Samford’s John Malone is emerging as a reliable right-handed relief arm
In the 2025 season, Malone logged 14 relief appearances, posting a 4.26 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 19.0 innings, and in 2026 he earned a win over Jacksonville State plus a 4.1-inning, no-run outing in Samford’s postseason run. He’s a big, durable 6-foot-2 righty who was praised as a high-leverage competitor coming out of Bayshore Christian, and the early Samford evaluations point to a pitcher built for pressure rather than flash. If your staff wants a strike-throwing, competitive bullpen piece with room to keep climbing, Malone is absolutely a name to watch.
