From Hockey Rinks to the World Series: The Rise of Liam Hicks

Before he was a major league catcher, Liam Hicks began his athletic journey on the ice. According to his grandmother, Mary Carroll, Hicks started in hockey, but the sport was quickly abandoned once he picked up a baseball bat. Carroll recalled Hicks constantly practicing and swinging the bat as a child.

Hicks' path to the professional level was defined by perseverance rather than being a "can't-miss" prospect. While playing as a teenager for the Toronto Mets of the Canadian Premier Baseball League, Hicks developed elite bat-to-ball skills. As first reported by CBC Toronto, former Toronto Mets coach Duncan Watt noted that Hicks was distinguished by his gratitude and a work ethic that allowed him to perform in difficult situations.

Now in just his second big league season after debuting with the Miami Marlins, Hicks is set to make his World Series debut Friday night as the Tampa Bay Rays face the Milwaukee Brewers. His parents, Bill and Jennifer Hicks, told CBC Toronto that the year has felt "surreal," noting that they previously viewed baseball as a means to pay for his schooling rather than a feasible professional career.

As the only Canadian on the Rays' roster, Hicks enters the series following a strong 2025 rookie campaign. Data from FanGraphs shows he led all major league rookies that year with a 0.77 walks-to-strikeout rate and ranked fifth among all qualified hitters for the lowest out-of-zone swing percentage (17.9).