How Marlins' Joe Mack hit a home run that Buffalo sports fans everywhere will appreciate

How Marlins’ Joe Mack hit a home run that Buffalo sports fans everywhere will appreciate originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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On paper, there wouldn’t be much reason for baseball fans in Buffalo and the whole of Western New York to be watching the Miami Marlins take on the (formerly Oakland) A’s on Saturday.

But on the lineup card? There were two names, both catchers, who made it clearly worthwhile.

The Miami Marlins had Joe Mack in the lineup.

For the Athletics? Jonah Heim.

Together, the two catches are representing the Buffalo area quite well.

Mack went to Williamsville East High School and was a first-round pick directly from that level.

Heim went to Amherst, from which he was a fourth-round pick.

Both players were so impressive in WNY that they didn’t even need college baseball to be chosen quite high and sign professionally.

On Saturday, with Heim catching, Mack launched a home run.

Absolutely iMACKulate pic.twitter.com/3LezSnuNtZ

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) July 5, 2026

“A kid from Williamsville just hit a homerun in MLB while a kid from Amherst is catching,” wrote local baseball instructor Casey Gruarin on X. “Two guys from the next town over from each other playing against each other in the big leagues… That is INSANE.”

This is Mack’s debut season, and he’s already up to seven home runs.

Heim had entered the journeyman stage of his career but is impressing with the A’s, now up to eight homers of his own.

It’s not a connection that might matter to many MLB fans.

But to fans of the game in the cold, snowy springs of Western New York, this is awesome.

The high school baseball seasons might be short, but they’ve produced some special players in recent years.

Not far away from Rochester, Brighton High School product Ernie Clement recently set an all-time playoff hits record for the Toronto Blue Jays.

And now the Buffalo boys, Mack and Heim, are proving that the long winters may just produce some high-quality catchers.

It’s a cool connection, one giving fans of the Bills and Sabres a reason to watch the Marlins and A’s.