To say that Julia Putko comes from an athletic family is a wee bit of an understatement.

For those taking notes, the 13-year-old outstanding pitcher/third baseman with the Beverly Bandits 14U – Ault team who was recently announced as the No. 1 prospect in the 2031 HOT 100, has family ties to the stick and ball sports in the following ways:

• One of Julia’s grandfathers was a baseball player – and still plays at age 75! – and the other was active in slowpitch softball.
• Her father, Jim Putko, played in the minor leagues with the Cubs for a few years.
• Her older brother Jimmy (16) is a talented Class of 2028 baseball pitcher and outfielder for Boardman (Ohio) High.
• Her aunt, Shirley Christian, played softball at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania and when went on to coach at Villa Maria College, a private Catholic college in Buffalo, New York.
• Her younger sister, Violet (10) is a softball pitcher and shortstop and per her Dad:

“She has already informed us she intends to one up her sister in all aspects of softball!”

You can only imagine the sports stories told at family dinners and get-togethers!

One major benefit Julia has received from her family is that her dad has owned and operated an indoor baseball/softball facility for the last 25 years called Ballistic Baseball/Softball Academy and Training Center in Boardman, Ohio, which is in the Youngstown, Ohio area about an hour and a half southeast of Cleveland.

“This where Julia works out daily to continue to perfect her game,” her father told Line Drive’s Brentt Eads Thursday evening. “I’m headed there now with her!”

To appreciate Julia’s level of devotion to working out, you have to understand that school in much of the Buckeye State was cancelled all week due to 15 inches of snow dropped last weekend along with icy roads and windchill factors under zero.

That trip to the workout facility also came after a basketball practice shortly before she went for her typical daily workout in the training center.

That’s dedication.

Put together that rapid desire to work hard to improve, along with her great physical skills and the emotional strength and toughness to battle through any adversity, and you have what makes Julia the No. 1 player in her class.

“On thing that sets her apart,” her club head coach, Ty Ault, says: “is Julia is that player who doesn’t see an opportunity as one where she might or could fail. Her personality is always to win—she says: ‘Give me the ball in the circle, give me the at-bat for a clutch hit and hit that hard ground ball for the last out to me.’”

You can preach that over and over to your players and even your children—some kids are naturally born with it. Julia doesn’t say this verbally to me or other coaches, but you can just read it in her.”

The numbers don’t lie, as they say, and as was reported in her bio for the Top 10 Class of 2031 honorees, Julia put up some monster stats:

In 145 games played in 2025, she pitched 271 innings and compiled a 49-6 record with 321 strikeouts, a 2.16 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. With the stick, Julia batted .451 with 156 hits including 35 doubles, 10 triples and seven home runs. She also scored 113 times.

Here’s the number that may be the most impressive of all, however: in those 145 games against a top-level schedule, Julia had 159 RBIs. 159!

Now, it just remains to be seen how she’ll continue to improve her game over the next several years at the club and high school levels before she heads to college.

But before then, the inevitable question has already been asked: Who’s the best athlete in the Putko clan and its extended family?

One close source in the family, who shall remain nameless to not incur the wrath of other family members, says it’s already clear: Julia.

And that, ultimately, is the true challenge… to not just battle and compete to remain the top-ranked player in a loaded 2031 class; no, it’s to fight and claw her way to the top to be the best athlete in her own family.

*****

Check out this Zoom interview Brentt did with Julia last night (Jan. 29 2026) after hoops practice and before her trip to the family gym…

VIDEO