For Victor Vodnik, the midseason move from Colorado to Miami came with the usual chaos: the packing, the relocation, the crash course in a new clubhouse. But one message cut through all of that noise. It came from Ricky Nolasco.
Vodnik and Nolasco share more than Marlins ties. They’re two of only three major leaguers to come out of Rialto High School in California, and their connection goes back to 2018, when the school’s head baseball coach reached out to Nolasco through Instagram about a pitcher preparing for the Draft.
Nolasco agreed to take a look, and what he saw stuck with him. Vodnik remembers the conversation clearly, especially the way Nolasco broke down his arm strength and the level of movement he needed to keep chasing.
“During that time, I was throwing a bullpen, and [Nolasco] told me that I had a big league arm,” Vodnik recalled. “He basically broke down, like in feet, what high school movement usually looks like, and then what college usually looks like, and then what big league movement usually looks like.
‘You have a big league arm. Your stuff moves like that.
So just continue to do your thing and work hard.’ And I did.”
Nolasco’s own memory of that session is just as vivid. He said Vodnik showed the kind of arm talent that jumps out immediately, even if the pitcher was still rough around the edges.
“I talked to him a little bit first, and then watched him throw, and obviously he's got a lightning bolt in his right arm, which was very impressive. He was raw, no doubt about that, but most high school kids are. …
“I was instantly very impressed with his maturity and things like that, and that was the most important thing that I wanted to stress. Make sure that he's going in the right path, and understand that this is a very small window that a lot of people don't get, so make sure to take advantage of that.”
Atlanta picked Vodnik in the 14th round of the 2018 Draft, and he reached the majors five years later with the Rockies. Since then, he has built up 175 career big league appearances from 2023-26, and now he’s trying to settle in with the Marlins.
Before Spring Training, Vodnik and Nolasco were both honored back at Rialto High School when the program unveiled new lights for the baseball field. For Vodnik, that kind of full-circle moment mattered.
“It was a huge dream, and it was cool to have somebody who had gotten drafted out of there talk to me during that process,” Vodnik said. “It was huge for me, and so I want to do the same thing.
I go back to the high school now and then. I still live in Rialto.
It meant a lot to me because he helped me out a lot, and I like to help people.”
Nolasco has kept tabs on Vodnik from a distance ever since, checking in through the ups and downs that come with pitching, especially in Denver. Vodnik’s 2025 season was the best of his career, with a 3.02 ERA in 52 outings. In 2026, though, he had a 5.25 ERA in 33 appearances before the trade to Miami.
Even with the rough patches, the numbers still point to a pitcher with real power. At the time of the deal, Vodnik’s 98.6 mph average fastball velocity and 55.6% ground-ball rate ranked in the 96th and 95th percentiles, respectively.
Nolasco still reaches out after a tough outing, usually with the same reminder: a reliever has to move on fast and be ready the next day. He’s also followed the Marlins more closely this year, both because Vodnik landed in Miami and because Sandy Alcantara passed him on the franchise leaderboard for innings pitched.
Nolasco’s playing days ended in 2017 after a 12-year MLB career, but the offer of help is still there. He said he tries not to overdo it, knowing Vodnik is already a big leaguer with his own routine.
“Try to give him his space and not bombard him with anything about baseball, because he's a professional,” Nolasco said. “He's in the big leagues.
He knows what he's doing. I definitely keep track of his numbers and games and things like that.
I did see when he got traded to the Marlins, and I just told him, ‘Hey, good luck. You're going to love the 305,' and things like that.
So, hopefully, nothing but the best for him from here on out.”