Josh Ekness News: Thriving in relief role

Ekness has a 1.48 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 34:8 K:BB and zero homers allowed through 24.1 innings for Double-A Pensacola this season.

Selected in the 12th round of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Houston, Ekness could be a future high-leverage bullpen arm for the Marlins as he features a fastball that can touch triple digits and a potentially plus slider that he's still learning to command. After posting an 11.1 percent walk rate at High-A Beloit in 2024, Ekness has cut that mark to 7.6 percent with Pensacola this year, and the 23-year-old right-hander seems likely to get a promotion to Triple-A over the summer.