When Joe Mack arrived on the Miami Marlins roster to assume the duties of starting catcher, the team wasn't sure which part of his they liked the most - his defense or his hitting.

Turns out, they don't have to make a choice either way, as Mack spent his first full season as a big-leaguer showing a further developing set of skills that solidified him as a young leader on the team. He didn't put up massive numbers at the plate, but he also didn't get a lot of opportunities, either. In just 303 at-bats, the young backstop smacked 14 home runs and had 52 RBI to go along with his .234 average and .685 OPS. Spread across a 162-game schedule, that projects him as about a 20-25 HR, 85-90 RBI kind of hitter if given about 500 at-bats. All coming from a lefthanded hitter, no less.

But perhaps Mack has shone most when he dons the so-called 'tools of ignorance' behind the dish. Even as a young player, he has shown leadership on the field and works well with the pitching staff. He's been praised for his ability to analyze where the guy on the mound's head is at and then make suggestions and adjustments accordingly. Those skills will only continue to develop further with time, experience, and maturity.

“His defense has been terrific, and he's really blocked the ball well," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough stated during the season about his emerging catcher. "He's received well. That throw tonight was impressive - the exchange and the accuracy, and what he was able to get on it... Joe has played very well behind the plate, and I think that's what we expected coming into this with the ability he has."

“What he is able to do defensively is such a key for our team right now.”

Mack's performance behind the plate in his initial big-league season saw him lead MLB in caught steals, having thrown out a total of 104 would-be basestealers in 2026. It's not just his arm, but his uncanny sense of timing that makes Mack stand out to the moundsmen he works with. As righthanded starter Max Meyer stated, it's not just his throwing ability, but also his growing confidence that makes him so good at his position.

"“Everyone sees it: he's got a cannon," Meyer says. "Just having him back there is awesome. He's got his feet wet now, and he's been challenging well, too. He knows the game. He's able to [throw] those runners [out], so it's awesome having a guy back there that can do that and takes off a lot of pressure to the pitchers too in innings where you know that if they steal, there's a very good chance that they're going to get hosed, so it just makes you execute a bit better.”