Junk has been showing his stuff for the Marlins

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Over 20,000 people have played in a Major League Baseball game. Every single one of their journeys is different, and Marlins starting pitcher Janson Junk’s is no exception. 

From Federal Way, Washington, and a former Seattle University player, Junk was drafted by the Yankees in the 22nd round of the 2017 MLB Draft–a round that no longer exists. It was the first step that shaped an underdog journey for Junk

“I’ve always had something to prove,” Junk told 5RSN. “I’m thankful the Yankees took me because they did teach me a lot.”

There’s a lot of growth that comes with jumping from the amateurs to the professional level, and Junk says the Yankees taught him a lot on how to evaluate himself from an analytical standpoint.

“College was more motivational, building that competitive nature. When I got to the bigs, analytics were getting really big, so it was good to see that my stuff was actually good.”

The first time Junk had to face adversity in his professional career was during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Minor League Baseball canceled its season. Teams began setting up alternate sites near their ballpark, where top prospects and other minor leaguers could stay fresh and be ready in case of a COVID-19 breakout amongst the big league team. Junk wasn’t invited, so he stayed back with his trainer, Kyle Rogers, in Washington to stay ready for the 2021 season.

Once 2021 rolled around and Minor League Baseball returned, Junk made his largest stride to that point with the help of an influential coach. “Daniel Vazquez was my pitching coach in AA at the beginning of the year; he’s one of the most influential, smart, relatable, good humans,” Junk said. “He’s just fun to be around and have as your pitching coach, and he helped me along the way that year, and luckily I had probably my best year.”

Junk pitched well enough that the Los Angeles Angels made sure he was in the trade package for Andrew Heaney, as Junk moved organizations for the first time in his career. After one month at AA-Rocket City, the day had finally come–Junk was a Major Leaguer. On September 3rd, 2021, Junk got the call. However, it wouldn’t last long, as Junk was optioned to AAA-Salt Lake City just mere weeks later. It was the start of a series of options back and forth between AAA and MLB, as Junk would be sent between the two levels a grand total of five times between 2021 and 2022.

“It was naive thinking that once you get there, you’re gonna stay there forever. It’s a typical saying that it’s easy to get there but harder to stay,” Junk said. “I had a lot of pressure in moments where I thought if I don’t perform well, I’m gonna get sent back down, then it’s like, what more can I do?”

After a year and a half in the Angels’ organization, Junk was traded to Milwaukee in October 2022 as part of a package for Hunter Renfroe. 2023 was more of the same for Junk, getting sent between AAA and Milwaukee, but 2024 presented a new challenge–getting moved to the bullpen.

“I enjoyed my time in Milwaukee; they were good to me, but I felt like I never got a good opportunity to show myself before I got moved to the bullpen,” Junk said.

After burning through all of Junk’s minor league options, the Brewers designated him for assignment right before the 2024 trade deadline. This would be a series of DFAs for Junk, which he called the roughest two months of his career. 

Now, in 2025, it seems like Junk has finally found stability with the Marlins. After moving from the bullpen back into a starting role, he leads the team in pitching WAR and is on the heels of back-to-back dominating outings, allowing two or fewer earned runs. 

There’s been a variety of reasons why Junk’s been able to have success with the Marlins, but his living situation is the most ideal it’s been since entering the big leagues.

“I really value my personal space and having my own space off the field…I have my wife (in Miami) living with me, which is our first year doing that, so it’s been a pleasure to have her support,” Junk said.

The new-era Marlins have caught the league’s attention over the past couple of weeks, having sported a 19-11 record over their last 30 games entering Wednesday’s contest. The new winning culture that’s been brought into the clubhouse has affected Junk in a positive manner, to no one’s surprise.

“It’s a great group of young, hungry guys that just mesh really well from position players, to the bullpen, to the coaching staff, it all just intertwines so well,” Junk said.

Junk’s 2025 season has been nothing short of impressive, as he sports a 3.12 ERA and 2.00 FIP between five bullpen appearances and four starts since his callup in May. With the Marlins surprisingly finding themselves in the mix for a Wild Card spot in July, Junk will be looked upon to lead the way for this rotation.