For the Miami Marlins, the bullpen picture has shifted fast.
Not long ago, that group was carrying real weight. Through much of the 2026 season, Miami’s relievers gave the club stability and flexibility, especially in a record-setting June when the Marlins were often piecing together games with just two traditional starting pitchers.
But by the time the All-Star break arrived, the mood around the relief corps had changed. The July 5 meltdown behind a perfect Eury Pérez stood out as a major turning point, and the injuries kept piling up after that.
Anthony Bender still doesn’t have a timetable for his return, and John King, William Kempner and Michael Petersen were all hurt last week.
That’s the backdrop for Jack Ralston, who keeps doing exactly what he’s supposed to do at Triple-A Jacksonville.
The right-hander has been piling up scoreless outings for the Jumbo Shrimp, and if the Marlins are paying attention to performance alone, the next stop should be Miami. Ralston is not some overnight flyer, either.
St. Louis drafted him out of UCLA in 2019, he’s been working in the upper minors since 2023, and he turns 29 in a month.
This is a pitcher with miles on the odometer, not a prospect being shoved forward too soon.
Miami signed him as a minor league free agent this offseason, and he made an immediate impression in spring training with six scoreless appearances. The same steady work has carried over to Jacksonville.
Through 31 games, Ralston owns a 1.07 ERA, best among Triple-A pitchers with a similar workload. He hasn’t allowed a run since June 18, hasn’t given up multiple earned runs in any outing this season, and his 9.7% walk rate is the best of his professional career.
The pitch mix is part of the appeal. Ralston leans on a splitter, along with a four-seam fastball and slider, and the split is his primary weapon.
It makes up nearly half his usage and has helped fuel 48 of his 63 strikeouts, or 76.1%. That’s also a big reason he’s been tougher on left-handed hitters (.432 OPS allowed) than righties (.516).
Among active Marlins pitchers, only Tyler Phillips and Lake Bachar regularly use a splitter, and neither throws from the same over-the-top release point Ralston does. Even before you get into the quality of the pitches, that kind of contrast would give Miami something different.
There are limits, of course. Ralston’s fastball velocity is only average for a right-handed reliever, he doesn’t generate ground balls at an especially high clip, and home runs have remained part of the package.
That’s why his 3.52 FIP is solid but not eye-popping. Nobody is pretending success in the majors is automatic.
Still, with the Marlins’ current bullpen situation, he has earned a look.
And the timing matters. The trade deadline is three weeks away, and Miami still needs to hunt for help.
If the Marlins want to take bullpen aid off the list, they need either quick returns from the injured relievers or a strong internal answer. Ralston has already done everything Triple-A can ask of him.
At this point, the only real question is whether the Marlins are ready to see what he can do against big-league hitters.
The roster piece shouldn’t be a dealbreaker. The only obstacle, if it can even be called that, is finding a 40-man spot.
Miami has options there, even without moving anyone to the 60-day injured list. The cleanest path would be designating Zach Brzykcy for assignment.
Other possible DFA candidates include third-string catcher Brian Navarreto and strikeout-prone outfielder Rece Hinds, with the Marlins able to call up a 40-man bat such as Connor Norby or Agustín Ramírez in those cases.
That fits a broader pattern under Peter Bendix: finding inexpensive players and turning them into real contributors. Jack Ralston could be next. He should be up once the Marlins return to action on Friday.
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