2019 State College Spikes pitcher Jack Ralston made his major league debut on Sunday with the Miami Marlins to become the 77th Spike to the Majors on the Road to the Show presented by HRI Inc.
Ralston, a seventh-round draft choice of the St. Louis Cardinals out of UCLA, began his pro career in Happy Valley with 17 appearances in 2019. The right-hander signaled his success early with five saves and a 1-0 record with a 1.07 earned run average with the Spikes.
After rising through the Cardinals' ranks over the next six years, Ralston made his Triple-A debut with Memphis on July 1, 2025, and split time there and at Double-A Springfield for the rest of the season.
Prior to the 2026 season, Ralston elected to become a free agent and signed a minor league contract with the Marlins, making 39 appearances and posting a 6-1 record with a 1.66 ERA out of the bullpen under former Spike David Carpenter at Triple-A Jacksonville.
Ralston then got the call-up to Miami and pitched two innings of scoreless, two-hit ball against the Washington Nationals for a hold at LoanDepot Park on Sunday, notching his first two MLB strikeouts in the process.
The righty followed it up on Tuesday night by retiring all three Boston Red Sox batters he faced in the seventh in a game the Red Sox eventually won in the 11th.
Fans can see more of the future of baseball throughout the Spikes' 20th Anniversary Season this summer, with home games at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park all the way to September 1. Check out the promotional schedule and purchase tickets to each Spikes home game with the Spikes 20/20 Special presented by The Clubhouse at the Nittany Valley Sports Centre, featuring 20% off all single-game tickets with promo code AUGUST20 here at StateCollegeSpikes.com/tickets.
