The Miami Marlins recalled catcher Joe Mack from Triple-A Jacksonville, and the organization’s No. 4 prospect made his Major League debut at loanDepot park. Mack started at catcher, batted seventh and went 0-for-3 in the Miami Marlins’ 1-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. The corresponding roster move was the optioning of Agustín Ramírez.
“It’s everything that I’ve worked for my whole career, my whole life, dreaming of this as a kid,” Mack said pregame. “And finally being able to actually be here and do it for fun, and all that stuff, is just really, truly amazing. I thank God every single day for it.”
Joe Mack’s prospect credentials
Mack entered his debut as the Miami Marlins’ No. 4 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 54 overall prospect. The 23-year-old was slashing .244/.388/.378 with two doubles, three home runs and nine RBIs in 24 games, while recording 22 strikeouts and 20 walks.
The Miami Marlins selected Mack 31st overall in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Williamsville East High School in upstate New York. He won a 2024 Minor League Gold Glove and was named Double-A Pensacola’s MVP after posting a .806 OPS that season. In 2025, Mack hit 21 home runs and posted an .813 OPS between Pensacola and Triple-A Jacksonville, helping the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp win the International League and Triple-A national championships.
The Miami Marlins added Mack to their 40-man roster during the offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. MLB Pipeline’s scouting report gives him a 60-grade arm and a 55-grade field tool on the 20-80 scouting scale. Manager Clayton McCullough said Mack’s receiving, throwing and offensive development had impressed the organization.
“It’s an exciting day [for] anyone making their debut,” McCullough said. “Certainly Joe has earned that from a performance side of things. At least the time I’ve been here the last couple of years, we’ve all been incredibly high on the defensive ability and what he brings back there, certainly the receiving and the throwing. And offensively, probably the high school catcher is one of the most difficult positions to develop, and so he’s done it at a very quick rate. It just speaks to the talent.”
A memorable first game
Mack reached base on a fielder’s choice in the second inning and spoke with Philadelphia Phillies player Bryce Harper about Buffalo sports while on first base. Mack said the call-up did not change his approach to the game. “They called me up for a reason, and they called me up to be me,” Mack said.
“I’m not going to go out there and be somebody else. I’m going to play my game. Nothing really changes. It’s the same thing. It’s just a bigger stadium in front of more people. They have an expectation of me being me, and me doing what I do best, and that’s all I’m going to go out there and do.”
Source: Original report