Marlins' Rule 5 Draft pick used to be a hitter for the Savannah Bananas, but now he's a pitcher
Marlins' Rule 5 Draft pick used to be a hitter for the Savannah Bananas, but now he's a pitcher originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
There was a former Savannah Bananas standout available for selection in Wednesday's Rule 5 Draft.
The Miami Marlins did the honor of drafting him, Livan Reinoso.
Reinoso used to be a hitter for the barnstorming Bananas, and there's footage of him hitting a triple in a kilt.
These days, he's a pitcher. But you can check out that cool moment here:
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Reinoso is a 6-foot-1, 27-year-old right-hander.
He took up pitching full-time during the 2023 season, all while in the Los Angeles Dodgers ' organization.
In 2025, he split the season between High-A and Double-A. Combined, he had a 4.14 ERA.
He threw 54.1 innings and struck out 50. The major issue was that he walked 48.
The Marlins will have to figure out Reinoso's control to make him of full use to their organization. But he's clearly athletic and adaptable, so there's real potential here to create a big league pitcher out of Reinoso.
