Liam Hicks' improved swing helped Marlins even series vs. Reds

C. Isaiah Smalls II, Miami Herald on Apr 9, 2026

Published in Baseball

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MIAMI — Nobody wants to change their swing.

Baseball players, at the end of the day, are extremely superstitious. They often take the same number of practice swings. They might have a specific plate ritual. They even have special bats. But for Miami Marlins catcher Liam Hicks, a subtle change has tremendously improved his hitting.

“I had always messed around with the leg kick last year in the cage, but it was just something I never felt comfortable with doing in a game,” Hicks, 26, said. “It was kind of trial and error with how big I wanted it to get and how I had to feel, but it’s gotten better.”

Through 13 games, it’s safe to say that the tweak might’ve worked. Hicks has slashed .314/.390/.600/.990 to start the season. His 13 RBIs and three home runs not only lead the team but rank third and eighth in the National League, respectively, through Thursday’s afternoon games. Hicks went 1 for 4 at the plate with a run and walk as the Marlins beat the Cincinnati Reds, 8-1, on Thursday to split the series at two apiece.

“Today, in particular, a lot of good things, especially runners in scoring position, situational hitting ...,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said, later adding that his team had “just really productive at bats.”

Hicks batted a respectable .247/.346/.346/.692 last season, chipping in six homers and 45 RBIs. Although McCullough said that Hicks has always been a “good hitter,” even he couldn’t help but praise the marked improvements that he made in the offseason.

“He’s swinging faster,” McCullough said. “Bat speed changes are real and some of those changes are leading to some of the impact that we’ve seen.”

“It was worthwhile to explore in the offseason coupled with him physically becoming a better athlete,” McCullough said of the leg kick. “He’s a skilled hitter and has the ability to ride that out and makes a good move to the ball.”

The leg kick has become a must-have for hitters. It allows batters to not just timing a swing with the pitchers throwing motion but also allows them to better read the throw.

“Hitting is all about rhythm and flow,” two-time All-Star Harold Reynolds said on the MLB Network, calling it a “timing mechanism.” He later added that “the leg kick is all about reading the ball.”

For Hicks, the added motion has made him “more athletic.”

“The toe tap would kind of get me to stride across which I just naturally do,” said Hicks who similarly deemed the move an attempt to improve his “timing.” “The leg kick, essentially, was trying to prevent it — I still do it a little bit — but I think it just allows me to be a little bit more athletic.”

Despite his early success, Hicks somewhat struggled against the Reds (8-5), failing to record a hit until the third game of the series. The Marlins (8-5) suffered as they dropped the first two games.

In the third game, Hicks came alive, going 2 for 4 with one run and an RBI. The result: the Marlins bested the Reds, 7-4. It’s a trend that has continued for most of the season as Miami has a record of 5-1 when Hicks either records at least two hits or two RBIs.

“There’s a lot of highs and lows,” Hick said, explaining that he doesn’t want to “take one game too serious. You can have one bad game then the next day be great. You try to make each game individual and not really combine them all so just move on and try and be a good teammate when you’re not playing well.”

As Hicks continues to go throughout the season, he will continue to find motivation from the World Baseball Classic. The Toronto native was selected to Canada’s team — yet only appeared in one game. He wants that to change when the tournament next comes around in 2030.

“That was definitely motivation,” Hick said of his lack of appearances during the WBC. “I definitely want to be a starter and be someone who they’re going to count on.”