ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Catcher Liam Hicks has quickly made himself at home with the Tampa Bay Rays after he was acquired at the trade deadline from the Miami Marlins, contributing both offensively and defensively as the team pushes toward a division title.
Hicks joined the Rays on Aug. 3 and made an immediate impact, hitting a grand slam in his first game with the team. In 36 games with Tampa Bay, he is batting .305 with four home runs and 19 runs batted in.
WATCH BELOW: Rays catcher makes instant impact after trade
"It's been great. It's been a ton of fun getting to join a first-place team. They've made me feel like I've been a part of the team the whole year. The guys have welcomed me in. I'm pretty comfortable now," Hicks said.
The Rays acquired Hicks for extra offense and versatility behind the plate, and he has delivered on both fronts. He now bats alongside Junior Caminero, who leads the American League with 41 home runs.
"I'm joining such a good group it's easy to fit in. You have guys hitting in front of you that are All-Stars and are going to be on base a ton. Hopefully be able to drive them in," Hicks said.
Hicks has also embraced the opportunity to share a dugout with Caminero after previously competing against him.
"It sucks competing against him. He's such a good player. I feel like he's taken his game to another level this year. I see him putting in the work on defense as well. He's really wanting to be a complete player. I admire the work he puts in. He's fun to watch every day. It's probably the best batting practice I've ever seen," Hicks said.
Beyond his offensive contributions, Hicks has quickly earned the trust of a new pitching staff. Pitcher Nick Martinez recalled a moment when Hicks shook off a pitch that was called during back-to-back starts in Texas.
"He had me and Drew [Rasmussen] back-to-back at Texas. It wasn't my first time, but it was Drew's first-time being shaken off by the catcher. I called a pitch; I press the buttons and look up. He's just shaking his head. 'Alright, what do you want?' He called a pitch, 'Alright, let's do it,'" Martinez said.
Hicks said the decision to shake off the call was deliberate.
"It's not something I'm going to do a lot. If I really see something, in that case, I was confident. I think they appreciated it. I think it worked out. He appreciated it. I have a reason for it. If the guy hit a homer, it would've sucked," Hicks said.
Martinez said the transition has been seamless since Hicks arrived.
"He's been great, man. The moment he got here, in team meetings, getting together with pitchers, understanding our tendencies," Martinez said.
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