Josh Ekness Stats & Scouting Report

Top Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme.

Track Record: Between Lamar and Houston, Ekness had an underwhelming college career, finishing with a cumulative ERA of 6.34. The Marlins took a chance on his stuff and converted him to full-time relief, a move that has paid major dividends. In his first full pro season, Ekness zoomed through three stops to Double-A and posted a 1.91 ERA and 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

Scouting Report: Ekness is an imposing presence on the mound. His fastball comes out of his hand at 97-100 mph, and it seems even faster due to the extension he creates in his delivery. He pairs it with a mid-80s slider that shows sharp bite and plenty of separation off the fastball. He will also occasionally mix in a firm, below-average changeup. His control was a major issue in college but took a major step forward in 2024. That small uptick made all the difference in the world. It remains to be seen which version of strike-throwing Ekness shows moving forward.

The Future: Ekness’ ultimate future relies on how many strikes he can throw. The pessimistic outlook would be that he is a big, uncoordinated mover with a history of control issues. The optimistic outlook would be that bigger-bodied pitchers tend to take longer to figure out their mechanics. He will likely begin 2025 back in Double-A.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 40.

School: Houston Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.4
Ekness showed big arm strength out of high school and then did more of the same in his first year at Lamar, where he was regularly in the upper 90s. After two seasons with Lamar, Ekness transferred to Houston for the 2023 season, where he worked as a starter and reliever and posted a 6.45 ERA over 67 innings, with a 23.2% strikeout rate and 12.1% walk rate. Listed at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Ekness has long levers and averaged 94 mph on his fastball this spring and reached 98 at peak velocity. He also throws a mid-80s slider that he actually used more than his fastball in 2022, though he threw the fastball 60% of the time and the slider 34% of the time in 2023. It’s a high-spin slider in the mid 80s that generated a 32% miss rate this season with short-cutting action. Ekness has also thrown a top-down curveball in the 79-81 mph range, but he doesn’t land it for strikes much, and still largely relies on his fastball/slider combination. Previously a well-below average strike-thrower, Ekness made a strong step forward with his control, but needs to continue that trajectory to make the most of his stuff.

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp placed RHP Josh Ekness on the 7-day injured list.
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp activated RHP Josh Ekness.
RHP Josh Ekness assigned to Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp from Pensacola Blue Wahoos.
Miami Marlins invited non-roster RHP Josh Ekness to spring training.
RHP Josh Ekness assigned to Pensacola Blue Wahoos from Beloit Sky Carp.
Beloit Sky Carp activated RHP Josh Ekness.
RHP Josh Ekness assigned to Beloit Sky Carp from Jupiter Hammerheads.