Jewish Baseball News

By Sam Brief, correspondent

Some observers scoffed when Team Israel competed in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, noting that all but a handful of its players were American citizens.

Now, Israel’s baseball dreams are about to get a bit more authentic.

Jon Moscot

This fall, 10 Jewish-American ballplayers will acquire Israeli passports, making them dual American-Israeli citizens eligible to represent Team Israel in European tournaments. Still others are expected to follow in the coming months. It’s a step that could bring the 2020 Summer Olympics — once a preposterous fantasy — into the realm of possibility.

“Finding a needle in the haystack is just finding Jewish American ballplayers who can play for you,” says Peter Kurz, president of the Israeli Association of Baseball. “Finding ones with Israeli passports is like finding the head of a needle in a haystack.”

Kurz has been contacting American Jewish players to gauge their interest in becoming Israeli citizens. Initially, the chances of luring players to a foreign country thousands of miles away seemed slim.

It was easier than you might expect, however. One of the first on board was Jon Moscot, who has pitched for the Cincinnati Reds. Moscot has a number of relatives living in Israel, including an uncle and cousins. He was one of a handful of players who traveled together to Israel in advance of the World Baseball Classic, a trip he called “Birthright on steroids.”

“I saw what [baseball] was doing for the youth in Israel,” Moscot says. “And essentially, I wanted to be a bigger part of it. To be able to go back home to the roots of the religion and be a part of something bigger than myself in respect to baseball and the Jewish community — I thought that was a really cool opportunity.”

The minyan: 10 players obtaining Israeli citizenship

Joey Wagman, a former Chicago White Sox and Oakland A’s prospect who pitched for Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, is already in Israel, ready to declare citizenship.

“It was extremely easy,” says Wagman, speaking from Israel’s main baseball facility in Petah Tikvah. “It was easy to the point where [Kurz] starts talking with me about how it’s going to work, and at the end of it, I say, ‘What’s the catch? This almost sounds too good to be true.’ I decided to do it on the first phone call after talking for just a few minutes.”

Wagman was raised in a mixed household; his father is Jewish, and his mother is not. He chose to be raised Jewish and says his Judaism is important to him, hence the instant connection with Israel.

“Growing up in a very non-Jewish society in the Bay Area of California, I was out of the ordinary” Wagman says. “To now be a part of something that’s on the other side of the world, and to this point that I’ve worked very hard for, it’s validation. I see how excited the Israelis get. I see this look in their eyes, that someone from America who is a professional baseball player is coming to get citizenship.”

Because of their age, none of the ballplayers will have to serve in the Israeli army.

Acquiring 10 new citizens is a significant advance for Israel’s fledgling baseball culture. While the World Baseball Classic allowed non-citizens to play for Israel if they had at least one Jewish grandparent, European tournaments — and the Olympics — require athletes to be citizens of the country they represent.

Israel’s surprising play in the World Baseball Classic — considered a longshot underdog, it knocked off powers like Cuba and South Korea — has already boosted the sport’s profile in Israel. Kurz, the Israel baseball president, estimates that participation there has grown by roughly 25 percent over the last two years.

“If you had asked the average Israeli two years ago if there was baseball in Israel, they would probably have said no,” Kurz says. “I think today, they’ll say, ‘Oh, yeah. Israel was in the world championship. I remember that.’ If you’re able to reach the Olympics, even the Olympic qualifiers, it will be an incredibly big thing in Israel, because the Olympics are everything.”

Not all the players making aliyah have experienced Israel before. Alex Katz, a World Baseball Classic alum currently in the Baltimore Orioles organization, has never been to the country. His parents haven’t, either.

“I’m sure my grandparents, who passed away, would be proud of me,” Katz says. “My whole family is Jewish, so everyone in my family is proud of me.”

Moscot, the former Reds pitcher, says he can envision baseball in Israel rising to the popularity level of basketball, which is the second-most popular sport in the country. That would be a rather astounding leap forward. During the Israel Baseball League’s sole season, in 2007, the field at Kibbutz Gezer had a light pole in right-center field, wrapped in duct tape to protect players. It’s still there.

But baseball’s arrow points upward. The Israel Association of Baseball will build two new regulation-size fields this year, in Bet Shemesh and Raanana, on land donated by the municipalities.

And fueled by its soon-to-be American-Israeli comrades, Israel will compete in the European Championship B-Pool in the summer of 2019, which is the first tournament on the path towards Olympic qualification.

“I think there’s endless opportunity here,” Moscot says. “Not only do I think it’s great for the country, the kids and Israeli baseball, but I really think we have a chance to win. I don’t think people expect that, but we’ve got some dang good pitching and some good hitters.”

For former minor leaguer Wagman, the new reality is starting to settle in.

“I could never have imagined that I would be in a place like this,” says Wagman. “In a position to help an entire country get to the Olympics. It’s crazy.”

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Congrats to Alex Bregman and the defending World Champion Houston Astros, who move on to the A.L. Championship Series following their three-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians. Bregman continued his excellent season by going 5-for-9 with home runs in the first two games. He also had a double, four walks and four RBI, and he leads all postseason players in average (.556), on-base percentage (.714), slugging percentage (1.333) and on-base plus slugging (2.048).

Game One highlights:

Game Two highlights:

Also, congrats to Ryan Braun and the Milwaukee Brewers, who move on to the N.L. Championship Series following their three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies. Braun had five singles in 13 at-bats plus a stolen base.

UPDATE: The LA Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 6-2 to move on as well. Joc Pederson was 1-for-5 last night, 4-for-14 overall, including a double. His one home run led off the first game and gave the Dodgers the only run they would need in a 6-0 victory.

Max Fried appeared in all four games, including retiring the only batter he faced last night: Joc Pederson, who was robbed of a hit by third baseman Johan Camargo. Fried was perfect in the first two games but gave up a homer in the third meeting. Totals: 2.1 innings, one run, one hit, one walk, one strikeout.

This means there’s only one series left. Last night the Boston Red Sox embarrassed the host NY Yankees, 16-1. Ian Kinsler did not start, but he came in as a defensive replacement in the seventh, going 1-for-1 with a walk and scoring twice. Overall, he is 3-for-9 with a double and an RBI.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Nearly 148 seasons after Lip Pike hit the first Jewish home run, a new milestone was set last night.

Ryan Braun’s 428-foot, 1st-inning bomb tied the record established in 2016, when six Jewish players combined for a total of 115 home runs.

Later Friday evening, rookie Rowdy Tellez’s 396-foot moonshot set a new benchmark with #116.

Braun wasn’t done, however. His 8th-inning jack proved to be the game-winner for the playoff-bound Milwaukee Brewers and brought the Jewish total to 117, with 1-2 games left in the regular season.

It’s been a team effort. Eight Jewish players have homered in 2018, with five reaching double-digits and a sixth, Danny Valencia, stroking nine before being released by Baltimore in mid-August.

Jewish home runs in 2018, through games played September 28

Until recently, Alex Bregman — who leads all Jewish players with 31 HRs — seemed the player most likely to hit the record-breaker. But when his bat went cold several weeks ago, veteran Braun took over, hitting five longballs in his last four games.

Mazel tov, gentlemen.

Jewish HRs by season

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

More home runs.

Ryan Braun clouted a pair – a solo shot in the top of the first (#17) and a two-run bomb in the eighth (#18) — to help the Milwaukee Brewers (91-67) to a 12-4 win over the host St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday. Braun is hot lately, going 5-for-13 with 3 HRs and 7 RBIs over his last five games.

Alex Bregman — who has earned the Rising Star Award from one blogger — had his 31st, one of two hits in five at-bats. It was a two-run variety, coming in the first inning of the Houston Astros’ 4-1 win over the host Toronto Blue Jays (71-87). It was the ‘Stros’ 100th victory of the year against 57 losses. Rowdy Tellez was 0-for-4 for the Jays; Kevin Pillar did not play.

Jewish Baseball News editor Scott Barancik notes that Tuesday’s three taters raised the Jewish total this year to 114, one short of the record of 115 set in 2016.

Robert Stock had a rare bad outing, blowing a save by giving up two runs on three hits (one strikeout) in the seventh inning as the San Diego Padres (63-95) fell in 12 to the host San Francisco Giants, 5-4.

Joc Pederson was 0-for-4 with a walk as the LA Dodgers (88-70) lost a heartbreaker to the host Arizona Diamondbacks on a walk-off, 4-3.

Max Fried, who is competing for a spot in Atlanta’s postseason bullpen, did not appear in the team’s (89-68) 7-3 win over the host NY Mets.

Ryan Lavarnway did not appear for the Pittsburgh Pirates (80-76) in their 6-0 win over the host Chicago Cubs.

Slumping Ian Kinsler and the Boston Red Sox saw their game against the visiting Baltimore Orioles rained out.

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies fell one game under .500 with a 10-3 loss to the host Colorado Rockies.

By the way, in case you don’t hear from me for a bit, I’ll be vacationing in Merry Old England. Sorry to be missing the final week, especially the final game of David Wright’s injury-shortened career. Ah, what might have been…

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Alex Bregman stroked his 51st double of the year Tuesday, driving in one run, as the Houston Astros (99-57) beat the host Toronto Blue Jays, 5-3. Kevin Pillar had a win-some, lose-some game. He hit his 15th homer, a two-run, two-out job to put his team (71-86) on the board in the fourth, and made another sterling defensive play. However, he struck out with the bases loaded in the fifth. Rowdy Tellez flied out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth.

Ryan Braun hit his 16th home run, a solo job mashed into the second deck, in two official at-bats. He also drove in a run with a walk as the Milwaukee Brewers (90-67) beat the host St. Louis Cardinals, 6-4.

Joc Pederson flied out as a pinch-hitter in the sixth for the LA Dodgers (88-69) in their 7-4 win over the host Arizona Diamondbacks. He remained in the game, going 0-for-1 with a walk.

Ian Kinsler did not appear for the Boston Red Sox as they won a franchise record 106th game (against 51 losses) with a 6-2 decision over the visiting Baltimore Orioles.

Ryan Lavarnway did not appear for the Pittsburgh Pirates (79-76) in their 6-1 win over the host Chicago Cubs.

Robert Stock did not appear for the San Diego Padres (63-94) in their 5-0 win over the host San Francisco Giants.

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies were crushed by the host Colorado Rockies, 10-1, to drop to .500 (78-78).

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

The Legend of Rowdy Tellez just keeps growing. On Saturday, he went 3-for-4 with his ninth double and third home run, driving in three runs in a 5-2 win by the Toronto Blue Jays (71-85, fourth in the AL East) over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays.

Tellez was 1-for-8 in the other two games, both Blue Jays losses.

Kevin Pillar was 3-for-8 in the second and third games after not appearing in the first.

Ian Kinsler did not appear in Friday’s game for the Boston Red Sox (105-51, clinched first in the AL East) , a 7-5 win over the host Cleveland Indians. He was 0-for-6 in an 11-inning, 5-4 loss on Saturday and 0-for-5 yesterday, a 4-3 loss.

Ryan Braun was 1-for-2 with an RBI on Friday as the Milwaukee Brewers  (89-67, second in NL Central) beat the host Pittsburgh Pirates (78-76, fourth in the NL Central), 8-3. He was 1-for-4 on Saturday in a 4-3 loss and drove in a run with a pinch-hit walk in a 13-6 win Sunday.

The Pirates’ Ryan Lavarnway struck out as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning yesterday, the first time he failed to get a hit in 2018, dropping his average to .750.

Joc Pederson doubled and scored a run on Friday in the LA Dodgers’ 5-3 loss to the visiting San Diego Padres (62-94, fifth in the NL West). He stayed in the game and was hitless in a subsequent at-bat. Pederson had his 24th home run and 26th double in the next game, a 7-2 win. The home run came on the second pitch of the game and was the seventh time he’s led off a game thusly. Pederson entered yesterday’s game as a defensive replacement and drove in a run on a groundout in a 14-0 romp. The Dodgers lead the NL West with a record of 87-69.

Robert Stock — whose playful Twitter account is drawing folowers — retired the only batter he faced all weekend. That came in Friday’s Padres’ win and earned him his fourth hold of the year.

Alex Bregman was 3-for-12 with two walks and two runs scored as the Houston Astros (98-57, first in the AL West) swept the visiting LA Angels. Oh, and I’ve got to get me one of these:

Max Fried picked up his first hold in his only appearance for the Atlanta Braves. That came Sunday in a 2-1 win over Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies. Fried gave up two hits, walked one, and struck out two in two innings. The Braves (88-68) took all three games to clinch first place in the NL East. The Phils (78-77) could slip to third before the end of the year, a disappointment considering they were in contention not that long ago.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

The Boston Red Sox (104-49) clinched — finally — the AL East in style, scoring three runs in each the seventh and eighth innings on Thursday to beat the host NY Yankees, 11-6. Ian Kinsler sat this one out, but in a piece from the NBCSports.com, he’s compared favorably with Mark Bellhorn and Dustin Pedroia, second basemen from the Sox’s previous World Series championships:

The Red Sox acquired Kinsler at the trade deadline to improve defensively at second base. Kinsler hasn’t made much of an impact at the plate yet in Boston, but he sure has with the glove. He’ll get the chance to have his own signature moment with the Red Sox in the postseason, just as Pedroia and Bellhorn did.

In the meantime, Kinsler was named to the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame.

The Legend of Rowdy Tellez continues to grow (see interview). His two-run homer in the second inning gave the Toronto Blue Jays (70-83) their opening runs, and his opposite-field RBI double in the ninth ignited a seven-run, come from behind victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, 9-8. Fun fact: Tellez’s first hit came in the first pitch he saw against the Rays. The home run here also came on the first pitch he saw in the game. Kevin Pillar was 1-for-3. What does the future hold for the Jays’ longest-tenured player?

Max Fried did not appear for the Atlanta Braves (85-68) in their 8-3 win over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies (78-74), helmed by Gabe Kapler.

No other MOT-related games. But here’s something about Ryan Braun‘s recent lack of playing time. And one on Joc Pederson and man’s best friend.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

L’shana tova, y’all. Hope you had an easy fast.

Just a quick recap of erev Yom Kippur: Ryan Lavarnway had a walk-off pinch hit single to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 2-1, 11-inning win over the visiting KC Royals.

On the other hand, Ian Kinsler hit into a game-ending 1-4-3 double play for the Boston Red Sox in their 3-2 loss to the host NY Yankees. Jump to about the 1:45 mark in the video.

None of the other MOTs who played that night did much of anything, so I won’t even mention them.

As far as Wednesday night goes…

Kinsler was 0-for-3 as the Yankees once again prevented the Sox (103-49) from clinching the East, this time by a more definitive score, 10-1.

The Pirates (77-74) again defeated the Royals, 2-1, but this time in regulation and without the services of Lavarnway.

Alex Bregman — the new pride of Jewish Houston — continues to struggle, relatively speaking, going 0-for-2 with a walk as the Houston Astros (95-57) lost to the visiting Seattle Mariners, 9-0. Sure, he’s got his 30 HR, 50 doubles and 100 RBIs, but his batting average has “dwindled” to .289; he has just one hit in 17 official at-bats the past week.

Kevin Pillar was 0-for-3 and Rowdy Tellez popped out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth as the Toronto Blue Jays (69-83) lost to the Baltimore Orioles, 2-1.

Robert Stock allowed two hits but no runs in an inning of relief for the San Diego Padres (61-92) amid a 8-4 win over the visiting San Francisco Giants. Stock picked up his third hold, lowering his ERA to 2.15.

Joc Pederson popped out as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning as the LA Dodgers (85-68) beat the visiting Colorado Rockies, 5-2. But his fan fist bump caught the camera’s eye.

Ryan Braun did not play for the Milwaukee Brewers (87-66) in their 7-0 win over the visiting Cincinnati Reds. Evidently he’s still dealing with back issues.

Max Fried did not appear for the Atlanta Braves (84-68) in their 7-3 win over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies (78-73) shut out the visiting NY Mets, 4-0.

Belated Happy Birthday to Danny Valencia — remember him? — who turned 34 yesterday. Still can’t understand how nobody signed him after the Orioles let him go last month.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Last night, Joc Pederson stroked two HRs and Kevin Pillar added another, bringing the total number of Jewish home runs this season to 106, led by Alex Bregman’s 30.

According to statistical projection services cited by FanGraphs.com, the Jews of 2018 are likely to end the regular season with 112 to 114 HRs, just short of the record 115 set in 2016. But if Pederson stays hot, or Bregman catches fire, it’s possible the record could fall.

Jewish stats through 9/17/2018

The 2018 season already stands out. On June 8, five Jewish batters set a record by homering on the same day, with Ryan Braun hitting two. Five players have reached double-digits in home runs this season, and the only thing stopping Danny Valencia (9) from joining them was Baltimore’s decision to release him on August 15.

Power at the plate has ebbed and flowed since Lip Pike became the first Jewish player to homer, in 1871, and Bregman smashed the 3,000th Jewish home run in 2016.

As shown in the table below, there have been 49 seasons where Jewish players did not hit a single round-tripper. From 1986 to 1990, in fact, there was not a single Jewish at-bat.

No Jewish player had hit even 10 HRs in a season until a Detroit Tigers rookie named Hank Greenberg stroked 12 in 1933. This helps explain why Jewish fans went so crazy over Greenberg, who went on to hit a then-N.L. record 58 home runs in 1938, two short of Babe Ruth’s then-Major League record of 60.

In terms of home-run frequency, the greatest season in Jewish history was 1950, when Jewish players such as Al Rosen (37 HRs) and Sid Gordon (27 HRs) homered a total of once every 18.37 at-bats. Through Monday’s games, the Jews of 2018 are homering once every 23.98 at-bats.

Jewish HRs by season

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Interesting game Sunday between the Toronto Blue Jays (67-82, fourth in the AL East) and host New York Yankees. The two Blue MOTS were “responsible” for the come-from-behind, 3-2 win. Trailing 2-1 in the eighth inning with runners on first and third — the former in the person of Kevin Pillar, who was serving as a pinch-runner — Rowdy Tellez stroked an opposite-field, game-tying pinch-hit. Pillar came around to score the eventual winning run on a double. Tellez was caught in a rundown; oh, well. The other two games in the series were an 11-0 loss and an 8-7 win. Pillar hit his 13th homer in the latter one, one of his two hits. He was 0-3 in Friday’s loss while Tellez was 1-for-4 as the starting first baseman. He did not appear in Saturday’s affair.

The Boston Red Sox (103-47, first in the AL East) took two of three from the visiting NY Mets. (How is it Boston hasn’t clinched yet?) Ian Kinsler had two of his team’s four hits to go along with two stolen bases in an 8-0 loss on Friday. He was 1-for-6 with a walk and a run scored in the other two games.

Joc Pederson started all three games for the LA Dodgers (82-68, second in the NL West, second in the NL Wild Card spot), who took two out of three from the host St. Louis Cardinals. Pederson was 4-15 with a run scored.

Ryan Braun had a pinch-hit single on Saturday and was 0-for-8 in the two games he started. The Milwaukee Brewers (85-65, second in the NL Central, holding the first NL Wild Card spot) lost two of three to the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. Ryan Lavarnway did not appear for the Buccos (74-74, fourth in the NL Central).

Alex Bregman — who may be finding it harder to get a good pitch these days — was just 1-for-7 with a run scored but walked five times and was hit by a pitch as the Houston Astros (94-55, first in the AL Central) won two of three over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks. (More on Bregman.)

Robert Stock struck out the only batter he faced for the San Diego Padres (60-90, fifth in the NL West) in their 6-3 loss to the visiting Texas Rangers on Saturday. It was his only appearance for the weekend.

Max Fried gave up one run on a hit and a walk while striking out one in one inning of work in Saturday’s 7-1 Atlanta Braves’ loss to the visiting Washington Nationals. It was his only appearance for the weekend. The Braves are 83-66, first in the NL East.

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies (76-72, second in the NL East) took two of three from the visiting Miami Marlins. They are five games back in the Wild Card race.

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Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Now that the minor-league season has ended, we can ask: who were the top Jewish players?

Jewish Baseball News sought input from half a dozen Jewish Insiders, including professional ballplayers, scouts, reporters and front-office staff. The result of their collective wisdom is our 2018 Minor-League Awards.

To our 11 winners: Mazel Tov!

P O S I T I O N  P L A Y E R S

Most Valuable: Garrett Stubbs, C (Astros/AAA)

Four players received Most Valuable votes, but Houston’s Stubbs came out on top. It’s not hard to see why. Despite his small stature — he stands 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds — Stubbs excelled at the plate, hitting .310 with a .382 on-base percentage and 29 extra-base hits in 297 at-bats. He’s considered even better with a glove. “Kid can do it all,” wrote one Insider. “Plus Defensive Catcher who can hit and play all over the Infield.” Deservedly, MLB.com ranks Stubbs the Astros’ No. 15 prospect.

Runner-up: Rhett Wiseman, RF (Nationals/High-A)

Most Improved: Rhett Wiseman, RF (Nationals/High-A)

Wiseman showed great improvement in his second full season at the High-A level. The 24-year-old upped his home runs from 13 to 21, raised his batting average 24 points to .253, and boosted his OBP from .283 to .361. He also finished among the Carolina League’s Top 5 in at least four offensive categories. Though Wiseman didn’t crack MLB.com’s list of the Top 30 Nationals prospects, he was named a Post-Season All-Star.

Runner-up: Garrett Stubbs, C (Astros/AAA)

Top Rookie: Zack Kone, 2B (Pirates/A-short-season)

A 13th-round pick out of Duke in the 2018 draft, Kone found pro pitching a little rough out of the chute but ended the season on a high note. The 21-year-old finished with a 10-game hitting streak, during which he hit .409 and drew six walks.

Best Comeback: Rowdy Tellez, 1B (Blue Jays/AAA)

Looking at the trajectory of his 6-year minor league career, 2017 was an anomaly for Rowdy Tellez. Until then, the 6-foot-4 power hitter had hit as high as .305 and as many as 25 home runs in a season. But as his Jewish mother fell ill from brain cancer, Tellez produced career lows in 2017. He got back on track in 2018, however, especially so in July and August, when he hit over .300 with a combined 7 HRs and 21 RBIs. Now 23, Tellez’s improvements led to a September call-up. And despite his mother’s recent passing, he matched or set multiple MLB records for rookies.

Runner-up: Ryan Lavarnway, C (Pirates/AAA)

Most Likely Call-Up: Garrett Stubbs, C (Astros/AAA) 

Versatility, defense, and batting prowess make Stubbs the most likely call-up. Being employed by a playoff-bound franchise doesn’t hurt, either.

P I T C H E R S

Best Starter: Dean Kremer, RHP (Dodgers/AA, High-A; Orioles/AA)

The first Israeli citizen to sign a pro baseball contract, Kremer turned heads with a breakout 2018. Despite a late-season trade from the Dodgers to the Orioles as part of the Manny Machado deal, the 6-foot-3 stringbean led all minor leaguers with 178 strikeouts and finished 10-5 with a 2.88 ERA. “It’s not even close for me,” wrote one Insider. “Kremer had a huge breakout, handling both a trade and the move to Double-A. He’s the best Jewish true prospect in baseball right now.” MLB.com ranks the 22-year-old Baltimore’s No. 16 prospect.

Best Reliever: Robert Stock, RHP (Padres/AAA, AA)

After 10 years in the minors and independent leagues — and just seven of them as a pitcher — Stock truly hit his stride in 2018. The 28-year-old went a combined 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA and 9 saves in the minors while holding opposing batters to a paltry .169 batting average. That earned him his first MLB call-up, and Stock hasn’t disappointed. Among rookie MLB relievers with at least 30 innings pitched, his 2.29 ERA ranked No. 4 as of September 13.

Most Improved (tie):

• Dean Kremer, RHP (Dodgers/AA, High-A; Orioles/AA)
• Robert Stock, RHP (Padres/AAA, AA)

There’s no doubt Kremer and Stock both made great strides in 2018. In fact, the only debate among Insiders is which player has the greater upside.

Top Rookie: Simon Rosenblum Larson, RHP (Rays/A, A-short-season)

In a remarkable rookie season, 21-year-old Harvard alum Rosenblum-Larson went a combined 1-3 with a 1.16 ERA and 8 saves in 9 chances. He also struck out 62 batters over 38.2 innings while walking just 9. And despite some rough going in his final three appearances, opposing batters managed to hit only .150 against Rosenblum-Larson, Then again, not many 2018 draftees made it to the Single-A level like he did.

Best Comeback: Rob Kaminsky, LHP (Indians/AA, High-A)

Kaminsky hasn’t had it easy. A 1st-round pick out of high school in the 2013 draft, the New Jersey native met expectations his first three seasons but suffered injuries that kept him off the mound for more than 2 years (except for one appearance in 2017). Upon returning in June 2018, Kaminsky has moved from the starting rotation to the bullpen, and there he performed well, earning 4 saves in 4 chances. Except for an uncharacteristic number of walks, the 24-year-old appears back on track.

Most Likely Call-Up: Matthew Gorst, RHP (Red Sox/AAA, AA, High-A)

Runner-up: R C Orlan, LHP (Indians/AAA, AA, High-A, Rookie)

After starting 2018 in High-A, Gorst moved through Boston’s farm system like he was wearing a jetpack. His promotion to Triple-A may have been a bit hasty — he had made only 9 appearances in Double-A — but the 24-year-old still ended the season with a combined 1.84 ERA and 9 saves in 10 chances.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Remember when Joc Pederson hit all those home runs in June? Wonder how many he might have had if he played for the LA Dodgers (79-67) every day? Well, he’s back on a pace, homering in his last two games. No. 21 came in the fourth inning against the host Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday to tie the game at 1-1. He also had a double and scored a second run in an 8-1 win.

Alex Bregman hit three milestones in Wednesday’s 5-4 win by the Houston Astros (92-54) over the host Detroit Tigers. He hit his 50th double (to go along with a single), scored a run and drove in three to hit the century mark in both categories. It’s history in the making. Should he be considered a top MVP candidate?

The Boston Red Sox won their 100th game (against 46 losses), beating the visiting Toronto Blue Jays (65-80), 1-0. Rowdy Tellez was 1-for-3 with — you guessed it — another double, but I’m not sure if this record holds, since he appeared in one game as a pinch-hitter. Kevin Pillar struck out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth and remained in the game. Ian Kinsler did not play for the Sox.

By the way, from MLB.com in the article titled Six MLB players who should replace Henry Cavill as Superman:

Though he’s never worn it on Players’ Weekend, Pillar’s nickname is Superman. If he’s already known as Superman by teammates and fans, let’s just make it official. And, really, who’s to say that he can’t leap over a tall building? He’s just a cape away from being Superman already.

Robert Stock struck out the only batter he faced, picking up his second hold as the San Diego Padres edged the host Seattle Mariners, 5-4, to complete their season sweep.

Ryan Braun flied out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth as the Milwaukee Brewers (84-63) beat the host Chicago Cubs, 5-1.

Ryan Lavarnway did not appear for the Pittsburgh Pirates (72-73) in their 4-3 win over the host St. Louis Cardinals.

Max Fried did not appear for the Atlanta Braves (82-64) in their 2-1 win over the host San Francisco Giants.

Gabe Kapler‘s Philadelphia Phillies (74-71) lost to the visiting Washington Nationals, 5-1.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Mazel tov to the Boston Red Sox, who clinched a playoff berth with their 99th win last night, a 6-2 decision over the visiting Toronto Blue Jays (65-79). Ian Kinsler was 1-for-4, a two-out single off the Monster to give the Sox a 6-2 lead in the eighth inning.

Like Kinsler, Toronto’s Kevin Pillar was 1-for-4 with an RBI. His two-out single in the sixth gave the Jays a 2-0 lead.

He also made a nice defensive play in the bottom of that frame.

Toronto rookie sensation Rowdy Tellez flied out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth.

Ryan Lavarnway made his first appearance of the season for the Pittsburgh Pirates (71-73), cracking a pinch-hit double and eventually coming around to score in the ninth inning of an 11-5 loss to the host St. Louis Cardinals.

Joc Pederson got a rare start and provided the only run for the LA Dodgers (78-67) in their 3-1 loss to the host Cincinnati Reds. The run came in the sixth on Pederson’s 20th home run of the year. He also singled in four at-bats, accounting for 40 percent of the Dodgers’ hits. It was their six loss to the woeful Reds this year.

Alex Bregman — described by Hall of Fame inductee Pedro Martinez as a “mini Mike Trout” — had his second hitless game in a row, going 0-for-4 as the Houston Astros (91-54) beat the host Detroit Tigers, 5-4. He had hit in 28 of his last 31 contests.

Ryan Braun was 0-for-3 as the Milwaukee Brewers (83-63) were shut out by the host Chicago Cubs, 3-0. He was robbed of a base hit in the ninth on this superb play by Addison Russel.

Robert Stock did not pitch for the San Diego Padres (58-88) in their 2-1 win over the host Seattle Mariners.

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies (74-70) dropped a doubleheader to the visiting Washington Nationals, 3-1 and 7-6. They have lost eight of their last ten games and have dropped to 6.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves (81-64) , who beat the host San Francisco, 4-1, without the services of Max Fried.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Between the weekend and Rosh Hashana, this is the first chance I’ve had to do any sort of recap. Too much time has passed to do an individual thing, so here are the highlights:

• Rowdy Tellez continued to shine for the Toronto Blue Jays (65-78, fourth in AL East). He started out with four doubles in his first five MLB  at-bats. He had two more on Friday in five at-bats against the visiting Cleveland Indians. That tied a rookie record set by Joe DiMaggio for the most two-baggers in any three-game stretch of a player’s debut season. Tellez finally hit his first single the next day, but only after he launched his first home run, giving him seven extra base hits to start his career. He went 0-for-4 on Sunday. Tellez’s homer was the 100th hit by MOTs this season.

• Tellez teammate Kevin Pillar hit his 12th home run on Friday and hit doubles #36 and 37 over the weekend. The homer had some extra “oomph,” since it won the game for the Jays in the 11th inning. Hard to believe it, but Pillar — now in his sixth season with Toronto — is the longest-tenured Blue Jay on the current squad.

• Ryan Braun hit his 15th homer on Friday to start the scoring for the Milwaukee Brewers (83-62, second in NL Central, 1 GB) in their 4-2 win over the visiting San Francisco Giants. He also was involved in an interesting at-bat versus Madison Bumgarner the next day. Braun was hit by a pitch in the sixth to load the bases, leading to an ejection for his manager, Craig Counsel, after the umpires issued a warning to both teams. (Braun had a game-tying double off the wall in the first, so maybe Bumgarner had some lingering resentment.) Anyway, that loaded the bases, but not for long: Jonathan Schoop followed with a grand slam in what ended as a 6-3 win for the Brew Crew.

• Alex Bregman hit his 30th home run — his fifth in seven games — for the Houston Astros (90-54, first in AL West) against the host Boston Red Sox on Saturday. Barring any unforeseen catastrophe, he’s a lock for 100 RBIs (97 right now) and with little luck will finish with a .300 batting average. I know it’s not fashionable to make BA a big deal these days, but it’s still a nice number and certainly entitles him to MVP consideration.

• Ian Kinsler will probably hold down second base for the Red Sox (98-46, first in the AL East) the rest of the season; Dustin Pedroia will not return from the DL in 2018. Kinsler was 2-for-12 in their series against the Astros.
• Reliever Robert Stock made two appearances for the San Diego Padres, (57-88, fifth in NL West), tossing a total of three scoreless innings (no hits, two walks, three strikeouts).
• Joc Pederson was 0-for-9 in his last three games for the LA Dodgers (78-6, second in NL West, 1.5 GB) in their series against the Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies.
• Ryan Lavarnway still has not appeared for the Pittsburgh Pirates (71-72, fourth in NL Central). Same for Max Fried, back with the Atlanta Braves (80-64, first in NL East).
• Gabe Kapler’s Phildelphia Phillies (74-68, second in NL East, 5 GB) lost two of three to the host NY Mets and were rained out Monday.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Howdy, Rowdy! Rowdy Tellez has gotten off to an historic start for the Toronto Blue Jays with doubles in his first three at-bats. The first came as a pinch-hitter on Wednesday. He got the start Thursday, batting sixth behind Kevin Pillar. He doubled in the second inning then doubled again in the fourth driving in a run. He flied out in the sixth then doubled again in the eighth. So far, Tellez is 4-for-5, all two-baggers. His dad missed his debut because of flight delays, but he was in Toronto last night to kvell (although to be forthcoming, it was Tellez’s late mother who was Jewish; his father is Catholic).

Pillar was hitless in four at-bats as the Blue Jays (63-77) lost to the visiting Cleveland Indians, 9-4.

Robert Stock gave up a hit in one scoreless inning of relief as the San Diego Padres beat the host Cincinnati Reds, 6-2.

The Atlanta Braves (77-63) recalled pitcher Max Fried but he did not appear in last night’s 7-6, 10-inning win over the host Arizona Diamondbacks.

No other teams with Jewish members played last night.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Call-up Rowdy Tellez cracked a pinch-hit double on the first Major League pitch he saw, driving in a run as the Toronto Blue Jays (63-76) crushed the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, 10-3.

Tellez got some nice write-ups because of the recent tragic loss of his mother, Lori.

Alex Bregman just keeps chugging along: he hit his 47th double and 29th home run and walked twice, driving in five runs as the Houston Astros (87-53) beat up on the visiting Minnesota Twins, 9-1. The home run came with a runner on and two out in the first, and the double cleared the bases for the capper in the eight. Bregman has reached base safely in 33 straight games, the longest streak for an Astro since 2004. It was the fifth straight win for the Astros.

Ian Kinsler lined a game-tying pinch-hit single, part of a six-run eighth inning, as the Boston Red Sox (97-44) roared back to beat the host Atlanta Braves, 9-8. He remained in the game and struck out in a subsequent at-bat in the ninth.

Ryan Braun had a single and a walk in four plate appearances as the Milwaukee Brewers (79-62) lost to the Chicago Cubs, 6-4.

Joc Pederson was 0-for-3 with a walk as the LA Dodgers (76-64) — who managed just three hits — lost, 7-3, to the visiting NY Mets. There was some controversy as to whether Mets’ third baseman Todd Frazier did or didn’t make a catch on this play. It was a topic of discussion on today’s Pardon the Interruption, with the argument that it wasn’t fair to the Dodgers if Frazier cheated on the play since they are still in the hunt for a post-season berth. What if they miss it by one game?

Ryan Lavarnway did not appear for the Pittsburgh Pirates (69-71) in their 3-2 win over the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

Robert Stock and the San Diego Padres were off.

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies lost to the host Miami Marlins, 2-1.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Say hello to your newest JML: Rowdy Tellez, a 6’4″, 225-pound first baseman called up by the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday.

Ryan John Tellez had 22 doubles and 13 home runs with 50 RBIs in 112 games for AAA Buffalo before being promoted. He did not appear in Tuesday night’s 4-0 loss to the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. The Jays (62-76) had only three hits, and none of them came off the bat of CF Kevin Pillar, who went 0-for-4. By the way, Pillar was the Jay’s nominee for the 2018 Roberto Clemente Award, given to “a player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.””

Alex Bregman moves closer to elite status. He had three hits last night — all doubles, giving him 46 — scored a run and drove the first and last runs of the game for the Houston Astros (86-53) in their 5-2 win over the visiting Minnesota Twins.

Ian Kinsler was 1-4 with a walk and a stolen base as the Boston Red Sox (96-44) beat the host Atlanta Braves, 5-1.

Ryan Braun — described here as “Cubs fans’ version of Lord Voldemort” — was 2-for-5 with a run scored out of the clean-up spot as the Milwaukee Brewers drubbed visiting Chicago, 11-1.

Joc Pederson was announced as a pinch hitter but was himself pinch-hit for as the LA Dodgers (76-63) scored six times in the seventh inning to beat the visiting NY Mets 11-4.

Tough outing to Robert Stock: he allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits and a walk with one strikeout in 1.2 innings of relief as the San Diego Padres (55-86) were shut out, 6-0, by the host Arizona Diamondbacks.

Call-up Ryan Lavarnway did not appear for the Pittsburgh Pirates (68-71) in their 7-4 win over the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies (73-65) beat the host Miami Marlins, 9-4.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Scott Barancik, Editor

Rowdy Tellez

The September expansion of MLB rosters generated two Jewish call-ups today.

One was Toronto Blue Jays prospect Rowdy Tellez, a 23-year-old first baseman who has never played in the Majors. Drafted straight out of high school in 2013, the 6-foot-4 California native is hitting .270 with 13 home runs, 50 RBIs and a .345 on-base percentage for Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate. He’ll join CF Kevin Pillar on the Jay’s roster.

Ryan Lavarnway

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Pirates called-up veteran catcher Ryan Lavarnway, who has played for four other MLB teams since 2011 and starred for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. The 31-year-old is hitting .288 this season with 9 home runs, 33 RBIs and a .375 OBP for Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate.

The last Jewish player on the Pirate’s roster was Ike Davis, who played first base for the club in 2014.

# # #

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Hi-ho, boys and girls. Hope you all had a pleasant holiday. In the interest of saving time, I’m just going to cover the games played on Labor Day.

Alex Bregman -whose post-homer stares have become a meme — hit a two-out home run (#28) to get the ball rolling for the Houston Astros (85-53) in their 4-1 win over the visiting Minnesota Twins. His teammates celebrated in style. Bregman has a shot at 30 homers, 50 doubles, 100 RBIs, and just maybe a .300 batting average, something fewer than 20 players have accomplished in MLB history. MVP anyone?

Ian Kinsler led his team with three RBIs as the Boston Red Sox (95-44) beat the host Atlanta Braves, 8-2. Two of those runs came on a single with the bases loaded in the eighth to put the Sox up 5-2. Kinsler — who is being called a “stabilizing force” at second base — had already hit his 24th double of the year to drive in a run in the fifth.

Kevin Pillar was 1-for-3 with a walk as the Toronto Blue Jays (62-75) lost to the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, 7-1.

Joc Pederson was 0-for-4 batting leadoff as the LA Dodgers (75-63) lost to the visiting NY Mets, 4-2.

Ryan Braun was 0-for-3 with a walk as the Milwaukee Brewers (78-61) beat the visiting Chicago Cubs, 4-3.

Robert Stock did not appear for the San Diego Padres in their 6-2 win over the host Arizona Diamondbacks.

Gabe Kapler’s Philadelphia Phillies (72-65) lost to the host Miami Marlins, 3-1.

Welcome back, Ryan Lavarnway. The Pittsburgh Pirates bought his contract from Triple-A, where he hit .288 with nine homers 33 RBIs, and a .385 on-base percentage in 77 games. The Braves are expected to bring back pitcher Max Fried soon.

Zei gezunt to Zack Weiss, who was released by the Cincinnati Reds on Sept. 1.

Speaking of Scott Feldman…

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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By Ron Kaplan, contributor

Mazel Tov to Robert Stock, who picked up his first Major League win by tossing three shutout innings for the San Diego Padres (53-83) in a 4-3, 13 inning win over the visiting Colorado Rockies. He walked one and allowed one hit.

Ian Kinsler reached base four out of five times — three singles and a walk — and scored a run for the Boston Red Sox (43-42) in a 9-4 win over the host Chicago White Sox.

Alex Bregman was 1-for-4 with a run scored as the Houston Astros (82-52) lost to the visiting LA Angels, 5-2. And the kudos just keep coming.

Ryan Braun went o-for-5 as the Milwaukee Brewers (75-60) beat the host Cincinnati Reds, 2-1, in 10 innings.

Joc Pederson did not appear for the LA Dodgers (72-62) in their 3-1 loss to the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.

No games for Kevin Pillar and the Toronto Blue Jays or Gabe Kapler‘s Philadelphia Phillies.

Ron Kaplan (@RonKaplanNJ) hosts Kaplan’s Korner, a blog about Jews and sports. He is the author of three books, including The Jewish Olympics: The History of the Maccabiah Games and Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War.

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