Justin Bruihl Bio
Justin Bruihl (born June 26, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is currently a member of the St. Louis Cardinals organization, wearing uniform number 47, and has previously appeared in the big leagues for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Toronto Blue Jays. A right-handed reliever, Bruihl has built his career primarily on the strength of his strikeout ability and his willingness to work multiple innings out of the bullpen.
Born and raised in Petaluma, California, Bruihl entered professional baseball as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and steadily climbed through the minor leagues before reaching the majors with the Dodgers in 2021. Across his MLB stops, he has been valued as a depth arm who can be called upon to handle high-leverage situations, and he has logged appearances at every minor league level from rookie ball through Triple-A.
Early Life and Background
Justin Bruihl was born on June 26, 1997, in Petaluma, California, and grew up in the same Sonoma County community. He attended Casa Grande High School in Petaluma, where he first emerged as a pitching prospect and drew attention from college recruiters. His time at Casa Grande, however, was marked by a serious injury setback that would shape the early phase of his development.
Early in his junior season at Casa Grande, Bruihl tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery, the ligament-reconstruction procedure common among young pitchers. He returned to the mound in the second half of his senior year but was held to roughly 17 and a third innings, during which he struck out 27 batters and did not allow an earned run. The abbreviated senior campaign limited his draft exposure and set the stage for a college route to professional baseball.
Path to Baseball
Following high school, Bruihl enrolled at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where he pitched for the Cal Poly Mustangs. As a freshman, he led the team with 25 appearances, posting a 1–3 record and a 4.88 earned run average with 27 strikeouts in just over 31 innings. After that first college season, he transferred to Santa Rosa Junior College to reset his role and refine his stuff.
At Santa Rosa, Bruihl had a breakout sophomore year, going 7–0 with a 2.12 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 51 innings pitched. The strong performance helped him secure a commitment to continue his career at the University of California. Instead of waiting for the next college season, however, he chose to enter professional baseball and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as an undrafted free agent on July 15, 2017.
Justin Bruihl Career
Minor League Years (2018–2020)
Bruihl began his professional career in 2018 with the Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer League, the Dodgers’ rookie-level affiliate. The following year he started with the High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes before being reassigned to the Single-A Great Lakes Loons, gaining experience against a range of competition in the California and Midwest leagues.
The 2020 minor league season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping Bruihl off the mound for the year. He returned to action in 2021 at the Double-A Tulsa Drillers and was promoted to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers on June 1, 2021, setting the stage for his first major league opportunity later that summer.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2021–2023)
The Dodgers selected Bruihl’s contract and added him to the major league roster on August 8, 2021, the same day he made his MLB debut against the Los Angeles Angels. He struck out the first batter he faced, Brandon Marsh, and went on to pitch 18 and two-thirds innings over 21 games, allowing six earned runs for a 2.89 ERA. In the minors that year, across 26 appearances split between Tulsa and Oklahoma City, he posted a 2.63 ERA. He was added to the Dodgers’ roster for the 2021 National League Championship Series and tossed two scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out five.
Bruihl split 2022 between Oklahoma City and Los Angeles, going 3–1 with a 3.56 ERA in 25 games at Triple-A and 1–1 with a 3.80 ERA in 24 games for the Dodgers. On September 18, 2022, he picked up his first career major league save against the San Francisco Giants. He was optioned to Triple-A to begin 2023, returned to pitch 20 games for Los Angeles with a 4.07 ERA, and was designated for assignment on July 28, 2023.
Colorado Rockies (2023)
On August 1, 2023, Bruihl was traded to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for cash considerations. His time in Denver proved difficult, as he posted a 14.73 ERA with three strikeouts across just three and two-thirds innings in seven appearances. He was designated for assignment on August 25 following the promotion of Evan Justice, cleared waivers, and was outrighted to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes on August 28. He elected free agency on November 6, 2023.
Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates (2024)
On January 3, 2024, Bruihl signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. He appeared in 19 games for the Triple-A Louisville Bats, recording a 2.31 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 23 and a third innings, and was released on June 3, 2024. Three days later, on June 6, he signed a major league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
With Pittsburgh, Bruihl struggled to a 9.53 ERA with five strikeouts in just over five and two-thirds innings across seven games. He was designated for assignment on July 7, cleared waivers, and was outrighted to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians on July 9. He elected free agency again on October 2, 2024.
Toronto Blue Jays and Beyond (2025)
Bruihl signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on March 16, 2025, and spent most of the early season with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, where he went 3–3 with a 3.81 ERA, 36 strikeouts, and two saves in 28 and a third innings across 25 appearances. The Blue Jays selected his contract on June 17, 2025, and he pitched in 15 games for Toronto, recording a 5.27 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 13 and two-thirds innings before being optioned back to Buffalo on August 30. He was designated for assignment on December 15, 2025, following Toronto’s signing of Tyler Rogers.
On December 17, 2025, Bruihl was traded to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for cash considerations, only to be designated for assignment three days later after the Guardians signed Shawn Armstrong. On January 6, 2026, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, again for cash considerations, where he continues his career wearing uniform number 47.
Notable Events and Milestones
Bruihl’s most memorable early moment came on August 8, 2021, when he debuted for the Dodgers against the Angels and struck out Brandon Marsh, the first batter he faced in the major leagues. Later that postseason, he contributed two scoreless innings with five strikeouts in the 2021 National League Championship Series, helping the Dodgers advance toward the World Series. On September 18, 2022, he recorded his first career save against the rival San Francisco Giants, capping a productive 2022 bullpen season.
Justin Bruihl Personal Life
Personal Life
Public details about Bruihl’s personal life are limited. He is an American citizen, born and raised in Petaluma, California, and continues to be active on social media, where fans can follow his professional updates on Twitter. Beyond his playing career, little additional personal information has been publicly confirmed.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was another year of movement for Justin Bruihl, who began the year in the Toronto Blue Jays system on a minor league deal. With the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, he served as a reliable late-inning option, posting a 3.81 ERA, 36 strikeouts, and two saves across 25 appearances, earning a call-up to the majors in mid-June.
At the major league level in Toronto, he pitched in 15 games and recorded an 8-1 record with an 5.27 ERA, striking out 18 in just under 14 innings, before being optioned back to Buffalo in late August. His role with the Blue Jays was largely that of a middle reliever, and his bullpen flexibility kept him in the conversation for late-season call-ups.
Following the 2025 campaign, Bruihl was designated for assignment, briefly landed with the Cleveland Guardians, and was then traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in January 2026, positioning him for the upcoming season in the St. Louis bullpen.
