Wednesday, October 21

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MIAMI – Being traded midseason is a hectic time for a ballplayer. There’s the logistics of packing up your belongings, moving to a different city and getting to know new teammates and coaches. 

When Marlins reliever Victor Vodnik found out he would be headed from Colorado to South Florida this August, a text message of congratulations from retired Marlin Ricky Nolasco stood out from a sea of others. 

Only three people from Rialto High School in California have appeared in the Major Leagues, and Vodnik and Nolasco are two of them.  

Back in 2018, Nolasco heard from the school’s head baseball coach via Instagram about a pitcher prepping for the Draft. The coach asked whether Nolasco would come to talk to the pitcher. 

“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.” 

Added Nolasco: “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.” 

The Braves selected Vodnik in the 14th round of the 2018 Draft, but he made his big league debut five years later with the Rockies. 

With 175 career big league appearances on his resume from 2023-26, Vodnik now pays it forward. Before Spring Training, Vodnik and Nolasco were honored at Rialto High School as part of a ceremony that unveiled new lights for the baseball field. 

“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.” 

In between in-person catchups, Nolasco has followed Vodnik’s career from afar. There have been lows – as often can be the case pitching at Coors Field – and highs. In 2025, Vodnik posted a career-best 3.02 ERA in 52 outings, but in 2026, he had a 5.25 ERA in 33 appearances before being dealt to Miami.  

At the time of the trade, Vodnik’s 98.6 mph average fastball velocity and 55.6% ground-ball rate ranked in the 96th and 95th percentiles, respectively. As Nolasco witnessed years ago, Vodnik has Major League stuff. 

Nolasco will text Vodnik after a bad game about remembering to be ready to pitch the following day. As a reliever, he has the chance to quickly redeem himself. Nolasco kept up with the Marlins more this year between Vodnik’s addition to Miami and Sandy Alcantara’s passing of Nolasco on the franchise leaderboard for innings pitched. 

Though a lot has changed since Nolasco’s 12-year MLB career, which ended in 2017, he’s available if Vodnik needs guidance, especially if a breaking ball is involved. 

“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.” 

• Marlins No. 27 prospect Max Williams is making up for lost time at the Arizona Fall League. More >> 

• Javier Sanoja is up for a Gold Glove Award for the second straight year, this time at third base. More >> 

• What stat from the Marlins’ farm system caught MLB Pipeline’s eye? More >>

A reminder that loanDepot park will host a two-game series featuring Venezuelan Professional Baseball League clubs Navegantes del Magallanes and Tiburones de La Guaira as part of Choque de Gigantes Nov. 14-15. 

The Nov. 14 game will take place at 7 p.m. ET, while the Nov. 15 game will begin at 1 p.m. 

Choque de Gigantes, which was first introduced by the Marlins in 2024, brought together six winter ball clubs from Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic for a three-day international tournament. The event returns with a new two-game format showcasing Magallanes and Tiburones, who won the 2025 Choque de Gigantes and the 2024 Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe), respectively. 

Venezuelan salsa group Los Adolescentes will perform a postgame concert on Nov. 14. Admission is included with a ticket to the Saturday game. 

Tickets are on sale at Marlins.com/Choque. A portion of the proceeds will benefit ongoing relief efforts for those impacted by the earthquakes in Venezuela.

“I think it's great. You can only applaud someone. For me, being out there chewing up innings, making all your starts, being healthy, things like that, [plus] I've heard nothing but great things about him as far as being a good teammate and a good person. How can you not be absolutely happy for this guy? It’s going to happen no matter what. … I wish him nothing but the best, and I hope he breaks them all, and no one ever breaks his records until the next kid comes up.” -- Nolasco on Alcantara

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