MIAMI -- The Marlins are calling up Top 100 prospect Joe Mack and optioning Agustín Ramírez to Triple-A Jacksonville, a source told MLB.com on Sunday.
The club did not confirm the report.
Marlins fans have been eager to see Mack, who ranks as the organization’s No. 4 prospect (MLB Pipeline’s No. 54 overall), make his Major League debut.
A 2024 Minor League Gold Glove winner, Mack was hitting .244/.388/.378 with two doubles, three homers and nine RBIs in 24 games. The 23-year-old Mack was also showing better plate discipline, with 22 strikeouts to 20 walks.
COMPLETE MARLINS PROSPECT COVERAGE
Mack, who was originally selected by the organization 31st overall in the 2021 MLB Draft and became the catcher-in-waiting after a breakout 2024 (.807 OPS) and a strong follow-up in 2025 (.813 OPS), was added to the 40-man roster over the offseason. He saw substantial reps at big league camp this spring with Ramírez and Liam Hicks competing at the World Baseball Classic.
This likely signifies a turning point for Ramírez, whom the Marlins acquired to catch as the centerpiece of the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade. After an organization-wide vote of confidence over the winter and spring, Miami's 2026 Opening Day backstop hasn’t seen enough improvement behind the dish -- and his bat hasn’t woken up this season.
During his rookie season in 2025, Ramírez led all MLB backstops in errors (10) and passed balls (19). He threw out just eight of 91 basestealers. This season, according to Baseball Savant, Ramírez ranked in the 1st percentile in blocks above average (minus-6), 21st percentile in framing (-1) and 29th percentile in pop time (1.98). At the plate after a historic start to his MLB career, Ramírez’s OPS+ had dipped to 92 and his bWAR to negative-0.4.
By going hitless in Sunday’s 7-2 loss to the Phillies, Ramirez’s 2026 slash line dropped to .230/.318/.345 with just eight extra-base hits in 129 plate appearances. His advanced metrics have been down across the board from average exit velocity (89 mph, 45th percentile) to hard-hit percentage (40.2%, 45th percentile) to whiff percentage (31.5%, 19th percentile). His launch angle is also down from 8.3 to 6.8, leading to more ground balls (50%).
Behind the dish, Ramírez’s four errors were tied for the most among MLB backstops and his three passed balls tied for fourth (min. 100 innings).
Ramírez’s counterpart Hicks, meanwhile, has been one of the better hitters in the Majors. Hicks leads the club with a career-high seven homers and is tied for second in MLB with 29 RBIs, behind only Atlanta’s Matt Olson (31). His .309 average is 11th in the NL.
Both Mack and Hicks are left-handed batters, so they wouldn't be able to form a platoon. Hicks can also play first base and serve as the designated hitter, since Mack is a better defender.