Joe Mack -- General News

The Miami Marlins promoted 23-year-old catching prospect Joe Mack to the major leagues prior to their game against the Phillies on May 4, 2024. Mack was the 31st overall pick in the 2021 draft and has steadily progressed through the Marlins' minor league system. He is ranked as the 50th-best prospect in baseball by Baseball America, with other prominent rankings placing him between 52nd and 61st overall. Mack's primary strength is his elite-level defense, earning praise for his framing, blocking, and throwing arm—attributes scouts believe already qualify him for MLB competition.

Offensively, Mack has demonstrated significant improvement after a poor 2023 season. Over 515 career Triple-A plate appearances, he has posted a .249/.334/.444 slash line with 21 home runs. This season through 103 PA with Jacksonville, Mack's plate discipline has improved markedly, with his walk rate rising to 19.4% while his strikeout rate decreased to 21.4%. His approach is pull-oriented with an all-or-nothing tendency, but he possesses sufficient power to take advantage when making solid contact.

The corresponding move optioned Agustin Ramirez to Triple-A. Ramirez, the incumbent backup catcher, has underperformed offensively this season, batting .230/.318/.345 with only 2 home runs across 129 plate appearances. His defensive limitations further contributed to his demotion, as he is considered among the weakest defensive catchers in baseball. The Marlins have maintained a catching platoon with starting catcher Liam Hicks, who has excelled with a .309/.366/.557 line and 7 home runs over 112 PA while handling duties at catcher, first base, and DH.

Joe Mack, a 23-year-old left-handed catcher from Western New York, received his MLB call-up to the Miami Marlins on Monday after being promoted from Triple-A Jacksonville. Mack was drafted 31st overall in 2021 out of Williamsville East High School, becoming the first Buffalo-area player selected in the first round since 1978. He is ranked as the Marlins' No. 4 prospect and No. 54 overall in MLB. Upon joining the Marlins clubhouse in Miami, Mack expressed his emotions about the achievement, stating "It's everything that I've worked for my whole career, my whole life...Dreaming of this as a kid and finally being able to actually be here and do it for fun and all that stuff is just really, truly amazing." In Triple-A play, Mack batted .244 with 2 doubles, 3 homers, and 9 RBIs across 24 games. The 23-year-old won the Minor League Gold Glove award in 2024 and competed in the All-Star Futures Game. He joins Jonah Heim, an Amherst High School graduate who won the 2023 World Series with the Texas Rangers, as major league catchers from the Western New York region. The Marlins currently sit in second place in the National League East, 8.5 games behind the Braves and 4 games back in the wild-card standings.