runs with 27 hits, four doubles, 11 walks, 43 total bases, one sacrifice fly, an on base percentage of .398 and a slugging percentage of .489. The sacrifice fly with the Rays came in a 3-0 Tampa Bay shutout win over the Detroit Tigers on August 26.
Overall in 2026, Hicks is batting .287 with 18 home runs and 79 runs batted in. During 130 games, 442 at bats and 512 plate appearances, he has scored 63 runs with 127 hits, 13 doubles, one triple, three stolen bases, 51 walks, 196 total bases, one sacrifice bunt, seven sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .370 and a slugging percentage of .443.
The Rays are at 87 wins and 59 losses for the season. They lead the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East by three games, and have the best record in the American League.
