With the 2025 MLB season looming, the Philadelphia Phillies are grappling with a concerning lack of depth at the catcher position. While superstar J.T. Realmuto leads the pack, the team’s reliance on Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchán highlights the absence of additional MLB-ready players capable of stepping in when needed.
Their top catching prospect, Eduardo Tait, remains in Single-A and is still far from being ready for the majors. Meanwhile, Triple-A Lehigh Valley’s catching options—Jared Thomas, Carson Taylor, and Josh Breaux—lack any experience at the MLB level, leaving the organization exposed.
To address this urgent need, the Phillies signed Payton Henry, a seasoned minor league catcher, to a minor league deal. Originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, Henry brings eight years of professional experience across stints with the Brewers, Miami Marlins, and Toronto Blue Jays organizations.
Henry spent the 2024 season with the Buffalo Bisons, the Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate, where he posted solid numbers, including a .274 batting average and a .768 OPS over 27 games. His contributions included 13 runs scored, six doubles, three home runs, 18 RBIs, seven walks, and 19 strikeouts in 104 plate appearances. Henry’s MLB experience, albeit limited, comes from playing 20 games with the Marlins during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, where he logged a .186 batting average and a .523 OPS with two runs scored and four RBIs in 51 plate appearances.
Henry’s name also gained attention due to a frightening incident on May 31, 2024, during a game between the Bisons and Syracuse Mets. In the seventh inning, Mets third baseman Pablo Reyes’ backswing struck Henry on the head, prompting the game’s cancellation. The injury sidelined Henry for three months, but he made a triumphant return in mid-September and has since fully recovered.
At 27 years old and with two minor league options remaining, Henry offers the Phillies much-needed insurance behind the plate. Slated as the fourth catcher in the organizational depth chart behind Realmuto, Stubbs, and Marchán, Henry’s determination and experience could prove invaluable. As the Phillies strive to strengthen their roster, Henry will undoubtedly aim to capitalize on any opportunities to make an impact on a championship-contending team.
