Joe Mack's pop time is why Marlins should be extra excited about new call-up
This should be almost impossible behind the plate.
Joe Mack's pop time is why Marlins should be extra excited about new call-up originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Joe Mack can hit.
He can even run a bit. But the thing that is going to make him immediately valuable to the Miami Marlins upon his promotion from Triple-A to the major leagues is his defense. And one skill, his pop time, stands out the most.
Pop time, in essence, is how long it takes a catcher to get the ball to second base on a steal attempt. Whether a runner gets thrown out or not can depend on how well the pitcher holds a guy on, as well as how quick a pitcher is to home plate. But once the ball arrives to the catcher, certain players are better than others at efficiently getting rid of the ball with quickness, strength and accuracy.
Mack is one of the very best. MORE: Braves make history for first time since 1892 Boston Beaneaters No throw exemplifies that better than this one from last year's Triple-A championship series. A pitch way outside that Mack wasn't expecting forced him to take a totally different path to the ball than he normally would.