Jewish Baseball News

The latest news as of July 2, 2015:

MLB

• With voting for the 2015 All-Star game set to end tonight, it’s looking like Dodgers rookie Joc Pederson just might end up in the N.L.’s starting lineup. Though he was 6th among N.L. outfielders in the most recently-announced tally, three of the five players ahead of him are injured ***
• Pederson was named Hitter of the Month for June by ESPN’s Home Run Tracker. Why? Pederson hit for home runs of at least 450 feet. That’s more than any entire team hit in June, and one more than the Dodgers hit without him in all of 2014. His MLB-best average this season is 431 feet ***
• Kevin Pillar hit .365 in June, 2nd-highest (tie) in the A.L. His 18 RBIs tied for 10th ***
• From the ‘If only’ category: MLB’s top two hitters have Jewish dads but identify with another religion (see our Not a Jew page). As of today, Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt leads the N.L. with a .350 average, while Cleveland’s Jason Kipnis tops the A.L. at .346 ***
• On this date (1980): Ross Baumgarten of the White Sox pitched a complete-game, one-hit shutout of the Angels. He allowed only a seventh-inning single by Rod Carew, who at the time was married to a Jewish woman ***
• Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun is 8-for-15 with 3 RBIs over his last 3 games. He’s 7th in the N.L. with 52 RBIs ***
• Guess which former MLB star was in Israel last month? ***

Minor leagues

• Like many catchers, Angels prospect Charlie Cutler (AAA) would rather throw out a runner than trying stealing himself. On Tuesday he stole a base for just the 9th time in 1,794 minor-league at-bats ***
• Cardinals prospect Rob Kaminsky (High-A) pitched 7 innings of two-hit ball Tuesday for his sixth win of the season. He went 3-1 in June with a 1.16 ERA and five times as many strikeouts (26) as walks (5) ***
• In his last four home-field starts, Nats prospect Richard Bleier (AAA) has given up just one run in 30 innings ***

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What’s going on in baseball as of June 30, 2015?
MLB

• No, Mets rookie Steven Matz is not Jewish, sorry to say ***
• Speaking of Steven Matz, the young starter had 4 RBIs in his MLB debut Sunday, but he’s got a long way to go before matching MLB active career leader Jason Marquis, who drove in his 57th run earlier this season for Cincinnati ***
• Slumping L.A. rookie Joc Pederson sent the ball soaring an estimated 458 feet Monday for his 20th home run ***
• Oakland’s Ike Davis doubled and launched a towering 2-run HR on Monday, his first round-tripper since May 7 ***
• Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun went 1-for-2 Sunday with a tie-breaking, 2-run HR, a walk, and his 9th stolen base in 10 tries as the Brewers beat Minnesota 5-3. On Monday, he went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Braun ranks 7th in the N.L. in RBIs (50) and HRs (15/tie). He’s hitting .265 overall, but .411 with runners in scoring position ***

Minor leagues

• No. 2 overall draft pick Alex Bregman stroked his first professional HR and stole his first base on Sunday, as MLB.com noted. The Astros started the LSU star in Single-A rather than rookie or short-season ball ***
• D’backs prospect Zach Borenstein (AA) smacked a 3-run HR on Sunday, his 5th round-tripper this season**
• Angels draftee Dalton Blumenfeld, a 6’3″ catcher, hit an RBI triple in his pro debut Monday for the rookie-league AZL Angels ***
• Mariners prospect Scott Dececco (AA) was “fantastic” Sunday, pitching 4.1 innings of no-hit relief while striking out 4 and walking 2 ***
•  , selected No. 2 overall by the Astros in this month’s amateur draft, went 1-for-5 in his pro debut Friday with the Quad Cities River Bandits (A) ***

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Danny Valencia
(MLB.com)

By Scott Barancik, editor

Danny Valencia has seen limited playing time this season, starting just 22 of Toronto’s 75 games through Friday (6/27/2015), and only now reaching 100 at-bats. But research by Jewish Baseball News suggests Toronto manager John Gibbons couldn’t ask for much more from a utility/platoon player.

To try to capture the universe of utility/platoon players, we looked at MLB players who had accumulated fewer than 200 at-bats thru 6/26/2015. An overbroad grouping, to be sure, but it was the best we could come up with on the spot.

So how is the 30-year-old Valencia doing when measured against this group?

Among A.L. and N.L. players with 75 to 200 at-bats through Friday, the 30-year-old Miami native’s .330 average ranked second only to teammate Chris Colabello, who’s not really a utility/platoon player. (Since his call-up from Triple-A a month into the season, Colabello has started 45 of Toronto’s 48 games.)

MLB: Batting average leaders with 75-to-200 at-bats (thru 6/26/2015)

Valencia ranks high in RBI productivity. At one RBI per 4.76 at-bats, he trailed only L.A.’s Justin Turner and Baltimore’s Matt Wieters as of Friday.

MLB: RBI productivity leaders with 200 or fewer at-bats (thru 6/26/2015)

Valencia also has shown impressive power. In 100 at-bats, he’s hit 4 HRs and 11 doubles, good enough for a .560 slugging percentage.

MLB: Slugging leaders with 75-to-200 at-bats (thru 6/26/2015)

Though not considered a high-level fielder, Valencia is versatile, having played five positions so far in 2015. And he hasn’t made a single error at any of them.

The NBA has its Sixth Man of the Year award. If the MLB had a 10th Man award, Danny Valencia would be a top candidate this season.

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What’s going on in baseball? Your 6/27/2015 report:
MLB

• Toronto’s Danny Valencia smashed a pinch-hit home run Friday on the first pitch he faced from Rangers first baseman Adam Rosales as the Blue Jays trounced 12-2. Valencia is hitting .357 in June, with 3 HR and 11 RBI. By and large, though, he’s been far more effective this season as a starter (.373) than as a sub (.118) ***
• Toronto teammate Kevin Pillar went 2-for-4 Thursday with a double and an RBI to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. He’s hitting .444 with a 1.126 OPS in that time ***
• Ian Kinsler cranked a 2-run HR on Thursday, just his second round-tripper of the season ***

Minor leagues

• All that work on his fastball seems to be paying off for Cardinals prospect Rob Kaminsky (High-A). In his last four starts, the former 1st-round draft pick (2013) has struck out 22 and walked just 3. MLB.com’s Jake Seiner says Kaminsky “could get a look at Double-A before the end of the season” ***
• Alex Bregman, selected No. 2 overall by the Astros in this month’s amateur draft, went 1-for-5 in his pro debut Friday with the Quad Cities River Bandits (A) ***
• Tough out: playing for eventual runner-up Vanderbilt in the College World Series on 6/19/2015, Nationals draftee Rhett Wiseman was hit in the neck with an 89 mph fastball. But he stayed in the game and later homered ***
• Marlins draftee Justin Cohen (rookie league) singled, doubled, walked and drove in two runs Friday in his second pro game ***
• Angels prospect Charlie Cutler is hitting .328 in 58 Triple-A at-bats this season ***
• White Sox Prospect Brad Goldberg (High-A) struck out 2 in a perfect inning of relief Friday. After opening the season with a 7.94 ERA in April, the Ohio State alum has trimmed it to 3.34 ***
• Brewers draftee Jake Drossner made his pro debut Friday with the rookie-league Helena Brewers ***
• Former Cardinals prospect Robert Stock is back. Days after being picked first overall in the independent Frontier League’s draft, the reliever was signed by the Pirates. He’s appeared in 2 games so far ***

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Cody Decker is known for producing funny videos. But according to our research, he deserves at least as much praise for his production at the plate.

Through games played Thursday (6/25/2015), the 28-year-old San Diego Padres prospect had 14 HRs and 49 RBIs in just 183 at-bats this season. That sounded pretty darn good to us, so we decided to see how Decker compared to his Triple-A peers.

We looked at HRs first. Twenty-six Triple-A players had 10 or more round-trippers as of Thursday. Who’s hitting them the most often? Cody Decker. The Padres’ all-time minor-league HR leader — he has hit 147 — is averaging one dinger per 13.1 at-bats this season for the El Paso Chihuahuas.

Triple-A leaders: HR productivity (thru 6/25/2015)

Next, we examined RBIs. Jewish Baseball News identified 67 Triple-A players who had amassed 30 or more RBIs as of Thursday. You probably won’t be surprised to find out who’s leading the pack: yep, Cody Decker. The UCLA alum is averaging one RBI for every 3.7 at-bats this season.

Now, it’s not our job to tell the Padres what to do. Maybe Decker isn’t capable of hitting Major League pitching. Maybe his play at first base or third base isn’t MLB-quality. We honestly can’t say.

But seven years into his storied minor-league career, the prince of Triple-A jesters has gotten more call-ups from ESPN’s Keith Olbermann (two) than he has from the Padres (zero).

San Diego, isn’t it time you gave Cody Decker a chance?

Triple-A leaders: RBI productivity (thru 6/25/2015)

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Here’s what’s new in baseball as of 6/23/2015:
MLB

• L.A.’s Joc Pederson hit his 19th home run Monday. Less than halfway into the season, he has surpassed his full-year HR projections ***
• Miami family and friends came to St. Petersburg to see Toronto’s Danny Valencia play the Rays on Monday, and he rose to the occasion, driving in 2 runs, playing two positions, and making this smooth tag at 3B ***
• Detroit’s Ian Kinsler singled twice, walked, and drove in a run in Detroit’s 8-5 win Monday over Cleveland ***

Minor leagues

• Miami assigned 6th-round draft pick Justin Cohen to the rookie-league Gulf Coast Marlins ***
• Philadelphia sent 17th-round draft pick Kenny Koplove to the short-season Williamsport Crosscutters ***
• Jason Richman, picked by Texas in the 18th-round, made his pro debut Sunday with the short-season Spokane Indians ***
• Alex Katz, a 27th-round pick by the White Sox, made his pro debut Monday with the rookie-league AZL White Sox ***
• Jake Thomas, chosen by Toronto in the 27th round, made his pro debut Monday with the rookie-league Gulf Coast Blue Jays ***
• Nine of this year’s 15 draftees remain unsigned ***
• Third-year Pirates prospect Jared Lakind made his first 2015 appearance Monday, a perfect one-inning rehab stint ***
• Red Sox prospect Danny Rosenbaum made his first 2015 appearance Sunday. In a 4-inning rehab stint with the short-season Lowell Spinners, he gave up 2 hits, 2 walks and one unearned run while fanning 2 ***

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Here’s what’s going on in the world of baseball as of 6/21/2015.
MLB

• So far today (Sunday), Toronto’s Kevin Pillar has hit his 6th home run, stroked an RBI single, and walked in 3 plate appearances ***
• L.A.’s Joc Pederson crushed his 18th home run Saturday after a 6-game drought and walked twice ***
• Boston’s Craig Breslow pitched two strong innings Saturday, yielding one hit and no walks while striking out one ***

Minor leagues

• Strong debut: Garrett Stubbs, an 8th-round draft pick of the Astros this month, went 2-for-4 with a walk in his pro debut Saturday with the Tri-City ValleyCats (A-short-season) ***
• Cincinnati prospect Zack Weiss (AA) might have earned his team’s closer role Saturday. “His fastball just explodes,” Blue Wahoos manager Pat Kelly said ***

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Here’s what’s going on in the world of baseball as of 6/20/2015.
MLB

• Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun launched a 2-run HR and stole his 7th base in a 9-5 win Friday over the Rockies. His 14 HRs are tied for 7th in the N.L. ***
• Toronto’s Kevin Pillar went 2-for-4 with a double in Friday’s 5-4 win over Baltimore. The surging CF is hitting .400 in June with 3 HRs and 15 RBIs ***
• He’s back: Oakland’s Ike Davis went 1-for-4 Friday in his first MLB game since injuring his quadriceps more than month ago ***
• L.A.’s Joc Pederson saved runs Friday with a spectacular diving catch that made MLB.com’s Top 5 Plays of the Day. Said longtime announcer Vin Scully afterward: “This kid, defensively, is as good as any (Dodgers centerfielder) I’ve seen” ***

Minor leagues

• Padres prospect Cody Decker (AAA) went 4-for-5 Thursday with 2 doubles and an RBI. His 43 RBIs are tied for 7th in the Pacific Coast League, even though he has fewer ABs (166) than any of the league’s 20 RBI leaders

College World Series

• Headed to the finals: RF Rhett Wiseman helped pace Vanderbilt with a 2-run HR in Friday’s 7-1 over TCU. The victory launched Vandy, the College World Series defending champion, into this year’s finals, where it will face either Florida or Virginia ***
• Alex Bregman‘s LSU is out of the College World Series after losing 8-4 Thursday to TCU ***

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Alex Bregman awaiting his turn to bat at Tuesday's (6/16/2015) game against Cal State Fullerton (Steven Solomon)" src="http://www.jewishbaseballnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/in-game-photo-of-alex-bregman-by-solomon-224x300.jpg" width="224" height="300" srcset="http://www.jewishbaseballnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/in-game-photo-of-alex-bregman-by-solomon-224x300.jpg 224w, http://www.jewishbaseballnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/in-game-photo-of-alex-bregman-by-solomon-112x150.jpg 112w, http://www.jewishbaseballnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/in-game-photo-of-alex-bregman-by-solomon.jpg 718w" sizes="(max-width: 224px) 100vw, 224px" /> LSU’s Alex Bregman awaiting his turn to bat at Tuesday’s (6/16/2015) game against Cal State Fullerton (Steven Solomon)

Here’s what’s going on in the world of baseball as of 6/18/2015.

MLB

• Historic: Blue Jays teammates Kevin Pillar and Danny Valencia each homered Wednesday in an 8-0 drubbing of the Mets on Wednesday. Pillar went 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs and a deep solo shot, while Valencia went 1-for-3 with a walk and a 3-run dinger ***
• Oakland’s Sam Fuld stroked a two-run, pinch-hit single in Wednesday’s 16-2 laugher over San Diego ***
• Reds rookie starter Jon Moscot, who dislocated his non-pitching shoulder while diving to tag out a runner Monday, is not likely to return soon, manager Bryan Price said Wednesday. The extent of his injuries, and whether he’ll need surgery, has not yet been revealed ***
• Vin Scully has been calling Dodgers games since 1950. During Wednesday night’s broadcast, he said rookie Joc Pederson “looks to be the best fielding center fielder the Dodgers have ever had.” The 23-year-old has 4 assists and just one error in 63 games this season and ranks among league leaders in several Saberemetric categories ***
• Catcher Ryan Lavarnway went 0-for-2 and nixed Boston’s 0nly steal attempt Tuesday in his Atlanta Braves debut ***
• Boston’s Craig Breslow, who had been out on paternity leave, pitched Wednesday for the first time in two weeks. The 34-year-old southpaw is two appearances shy of his 500th MLB game ***

MLB draft

• For college players who aren’t picked, the annual MLB draft can be traumatic. Former Eastern Michigan catcher Adam Sonabend tells all in a recent blog post on Gabe Kapler’s website. Spoiler alert: Sonabend’s story has a happy ending. He’s currently an “organizational catcher” within the San Francisco Giants’ farm system ***

College

• Both of the College World Series games played Tuesday featured highly-touted Jewish draftees. Alex Bregman, selected 2nd overall in this month’s MLB draft by the Astros, led LSU with 4 singles and a stolen base in a 5-3 win over over Cal State Fullerton (see photo by Jewish Baseball News reader Steven Solomon, above). Rhett Wiseman, drafted by Washington in the 3rd round contributed a double in Vanderbilt’s 1-0 win, which eliminated Texas Christian from competition. Next game: LSU versus Virginia, today ***
• Mazel tov: Jed Moscot, brother of Reds rookie Jon Moscot, has signed a letter of intent to pitch for UC-Davis. The recent high-school grad struck out 86 batters over 64 innings his senior year while walking just 12 ***

In other sports

• NBA MVP Stephen Curry isn’t Jewish, but mother Sonya Curry said this week that a “trip to Israel five years ago transformed her and sparked her interest in learning Hebrew” ***

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(Revised 6/16/2015)

Here’s what’s going on in the world of Jewish baseball.

MLB

• Reds rookie Jon Moscot dislocated his shoulder in a freak play Monday. In the first inning of just his 3rd MLB start, Moscot caught Detroit’s Anthony Gose in a rundown and injured himself making a diving tag. No word yet on how long he’ll be out ***
• The Atlanta Braves called-up catcher Ryan Lavarnway on Monday, and Rant Sports called it a “great move.” Lavarnway became a free agent last month when the Orioles designated him for assignment and he refused a minor-league post ***
• Boston has reactivated reliever Craig Breslow, who was out on paternity leave. Breslow is three appearances shy of his 500th MLB game ***
• Ian Kinsler, the all-time Jewish stolen base leader, is seven thefts shy of 200 ***
• Oakland’s Ike Davis, on the D.L. since May 13, is three games into a rehab assignment with the franchise’s AAA team. On Monday he went 1-for-4 with 2 RBIs ***
• MLB Central broadcast a terrific, 13-minute interview Monday with Toronto’s Kevin Pillar ***

MLB draft

• Add this name to your list of Jewish players in this month’s MLB draft: Adam Walton. The University of Illinois shortstop was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in Round 20, 613th overall ***
• Twelve of the 15 Jewish players drafted this month came from college. Only three — Dalton Blumenfeld, Justin Cohen and Kyle Molnar — were drafted straight out of high school ***

Minor leagues

• Padres prospect Cody Decker knocked one out of the park Sunday (6/14/2015) for his 12th HR, tied for 3rd most among all AAA players. Meanwhile, his 41 RBIs through Sunday ranked 7th. Even more impressive? Decker did so in just 171 plate appearances. The 6 RBI leaders ahead of Decker had between 232 and 271 plate appearances ***
• St. Louis prospect Corey Baker (AA) was dominant on the mound Monday, pitching 5 shutout innings and giving up just 2 hits and a walk. Despite the no-decision, he is 2-2 with a 2.89 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 37.1 innings ***
• Nats prospect Richard Bleier (AA) pitched another gem Saturday (6/13/2015), scattering 7 hits over seven innings and walking none. The lone run against Bleier, scored in the 5th, ending his 26-inning scoreless streak at the Harrisburg Senators’ home field. The 28-year-old southpaw is a combined 5-3 with a 3.34 ERA in AA and AAA action ***
• Shortly before this year’s MLB draft, Baseball America published an article on four college shortstops who were likely to be top draft picks, including eventual #2 overall pick Alex Bregman, “LSU’s fiery on-the-field and off-the-field leader.” Bregman bristled when asked whether he’d be good enough to play shortstop in the Majors. “To play shortstop, you have to be able to make the play in the six hole. Check. You have to be able to turn a double play. Check. And you have to be able to make the routine play…I think I’m a shortstop,” he replied ***

College World Series

• Vanderbilt beat the University of Illinois in a 4-3, walk-off win Monday. Vandy OF Rhett Wiseman, a 3rd-round draft pick of the Nationals, went 1-for-4 with a double ***
• Top-ranked LSU lost 10-3 to Texas Christian on Sunday. LSU SS Alex Bregman, picked #2 overall by the Astros in this month’s MLB draft, went 2-for-4 ***

In other sports

• Touchdown Israel, A documentary about Jews and Arabs playing American football in Israel is making the rounds of Jewish film festivals ***

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What’s new in the world of baseball?

The current tally of Jewish players selected in this week’s MLB draft has reached 15 (see below). The list includes the first Israeli draftee ever, Padres pick Dean Kremer. Click here to see our 2014 interview with him.

As we continue receiving tips from readers, the number of draft picks verified as Jewish is likely to grow. Check the “Jewish draft picks” box on our home page for updates.

The Reds have released P Jason Marquis, who becomes a free agent.

Dodgers rookie phenom Joc Pederson walked twice Wednesday (6/10/2015) and robbed Arizona’s Yasmany Tomas of what would’ve been a game-tying home run (see video).

That’s rare: A’s farmhand Nate Freiman (AAA) did something Tuesday he hadn’t done since 2011: stole a base. 

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Vanderbilt’s Rhett Wiseman (8) jumps into the air celebrating as he approaches home plate after he hit a walk-off home run during the 10th inning of a game to defeat Missouri 7-6 during the SEC tournament. The Nationals drafted Wiseman in the third round of the MLB Draft. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

By Scott Barancik, editor

The Washington Nationals picked Vanderbilt slugger Rhett Wiseman on Day 2 of this year’s MLB amateur draft, selecting him in the 3rd round, 103rd overall.

A 20-year-old outfielder and teammate of overall #1 pick Dansby Swanson, the Massachusetts native is hitting .318 with 14 HRs, 47 RBIs, 12 stolen bases in 14 tries, a .419 on-base percentage and .566 slugging percentage for the College World Series defending champion Commodores.

Said an MLB Network commentator Tuesday, Wiseman “always seems to make a big play, big catch, come up with a big hit for Vanderbilt…Could see him being a corner outfielder, or maybe a fourth outfielder in the big leagues.”
Here’s what others are saying about Wiseman:

Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin

A dynamic, strong, fast, powerful player who can impact the game in numerous ways. Rhett has always been able to swing the bat, but he has continually grown as an offensive player to where he is becoming a very difficult out. He also may be one of the more improved defensive players on our teama?b he made some tremendous defensive plays down the stretch that preserved games. A very positive kid who enjoys the team element.

Baseball America

After Vanderbilt’s much-heralded trio of shortstop Dansby Swanson and righthanders Carson Fulmer and Walker Buehler, Wiseman is the Commodores’ next best prospect. Last year he helped Vanderbilt win its first ever national championship and was named to the College World Series all-tournament team. He then went to Cape Cod, where he was playing well before breaking his arm near the end of the summer. He’s returned strong this spring for the Commodores, displaying intriguing athleticism. Wiseman generates good bat speed and he’s willing to work a walk, but that comes along with a fair amount of swing-and-miss. His bat speed and strength mean that he has solid power if he can consistently get to it. At his best, he hits line drives to all fields. Wiseman covers ground well in the outfield thanks to his route-running ability and instincts. He’s more of a solid average runner, however, which makes him a better fit in a corner, where he has played for Vanderbilt. He’s done a better job of tapping into his power this spring and if he’s able to continue to do so in the professional ranks, he could shed the tweener tag and fit the corner outfield profile.

Washington Post

The Nationals continue to stockpile outfielders, choosing Vanderbilt junior Rhett Wiseman with their third-round pick, 103rd overall. Wiseman is second on the Commodores in hitting (.318 in 65 games), trailing only first overall pick Dansby Swanson in that category for the defending national champions. He tied for sixth in the SEC in homers during the regular season, and is slugging .566 with 12 stolen bases and 66 runs scored as the College World Series begins. He is one of the youngest college position players ranked in Baseball America’s Top 500 — a 21-year-old they rank 88th among players available in this year’s draft.

For an up-to-date list of draftees confirmed to be Jewish, check out “Jewish draft picks” on our Home Page.

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By Scott Barancik, editor

The Houston Astros selected LSU shortstop Alex Bregman No. 2 overall today in the 2015 amateur draft, good enough to earn an expected bonus of $7.4-million.

A 21-year-old junior on the top-ranked Tigers, Bregman was expected to go anywhere from No. 2 through No. 7 in the first round. The Albuquerque native has won a host of awards over the years, including USA Baseball Player of the Year at age 16, Baseball America’s National Freshman of the Year in 2013, and the Brooks Wallace Award for National Shortstop of the Year in 2013. As a high-school junior, he set New Mexico’s single-season home run record.

The Boston Red Sox chose Bregman out of high school in the 29th round of the 2012 draft, but he chose college instead. At LSU, Bregman’s currently hitting .312 with 9 HRs, 49 RBIs, 22 doubles, 37 stolen bases, and more walks (36) than strikeouts (21).

Here’s what top baseball outlets are saying today about Bregman.

Sports Illustrated

Bregman has been the top player in his peer group since he was named the USA Baseball Player of the Year as a 16-year old. He hasn’t stopped performing since, dominating the college ranks at Louisiana State and continuing to stand out for national teams. Scouts find it easy to identify physical faults with Bregman, as his tools do not grade out highly and he has no obvious position as a professional, although more and more are convinced he can stay at shortstop. But if one looks at what he can do—which includes hitting .318 with nine homers, 47 RBIs and 35 steals for the consensus best team in the country along with being their acknowledged leader—it isn’t hard to predict that he will play in the big leagues quickly and for a long time.

Baseball America

Bregman brings the longest track record of success of anyone in this draft class. He led USA Baseball’s 16U team to a gold medal in 2010, led the 18U team to another gold medal in 2011 and set the New Mexico single-season high school home run record as a junior. He’s earned Baseball America Freshman of the Year honors in 2013. If there is anything disappointing about Bregman’s career, it’s been the difficulty of topping his outstanding freshman season. His numbers this year are quite similar to what he produced in his LSU debut. Bregman is one of the safest picks in this year’s draft, as scouts are nearly unanimous that he should at the worst be a productive big league middle infielder. The debate revolves entirely over how much of an impact he will make. Blessed with excellent bat speed, Bregman has a flat bat path and contact-oriented swing that fits well with his excellent hand-eye coordination. This year, he’s walked significantly more than he’s struck out. He’s a tick above-average runner who has gotten more aggressive on the basepaths, leading the Southeastern Conference in stolen bases. He’s proven to be a very reliable shortstop and a number of evaluators believe he will be able to stick at shortstop as a pro with average range, an accurate, average arm and quality hands. Average isn’t enough at short for most teams, and Bregman projects as an above-average defender at second base. Wherever he goes, he’ll make his new team better with his follow-me approach.

The only Jewish player chosen higher since the MLB amateur draft debuted in 1965 was Ron Blomberg, who was selected No. 1 overall by the New York Yankees in 1967. Other 1st-round draft picks in recent years included San Diego Padres prospect Max Fried (7th overall, 2012), Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun (5th overall, 2005), and Cardinals prospect Rob Kaminsky (28th overall, 2013).

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Cincinnati’s Jon Moscot made his MLB debut against the Padres last night, and while it wasn’t all smooth sailing, the 23-year-old finished strong.

Called-up at the last minute to replace the injured Raisel Iglesias (see article), Moscot — who wasn’t even on the Reds’ 40-man roster — struck out the first batter he faced before giving up two singles, three walks (including one with the bases loaded) and two runs in a 37-pitch first inning. He gave up one more run each in the second and third innings and ultimately was tagged with the loss as San Diego prevailed 602.

“When you get out on that mound and you have a third deck in the stadium, it takes over a little bit,” Moscot told reporters afterward. “I wasn’t pitching my game that first inning, I just normally attack hitters and I was trying to be too fine.”

But the 2012 draft pick finished strong, retiring the final seven batters he faced and eleven of the last 12. He struck out three batters and tossed 83 over five innings, 51 of them for strikes.

“It was unbelievable,” he said. “This is amazing. It’s a dream come true.”

“I thought he really managed the game well after that first inning,” manager Bryan Price said. “He gave up a couple other runs, but he had much better command. He attacked the zone. He was maybe a little fine early. He had the three walks in the first inning. He was around the plate, but just off, just down. That’s what you tend to expect from young guys who come up here and make their debut. All in all, I think he rallied and I liked his stuff.”

Moscot is scheduled to pitch against the Phillies on June 10.

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Jon Moscot’s tweet about tonight’s debut

By Scott Barancik, editor

Jon Moscot, a 23-year-old starter, will make his MLB debut 7:10pm ET tonight as the Reds face the San Diego Padres in Cincinnati.

“Unexpected” may be the best way to describe it. Moscot isn’t on the Reds’ 40-man roster. MLB.com‘s prospect rankings for the Reds list six RHPs ahead of him. It was only two years ago that the Santa Monica native went 2-14 for the Bakersfield Blaze (High-A). Moscot was selected in the 4th round of the 2012 draft, 142nd overall.

But the Reds’ staff had the wisdom to look beyond the won-loss record and relatively slow fastball. Take that seemingly disastrous 2013 season. Did the franchise demote Moscot late in the season? No, the opposite: he was promoted to Double-A, where he finished the year 2-1 with a significantly lower ERA.

“The big right-hander out of Pepperdine has average stuff across the board, but he knows what to do with it,” MLB.com explains. “All of his stuff plays up because he is able to locate well and keep hitters guessing. Big, strong and durable, Moscot does throw downhill, albeit without a ton of deception.” The 6’4″, 210-pounder also impressed Reds manager Bryan Price during this year’s Spring Training, his first with the big-league squad. Moscot went on to lead the Louisville Bats (AAA) this season with a 7-1 record and 3.15 ERA.

Ironically, the recent demotion of another Jewish right-hander to the bullpen — Reds veteran Jason Marquis — may have helped pave Moscot’s way to tonight’s debut. (UPDATE, 6/5/2015 @ 4:05pm: To make room for Moscot, the Reds have designated Marquis for assignment.)

“3 yrs ago the Reds called on draft day,” Moscot tweeted today. “Tonight I get to live out my dream in front of my family & friends. Words cant describe this feeling.”

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MLB

• Dodgers rookie Joc Pederson hit his 17th HR and reached base four times on Wednesday (6/3/2015). It was his fifth straight game with a HR, something only four Dodgers had done before him. One of them was Shawn Green, who accomplished the feat in 2001 ***
• Toronto’s Kevin Pillar didn’t homer Wednesday, but he did go 2-for-4 with an RBI single and made a smooth catch in center ***
• Houston’s Scott Feldman may be out as long as six weeks after getting surgery to repair a torn medial miniscus in his right knee. In his last start (5/26/2015), Feldman gave up just 4 hits and 1 earned run over 6 innings to beat Baltimore 4-1 ***

Minor Leagues

• Nats prospect Richard Bleier (AA) pitched 8 shutout innings Wednesday (6/3/2015), yielding 7 hits and 1 walk. He was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week ending May 24 after a May 22 shutout. In that game, the 28-year-old lefty pitched 8 innings, giving up just 2 hits and a walk while striking out 7 ***
• D’backs prospect Zach Borenstein (AA) went 2-for-3 with a 3-run HR on Wednesday. The 24-year-old LF has been on fire since being sent down from Triple-A. He’s hitting .356 with 2 HRs and 15 RBIs in 87 at-bats and has a .993 OPS *** 

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Now here’s something you don’t see very often: two Jewish players, both centerfielders, smacking 2 HRs apiece on the same day.

Dodgers phenom Joc Pederson and Toronto’s Kevin Pillar accomplished the rare feat Tuesday night. Pederson hit the more prodigious bombs, launching a 477-foot monster in Game 1 of a doubleheader against Colorado and a 472-foot shot in Game 2.

The 23-year-old Palo Alto native added his first Major League triple and drove in 4 RBIs overall. He has homered in 4 straight games and is tied for second in the N.L. with 16 round-trippers.

Pillar was the bigger surprise. Entering Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Nations with just 2 HRs in nearly 200 at-bats this season, the 26-year-old launched a solo shot in the 2nd inning and a 3-run shot in the 6th that plated teammate Danny Valencia, who contributed a double and a sacrifice fly Tuesday. Pillar didn’t his 2nd HR of 2015 until May 30.

(MLB.com)

Ryan Braun owns the record for HRs by a Jewish rookie, with 34 in 2007, and was named N.L. Rookie of the Year.  All-time Jewish home run leader Hank Greenberg hit 12 his rookie year (1933), and runner-up Shawn Green hit 15 in his (1995).

The all-time N.L. rookie record of 38 HRs is shared by Baltimore’s Frank Robinson (1955) and the Boston Braves’ Wally Berger (1930). With 16 HRs in the Dodgers’ first 52 games this season, Pederson is on pace to hit 50.

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By Scott Barancik, editor

We all know Sam Fuld is a superior outfielder who covers ground quickly, throws like a rocket, and regularly puts his body at risk to make a catch. They don’t call him Super Sam for nothing.

On Friday, the 33-year-old Athletic outdid himself by tossing out two batters in one game, a rare feat.

In the 3rd inning, Rays catcher Rene Rivera hit a liner down the third-base line. Fuld, who prefers centerfield but was playing in left, sprinted toward the baseline, expertly retrieved the ball after it caromed off the wall, and tossed it to second base, where Eric Sogard easily tagged Rivera out.

In the 7th inning, the Rays’ James Loney hit a fly ball to Fuld in left, and when Evan Longoria tried to tag up, Fuld tossed him out at home.

Of course, Fuld can deliver at the plate, too. He contributed a two-run single in Saturday’s 5-0 win over the Rays.

Click here to cast a vote for Fuld or another player to play in the 2015 All-Star Game.

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Ryan Braun is on fire this month, and Friday’s game was one of the 31-year-old’s best. The 2011 N.L. MVP reached base all four times in Milwaukee’s 11-0 trouncing of Atlanta and drove in four runs with a 2-run HR, a 2-run double, another double, and a walk.

Here is a comparison of Braun’s May and March/April stats, through games played Saturday, 5/24/2015:

Braun’s surge this month has launched him onto the N.L. leaderboard in several categories:

• 13.4 at-bats per HR (4th in N.L.)
• 11 HRs (5th/tie)
• 34 RBIs (4th)
• .531 slugging percentage (10th)
• 5.9 power-speed (8th)

Click here to cast a vote for Braun or another player to play in the 2015 All-Star Game.

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MLB news

• Oakland’s Sam Fuld continued his slump at the plate in Monday’s 2-1 win over Houston, but he helped preserve the win by robbing George Springer of an extra-base hit in the 8th atop Minute Maid Park’s infamous Tal’s Hill. Fuld had rehearsed on the Hill during batting practice. Said Springer: “That’s obviously a hell of a play by Fuld. You just have to tip your hat to him” ***
• In a rare start Monday, Danny Valencia stroked a 2-run double in a rare start Monday as Toronto beat the Angels 10-6. Valencia is hitting .333 with 6 doubles and 8 RBIs in just 48 at-bats ***
• Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base Monday, but Detroit prevailed 3-2 as Ian Kinsler went 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, and a slick bare-handed play ***
• Mark McGwire tells USA Today that Dodgers rookie Joc Pederson has “ridiculous talent” ***

Minor-league news

• Padres prospect Cody Decker (AAA) went 3-for-4 with a walk and a crushing 3-run HR that left the park Monday. After hitting .229 in April with 2 HRs and 6 RBIs, the Padres’ all-time minor-league home-run leader is hitting .309 in May with 5 HRs and 18 RBIs ***
• Mariners prospect Scott Dececco earned his first win of 2015 with 6 innings of shutout ball Monday. Dececco allowed 3 hits and 4 walks while fanning six ***
• Rob Kaminsky (A+), rated the Cardinals’ #4 prospect by MLB.com, lost his second game in a row Monday despite a decent performance ***
• MLB.com interviewed Palm Beach Cardinals (A+) players about their walk-up songs. Mason Katz walks up to Fetty Wap’s Trap Queen, while Rob Kaminsky swears by Jay Z’s Moment of Clarity ***
• Sorry to report that Reds farmhand Josh Satin (AAA) has been placed on the disabled list with post-concussion syndrome ***

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