Joe Mack interview: Inside his remarkable rookie season

[Kevin Barral - Isaac Azout]

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With September underway, Kevin Barral, Isaac Azout and Ely Sussman discuss where the Miami Marlins stand in the National League Wild Card race. They analyze the usage of the club's starting pitchers, recent call-ups of Jared Serna and Graham Pauley, and how Leo Jiménez has stuck around all season despite such poor production. Then, Joe Mack joins Kevin and Isaac for an exclusive interview. Mack reflects on his developmental journey in the Marlins organization, where he has improved over the course of the 2026 season, using the ABS challenge system, forming relationships with his pitchers and what it feels like to be chasing a playoff spot.

You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods.

The Marlins recalled Mack from Triple-A Jacksonville on May 4 and he's been their primary catcher ever since. Through 87 MLB games played entering Thursday, Mack has slashed .234/.287/.409 with 12 home runs and a 89 wRC+. Thanks to elite defense, his overall contribution to the Marlins has been 2.0 fWAR (tied for third among all of their position players).

Mack has caught 20 baserunners attempting to steal, trailing only William Contreras, Freddy Fermin and Patrick Bailey in that category. He has won 61.4% of his ABS challenges.

 

Mack tells Fish Unfiltered that he takes pride in how much he has improved at blocking pitches compared to the previous few seasons. Partially a byproduct of that, the Marlins have thrown only 43 wild pitches as a team this season, a sharp decrease from 65 wild pitches in 2025 before his arrival.

The Marlins will have club control of Mack through at least the 2032 season.

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