Rookie Joe Mack showcases all-around game in Marlins’ blowout win over Braves
Joe Mack has steadily shown off his defensive prowess since making his MLB debut earlier this month.
But the Miami Marlins’ rookie catcher also made a needed impact with his bat on Monday against one of MLB’s top teams.
Mack, ranked as Miami’s No. 4 prospect and the No. 44 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, drove in the Marlins’ first three runs and had four RBI total in a 12-0 blowout win over the Atlanta Braves to begin a four-game series at loanDepot park. For comparison, Mack had just two RBI through his first 12 MLB games.
Monday’s win marked the Marlins’ largest run differential in a home shutout. It was also the fourth-most lopsided win over the Braves in franchise history, behind only a 16-2 win on Sept. 17, 2023; a 20-1 win on July 1, 2003; and a 17-1 win on April 5, 2003.
Mack was in the middle of most of the action.
He opened scoring in the second with an RBI groundout that scored Jakob Marsee, who hit an infield single and moved to third on a Connor Norby single. Mack then pushed the Marlins’ lead to 3-0 with a two-run single with the bases loaded in the fourth that deflected off second baseman Ozzie Albies’ glove and into right field to score Kyle Stowers and Marsee. It was the start of a five-run inning that also saw an RBI single from Xavier Edwards and a two-run double from Liam Hicks to give Miami (22-26) a 6-0 lead over the Braves (32-16).
Mack then walked with the bases loaded to bring in the first of six runs in the fifth. Javier Sanoja followed with a grand slam — the first by a Marlins player batting ninth in the lineup since Justin Bour on June 10, 2016 — and Xavier Edwards added a solo home run.
“Just being able to get my good swings off felt really good,” Mack said. “Looking to multiply that and stack these days.”
Mack, who is now on a three-game hitting streak but hitting just .225 with a .562 OPS through his first 42 MLB plate appearances, said finding consistent offensive success early in the big leagues has been a learning curve.
“These [pitchers] are all better,” Mack said. “They’re all more consistent, and when they have a plan, they go out there and execute it. It’s just preparing for that.”
Added Marlins manager Clayton McCullough, who said that Mack on Monday had “probably his best collection of at-bats in a game”: “I do still think offensively there’s a lot of room for Joe to grow. I think his approach is going to have to continue to get better to raise the floor of his offensive ability. I think he will get to some power. He has the ability to impact the ball, but I think it’s nice to see him lay off some pitches today and not be in just swing mode with everything.”
And Mack still made an impact behind the plate.
He successfully challenged a pair of pitches in the second inning that directly led to strikeouts of Michael Harris II and Dominic Smith. He also threw out Drake Baldwin trying to steal second base in the first inning.
“I felt like behind the plate, really, from the first start, he’s looked and felt like he belongs here,” McCullough said. “We’ve seen the defensive ability that has been talked about a lot come through.”
Mack also helped starting pitcher Max Meyer navigate a Braves lineup that entered Monday leading MLB in batting average (.265) and ranked second in runs per game (5.3), home runs (66) and on-base-plus-slugging (.772).
Meyer gave up just three hits and walked two while striking out six over six shutout innings to continue a stellar start to the season. Through 10 starts, Meyer has a 2.85 ERA with 60 strikeouts against 19 walks and a .203 batting average against over 53 2/3 innings.
John King, Calvin Faucher and Lake Bachar threw three scoreless innings out of the bullpen to secure Miami’s third shutout win of the season.
“He does a good job,” Meyer said of Mack. “He controls the zone. He got some good challenges for me. He got two strikeouts for me, so I always appreciate that. And he’s always keeping it light for being a rookie catcher. The game’s pretty slow for him right now, so I’m really impressed with that. We’re just relaxing on the mound. We’re not taking the situation too big. So I’ve been impressed with him so far.”
Robby Snelling update
Left-handed pitcher Robby Snelling will visit Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, on Thursday to undergo further testing for the UCL sprain in his left elbow, the Marlins announced Monday.
Snelling, ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the Marlins’ organization and the No. 28 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, went on the 15-day injured list Wednesday after reporting soreness in his elbow following a bullpen session. He made his MLB debut on May 8, giving up three runs on five hits and four walks over five innings.
This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 9:38 PM.
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