The 2026 Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalists are in. The Miami Marlins only had one player to receive finalist honors, and that's third baseman Javier Sanoja.
There's another Marlin that should have gotten some respect from the media for his defensive metrics.
Miami Marlins catcher Joe Mack Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Joe Mack, 23, had one of the best seasons from a defensive standpoint. In some people's eyes, he was arguably the best defensive catcher this season. Mack is definitely one of the top five defensive catchers of the season. Did he deserve to get finalist recognition? Absolutely.
The only possible reason that he got left out is that the baseball writers felt that he didn't play a full-length season. Mack got called up in May. He's done everything he could to make his presence known on defense. Mack made an immediate impact by consistently throwing out runners who try to steal second base.
It's been a long time since the Marlins had a catcher win a Gold Glove. Charles Johnson is the Marlins catcher to win the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, and he did it for three consecutive seasons from 1995 through 1997. If Johnson got an interview today, he would probably come to Mack's defense and say he should have been named a finalist.
When it comes to wins or nominations for anything, someone deserving will get left out. We understand not everyone can become a finalist for the Gold Glove, but Mack was a high-level robbery.
In 105 games, Mack posted a .995 fielding percentage, 744 putouts, 44 assists, and only 12 errors and 5 double plays. In addition, Mack led the majors in steals caught, with 26. Freddy Fermin of the San Diego Padres, Gabriel Moreno of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Luis Torrens of the New York Mets earned Gold Glove finalist recognition over Mack.
Defense is Mack's No. 1 trait. Defense will keep him in baseball for a long time. If his bat gets better, then we have ourselves an all-around catcher. Mack single-handedly set the tone for the Marlins' infield defense, hes the ultimate game changer on defense.
One area we would like to see from manager Clayton McCullough is letting Mack call the game. Some managers have elite catchers they let lead the game with pitches and be more vocal. The 2027 season will present an interesting challenge for Mack: be more assertive on defense.
The snub will only add fuel for Mack to prove next season that the baseball writers made a mistake by not acknowledging his defense.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/marlins/onsi as The Biggest Gold Glove Snub: Why This Marlin Deserved a Finalist Nod .
