Justin Bruihl Bio
Justin Bruihl (born June 26, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed relief pitcher, he has spent time at the major league level with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Toronto Blue Jays before joining Cleveland. Over the course of his career, Bruihl has built a profile as a steady bullpen arm who has moved between organizations while logging appearances in both Triple-A and the majors.
Early Life and Background
Justin Bruihl was born and raised in Petaluma, California, a small city in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. He attended Casa Grande High School in nearby Petaluma, where he first emerged as a promising pitching prospect. His high school development was interrupted early in his junior season when he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery.
Bruihl returned to the mound in the second half of his senior year, although he was limited in workload. Across 17 and one-third innings pitched, he struck out 27 batters and did not allow a single earned run, a striking performance given the layoff. That senior season helped establish him as a college prospect, even though his recruitment followed an unconventional path because he did not sign with a Major League Baseball organization out of high school.
Path to Baseball
After 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 win–loss record and a 4.88 earned run average (ERA) with 27 strikeouts across 31 and one-third innings. He decided to transfer following that season, seeking a different developmental fit.
Bruihl transferred to Santa Rosa Junior College for his sophomore year and broke out on the mound. He produced a 7–0 record and a 2.12 ERA with 59 strikeouts over 51 innings, drawing attention from four-year programs. He had committed to transfer to the University of California after his sophomore season. Instead of continuing into a Division I program, Bruihl signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as an undrafted free agent on July 15, 2017, choosing the professional route over remaining in college baseball.
Justin Bruihl Career
Early Career (2018–2020)
The Dodgers assigned Bruihl to the Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer League to open his professional career in 2018. He began the 2019 season with the High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes before being reassigned to the Single-A Great Lakes Loons. Across those first two full seasons he worked as a starting pitcher in the lower levels of the Dodgers system while adjusting to a professional workload.
Bruihl did not appear in a game in 2020 because the minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The lost year cut into his development timeline, but he returned to the Dodgers organization in 2021 ready to move up the ladder.
Los Angeles Dodgers Breakthrough (2021–2023)
Bruihl opened the 2021 season with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers and was promoted to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers on June 1, 2021. The Dodgers selected his contract and added him to the major league roster on August 8, 2021. That same day he made his MLB debut against the Los Angeles Angels, striking out the first batter he faced, Brandon Marsh, and pitching one and two-thirds innings.
In 2021, Bruihl appeared in 21 games for the Dodgers and pitched 18 and two-thirds innings, allowing six earned runs for a 2.89 ERA on 13 hits. He also appeared in 26 minor league games split between Tulsa and Oklahoma City, posting a 2.63 ERA. He was left off the postseason roster for the first two rounds but was added for the 2021 National League Championship Series, where he pitched two scoreless innings, allowed only one hit, and struck out five batters in a career-defining October moment.
In 2022, Bruihl split the year between the majors and Triple-A. He posted a 3–1 record with a 3.56 ERA in 25 games for Oklahoma City and went 1–1 with a 3.80 ERA in 24 games for Los Angeles. On September 18, 2022, he picked up his first career save against the San Francisco Giants, another milestone in his rise as a late-inning option. He was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City to begin the 2023 season, worked to a 4.07 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 24 and one-third innings over 20 games for Los Angeles, and was designated for assignment on July 28, 2023.
Colorado Rockies Era (2023)
On August 1, 2023, Bruihl was traded to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for cash considerations. In seven appearances for Colorado, he struggled to a 14.73 ERA with three strikeouts across three and two-thirds innings. On August 25, he was designated for assignment following the promotion of Evan Justice, cleared waivers, and was sent outright to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes on August 28. He elected free agency following the season on November 6, 2023.
Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates (2024)
On January 3, 2024, Bruihl signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. In 19 games for the Triple-A Louisville Bats, he recorded a 2.31 ERA with 24 strikeouts across 23 and one-third innings pitched. He was released by the Reds organization on June 3, 2024.
On June 6, 2024, Bruihl signed a major league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In seven games for the Pirates, he struggled to a 9.53 ERA with five strikeouts across five and two-thirds innings. He was designated for assignment by Pittsburgh on July 7, cleared waivers, and was sent outright to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians on July 9. Bruihl elected free agency on October 2, 2024.
Toronto Blue Jays Era (2025)
On March 16, 2025, Bruihl signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. In 25 appearances for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, he posted a 3–3 record and a 3.81 ERA with 36 strikeouts and two saves across 28 and one-third innings pitched. On June 17, 2025, the Blue Jays selected his contract, adding him to their active roster. He was optioned back to Buffalo on August 30, and in 15 appearances for Toronto he recorded a 5.27 ERA with 18 strikeouts across 13 and two-thirds innings. On December 15, 2025, Bruihl was designated for assignment by Toronto following the signing of Tyler Rogers.
Cleveland Guardians Era (2025–Present)
On December 17, 2025, Bruihl was traded to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for cash considerations. He was designated for assignment following the signing of Shawn Armstrong on December 20, 2025, opening a new chapter in his career as he looked to carve out a role in Cleveland’s bullpen mix.
Driving Style and Strengths
Bruihl has worked almost exclusively as a relief pitcher in the major leagues, with most of his innings coming in middle and late relief. His minor league track record at multiple Triple-A stops shows a pitcher who can miss bats, including 24 strikeouts in 23 and one-third innings for Louisville in 2024 and 36 strikeouts in 28 and one-third innings for Buffalo in 2025. That swing-and-miss ability, combined with the experience of pitching in high-leverage postseason games, has been the foundation of his value as a left-handed bullpen option.
Notable Events and Milestones
Bruihl’s career-defining early moment came on August 8, 2021, when he struck out Brandon Marsh for his first major league strikeout on debut against the Los Angeles Angels. He later pitched two scoreless innings with five strikeouts in the 2021 National League Championship Series, announced his arrival as a postseason contributor, and recorded his first career save on September 18, 2022, against the San Francisco Giants.
Justin Bruihl Career Wins
Bruihl has not built his resume on starting pitching wins. Instead, he has earned saves, holds, and middle-inning outs across the Dodgers, Rockies, Pirates, and Blue Jays organizations. His most established stretch came with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2021 through mid-2023, when he posted a 2.89 ERA in 2021 and a 3.80 ERA in 2022, and he later added bullpen experience with Colorado, Pittsburgh, and Toronto.
Major League Highlights
His first career save came on September 18, 2022, against the San Francisco Giants while pitching for the Dodgers. He has logged scoreless relief appearances in the postseason during the 2021 National League Championship Series, and he has contributed quality Triple-A seasons at Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, Louisville, Indianapolis, and Buffalo.
Other Wins and Performances
At the minor league level, Bruihl turned in a 7–0 record with a 2.12 ERA at Santa Rosa Junior College before going undrafted and signing with the Dodgers. In the minors he has been a reliable arm, including a 2.31 ERA in 19 games for Triple-A Louisville in 2024 and a 3.81 ERA with 36 strikeouts for Triple-A Buffalo in 2025.
Justin Bruihl Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Justin Bruihl’s immediate family is limited, and no family racing lineage is associated with his baseball career. He grew up in Petaluma, California, where he attended Casa Grande High School and began his path toward professional pitching.
Personal Life
Bruihl is an American professional athlete who has spent his career in the western and central regions of the United States, with stops in California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New York, and now Ohio. He maintains a public presence on X (formerly Twitter) at @jbruihl24.
2025 Season Performance
Bruihl’s 2025 season was defined by movement between Triple-A Buffalo and the major league roster of the Toronto Blue Jays. He opened the year in the minors after signing on March 16, 2025, and produced a 3–3 record with a 3.81 ERA, 36 strikeouts, and two saves in 25 appearances for the Buffalo Bisons across 28 and one-third innings. That consistent Triple-A production earned him a call-up to the Blue Jays’ active roster on June 17, 2025.
In the majors, Bruihl pitched in 15 games for Toronto and posted a 5.27 ERA with 18 strikeouts across 13 and two-thirds innings. He was optioned back to Buffalo on August 30, 2025, and continued to work in the minor leagues through the end of the season. On December 15, 2025, he was designated for assignment by Toronto following the signing of relief pitcher Tyler Rogers.
Two days later, on December 17, 2025, Bruihl was traded to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for cash considerations, giving him a fresh opportunity heading into the next chapter of his career. He was designated for assignment on December 20 following the signing of Shawn Armstrong, putting his immediate role with Cleveland in flux as he worked to secure a bullpen spot for the upcoming season.