Marlins Lose Joe Mack But Gain High-Upside Starting Pitcher in 2021 MLB Re-draft
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The Miami Marlins have a great problem behind the plate going into the 2026 season.
Agustín Ramírez is coming off a quality offensive rookie season. Liam Hicks is a solid backup and potential trade bait. Joe Mack is one of the franchise’s top prospects and poised to compete for playing time in 2026.
Mack was the Marlins’ competitive balance first-round pick in 2021, and it’s taken him a few years to develop, though that’s not uncommon for prep players that pass on college. At 23 years old, he’s ready for his MLB promotion. But what if the Marlins had gone in a different direction? And what if they had the benefit of knowing how every pick in the draft would develop?
That was the subject of a recent piece in Baseball America (subscription required). The site re-drafted the 2021 MLB draft based on current performance. And that shook things up for the Marlins.
An Alternative Path in the 2021 MLB Draft
For a team that already has a rock-solid starting rotation with Sanda Alcantara, Edward Cabrera, Ryan Weathers and Eury Perez, an additional starter might seem superfluous. But, what if it’s Seattle starter Bryce Miller?
Miller, who was a fourth-round pick that season, ended up with the Marlins in the re-draft at No. 16 overall, where their original pick was shortstop Khalil Watson. Mack was selected by Atlanta at No. 24.
The right-hander developed quickly for the Mariners. He made his MLB debut in 2023, going 8-7 in 25 starts as the Mariners made the playoffs. He had the best season of his young career in 2024 as he went 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA and struck out 171 hitters in 180.1 innings. Last season he dealt with injuries and only went 4-6 with a 5.68 ERA in 18 starts. But he helped the Mariners win the AL West and reach the AL Championship Series.
The mind boggles a bit at the idea of dropping Miller into the current rotation. It would be one of the few rotations in baseball that didn’t feature any significant holds and one that is under team control for multiple seasons. A healthy Miller might have made a difference for Miami last season as it finished four games out of the final NL wild card berth.
The alternative history is tremendous for Miami. The Marlins traded Watson at the 2023 trade deadline to Cleveland in a package of players for Josh Bell. Had Miami had Miller, it might still have Juan Segura, who was included in the deal from the Marlins’ perspective. Losing Mack doesn’t hurt that much with the emergence of Ramirez and the stability of Hicks behind him.
