A.J. Puk is the front-runner to claim the fourth spot in the Marlins rotation. Back in December, the Marlins revealed their plans to stretch Puk back out and plug him back into a starting role after four years in the bullpen. The left-hander has never made a big league start in his career.
With Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara out for the season recovering from elbow surgery and Braxton Garrett expected to begin the season on the injured list, Puk is the heavy favorite to open the season in the rotation. Puk was a standout starter for the University of Florida and a starter for most of his minor league career. But he has not started a game since 2021 nor has he been a full-time starter since 2017. If Puk can successfully move back into a starting role, even for a few starts, it could be very beneficial for the Marlins.
A.J. Puk Heavy Favorite to Join Marlins’ Rotation
His breakout season came during the midst of the Oakland Athletics rebuild and led to him being dealt to the Marlins. In his first year in Miami, Puk pitched to a 3.97 ERA over 56 2/3 innings with 15 saves. Encouraged by his performance last season, Miami is hoping to maximize Puk’s potential by moving him back into a starting role. While Puk does carry injury concerns, he is under team control through 2026 and can provide much-needed depth as a starter or a reliever.
Puk impressed early in spring training as he transitions from a reliever to a starter. He has thrown five scoreless innings with nine strikeouts and just one hit in two Spring Training starts. Even if it’s only for a few starts, Puk seems to be ready to join the Marlins rotation.
Profile on Puk
Drafted by the A’s in 2016, Puk started 42 games in the minors before moving to the bullpen in 2019. Puk took to his new role out of the bullpen well and made his major league debut later that season. In 11.1 innings for the A’s Puk pitched to a 3.18 ERA with 13 strikeouts. Puk, who had Tommy John surgery in 2018, ended up missing the 2020 season due to shoulder surgery. He struggled in 2021 splitting time between Oakland and Triple-A pitching to an ERA over 6.00 at both levels. The following season Puk finally had his breakout campaign out of the Oakland bullpen. Puk pitched to a 3.12 ERA over 66 1/3 innings with a 27% strikeout and a 43.4% ground-ball rate in 2022.
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