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Jewish Box Score
J Gelof walks it off
@tulsadrillers Jake Gelof 🤯🤯🤯🤯 #homerun #walkoff #tulsa #dodgers #milb ♬ original sound – TulsaDrillers
Top Stories
- It’s been feast or famine for 3B Jake Gelof (Dodgers/AA). His 21% walk rate ranks #3 in the Texas League among batters with at least 80 plate appearances, while his 34.6% strikeout rate ranks #13. Gelof has tallied only 12 hits in 64 ABs, but five have been home runs. They include a walkoff dinger with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th inning on April 18, shots to left field and right-center field on April 24, and a 3-run, first-pitch home run that gave his 1st-place team the lead for good in an April 28 win over the Padres affiliate (5/5/2026)
- Speaking of Jake Gelof, he and older brother Zack Gelof (Athletics) both homered on April 24. It was the sixth time the brothers have gone yard on the same date over their pro careers (5/5/2026)
- RHP Charlie Beilenson (Mariners/AA) held opponents scoreless in his first seven appearances of 2026. The third-year pro earned three saves in three chances, recorded a 0.57 WHIP over 12.1 combined innings, and fanned 17 batters while walking just one. Highlights included an April 18 appearance in which he struck out MLB’s #12 and #22 prospects. Beilenson finally gave up a run on May 1, but his ERA remained a slim 0.68 (5/5/2026)
Minor-League Bulletin
- 1B Rowdy Tellez (Braves/AAA) has homered in four of his last 10 games, including two of the past three, and leads his team with seven. His massive shot out of the park on May 3 tied the score 9-9 in the top of 9th inning, but the White Sox affiliate scored in the bottom of the inning to win 10-9 (5/5/2026)
- LHP Colton Gordon (Astros/AAA) tossed 3.2 scoreless innings in an April 29 loss to the Diamondbacks affiliate, his first appearance since Houston optioned him on April 25. The 6’4″ southpaw started a double play to escape a 2nd-inning jam and strukc out the first two batters in the 4th inning before being replaced. In four minor-league starts this season, Gordon is 1-1 with a 1.42 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 17 strikeouts against four walks (5/5/2026)
- 2B Noah Mendlinger (Cardinals/AA) had quite a game on May 2. The sixth-year pro’s two-run home run in the 6th inning put his team up 3-2 on May 2, and his 7th-inning walk drove in LF Zach Levenson to tie the game at five. Mendinger finished the day 2-for-3 with two walks and three RBIs, but the Royals affiliate ultimately prevailed 7-5 (5/5/2026)
- After hitting .216 (8-for-37) with just one RBI in his first 10 games of 2026, SS Henry Godbout has raised his average to .263, thanks to a nine-game run in which he hit .308 (12-for-39) with 2 HRs and 7 RBIs. That included three three-hit games between April 21 and April 28 (5/5/2026)
- OF Sam Biller (Mets/High-A) earned a promotion from Single-A after starting the season with an 11-game hitting streak, good for a .359 batting average (14-for-39), .457 OBP, and 8 RBIs. It may take a bit to adjust to High-A, though. The undrafted lefty is hitless with nine strikeouts in his first four games (5/5/2026)
- RHP Levi Sterling (Pirates/Single-A), who earned a $2.5-million signing bonus at age 17 in 2024, is starting to live up to the hype. Unimpressive in his first three starts this season, the 6’5″ Californian shone in a 6-3 win over the Phillies affiliate on April 26, yielding 3 hits and zero walks over 5 innings while striking out a career-high nine batters. A week later, Sterling tossed 6 shutout innings on just 69 pitches in an 8-5 victory over the Tigers affiliate. The 19-year-old gave up 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out two (5/5/2026)
Season Stats
Transactions
- Cardinals call up LHP Jared Shuster from Triple-A (5/1/2026)
- Phillies send RHP Max Lazar to High-A on rehab assignment (4/30/2026)
- Mets promote OF Sam Biller to High-A (4/28/2026)
- Astros option LHP Colton Gordon to Triple-A (4/25/2026)
- Orioles place RHP Dean Kremer on 15-day injured list with right quad strain (4/23/2026)
- Padres activate RHP Josh Mallitz (Double-A) from injured list (4/23/2026)
- Phillies call-up C Garrett Stubbs from Triple-A (4/22/2026)
- Yankees recall RHP Jake Bird from Triple-A (4/22/2026)
- Tigers activate RHP Scott Effross (AAA) from injured list (4/22/2026)
- Phillies transfer RHP Max Lazar from 15-day injured list to 60-day injured list with left hamstring strain (4/22/2026)
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MLB News
- JBN reader and NYC resident Ethel H. did a deep dive into Max Fried’s metrics. Through April 28, her hometown hero leads A.L. pitchers in assists (8), H/9 (4.944), and vertical drop on curveballs (68.2 inches). He ranks second in WHIP (0.803), HR/9 (0.190), and range factor per game (1.57); #3 in WAR (1.9); and #7 in ERA (2.09). Fried currently is posting career bests in ERA, WHIP, H/9, HR/9, BA against, and OBP and OPS against. He also is showing elite movement on his changeup and four-seam fastball. “Fried’s strikeout percentage is at its lowest level,” Ethel noted, “but at the same time he is giving up the fewest hits per nine innings of his career,” Ethel writes (4/29/2026)
- Chicago is still waiting for 3B Alex Bregman to ignite. After signing a 5-year, $175-million deal, the Cubs third baseman hit just .188 (9-for-48) through his first dozen games, including only three extra-base hits. The three-time All-Star has since climbed to .256 (31-for-121), but the power is missing. Breggy has just one home run since the opening week (although he missed by a mere inch on April 22). His slugging percentage lags 50 points behind the Cubs average and 100 points below his pre-2026 career total. The frustration may have peaked on April 27, when he struck out with a man on base to end a 9-7 loss to San Diego. “It’s poor mechanics,” Bregman recently told the New York Times. “But I’m going to get it” (4/29/2026)
- Oakland called up 2B Zack Gelof on April 10. He forced their hand by torching Triple-A for a .366 average in 41 at-bats, including 4 HRs, 10 RBIs, 13 walks, a .519 OBP, and 1.251 OPS. The big-league transition has been tougher. In Oakland, Gelof is hitting .250 (7-for-28) with one home run, one double, 4 RBIs, one walk, and eight strikeouts. But on April 24, he flashed his potential by robbing Rangers RF Brandon Nimmo of a home run and hitting his first blast of the season in the same game (4/29/2026)
- The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette asked 1B Spencer Horwitz (Pirates) to keep a journal about representing Israel at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. “I’m slightly anxious about the WBC,” he wrote during the tournament. “People hate Jews. I don’t want that to stop me from playing. I do not want to give into fear.” Horwitz followed up after returning to Pittsburgh. “I’m glad I did not give into the fear that pushed some not to come,” he wrote. “The WBC was a great experience. It allowed me to 1. Show love for where I come from and represent my family. 2. Play baseball in a special environment, at the highest level” (4/29/2026)
- 1B Spencer Horwitz (Pirates) and DH Joc Pederson (Rangers) belong to an exclusive club: they are two of only 18 players with a pinch-hit HR this year (4/29/2026)
- Dean Kremer’s return to the big leagues has been a rollercoaster. The Orioles right-hander struck out nine and walked none in his April 13 debut but surrendered three home runs. He looked sharper against Cleveland, but his progress has stalled. Kremer hit the 15-day injured list on April 20 with a right quad strain (4/29/2026)
- C Garrett Stubbs (Phillies) is back. Called up on April 22 to replace an injured JT Realmuto, Stubbs looks to capitalize on back-up catcher Rafael Marchan’s .091 slump (4-for-44). In his season debut on April 23, Stubbs drove in a run with a sac fly. He followed that up with a 2-for-4 performance the next day (4/29/2026)
- To make roster room for teammate Garrett Stubbs, the Phillies moved LHP Max Lazar from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL. Lazar is still recovering from an oblique strain suffered while playing for Israel during the WBC and is eligible to return in late May (4/29/2026)
- Giants CF Harrison Bader hit the injured list on April 15 with a left hamstring strain. It’s a frustrating setback for the Team Israel alum, who was hitting just .115 (6-for-52) with a home run and 3 RBIs after a hot spring. Need a Bader fix? Watch his 19-minute Mic’d Up highlight reel (4/29/2026)
- Dr. Robert L. Hirsch has released Playing Ball While Jewish: Silence and Prejudice in Major League Baseball. Meanwhile, Israel Association of Baseball CEO Peter Kurz recently debuted Where Traditions Meet: The Personal Inside Story of the Israel Baseball Quest for Olympic Gold (4/29/2026)
College Update
- C Max Kaufer, a senior transfer at Wichita State (AAC #7), ranks among the best D-1 players through 4/6/2026, with a .440 average (22-for-50) through 4/7/2026, an incredible 11 HRs in just 50 ABs, and 27 RBIs. He also leads all Jews with a .567 OBP and 1.747 OPS. Kaufer previously played at Texas A&M and the University of South Carolina, both of which are in the #1-ranked SEC (4/8/2026)
- Georgia Tech (ACC #2) 3B Ryan Zuckerman, a junior, is hitting .327 (36-for-110) through 4/7/2026, with 11 HRs (tied for #1 on team), 39 RBIs (#1/tied), OBP of .460, and 1.178 OPS. Zuckerman previously played at the University of Pittsburgh, a fellow ACC school (4/8/2026)
- St. John’s University (Big East #16) C Adam Agresti, a junior, is enjoying his best season yet. Agresti is hitting .315 (35-for-111) through 4/7/2026, with 12 HRs (#1 on team and among all Jewish players), 32 RBIs (#2 on team), OBP of .457 OBP (#1), and 1.142 OPS (#1). His brother, C/LF Jason Agresti, plays for the New York Boulders of the independent Frontier League (4/8/2026)
- University of Nebraska (Big 10 #4) RHP Cooper Katskee, a redshirt junior who previously played for Indiana University (Big 10 #4) and Miami of Ohio (MAC #20), is a wicked 5-0 with a 2.79 ERA through 4/7/2026, 0.83 WHIP (tied for #10 among all D-1 pitchers), and 45 strikeouts against 8 walks. Katskee was the 2025 MAC Pitcher of the Year (4/8/2026)
- Tulane University (AAC #7) LHP Jake Toporek, a graduate student who spent his first three season in a much lower-ranked conference (NEC #25), has risen to the challenge. The 23-year-old reliever is 1-2 with a 2.67 ERA (#1 on team) through 4/7/2026, 3.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio (#1), 1.15 WHIP (#2), and is averaging 10 strikeouts per 9 innings (4/8/2026)
- University of Maryland (Big Ten #4) LHP Austin Weiss, a freshman, made his college debut on March 22, and it was a doozy. had pitched only one inning, but it was a doozy. The first batter he faced was SS Roch Cholowsky — the projected #1 pick in the 2026 draft, playing for the nation’s #1-ranked college team. What did Weiss do? Struck him out on a 2-2 count. Weiss ended up tossing a scoreless inning, yielding no hits and two walks while striking out two. Alas, UCLA trounced Maryland 14-4 (4/8/2026)
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DESKTOP VERSION
J Gelof walks it off
@tulsadrillers Jake Gelof 🤯🤯🤯🤯 #homerun #walkoff #tulsa #dodgers #milb ♬ original sound – TulsaDrillers
Minor-League Bulletin
- 1B Rowdy Tellez (Braves/AAA) has homered in four of his last 10 games, including two of the past three, and leads his team with seven. His massive shot out of the park on May 3 tied the score 9-9 in the top of 9th inning, but the White Sox affiliate scored in the bottom of the inning to win 10-9 (5/5/2026)
- LHP Colton Gordon (Astros/AAA) tossed 3.2 scoreless innings in an April 29 loss to the Diamondbacks affiliate, his first appearance since Houston optioned him on April 25. The 6’4″ southpaw started a double play to escape a 2nd-inning jam and strukc out the first two batters in the 4th inning before being replaced. In four minor-league starts this season, Gordon is 1-1 with a 1.42 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 17 strikeouts against four walks (5/5/2026)
- 2B Noah Mendlinger (Cardinals/AA) had quite a game on May 2. The sixth-year pro’s two-run home run in the 6th inning put his team up 3-2 on May 2, and his 7th-inning walk drove in LF Zach Levenson to tie the game at five. Mendinger finished the day 2-for-3 with two walks and three RBIs, but the Royals affiliate ultimately prevailed 7-5 (5/5/2026)
- After hitting .216 (8-for-37) with just one RBI in his first 10 games of 2026, SS Henry Godbout has raised his average to .263, thanks to a nine-game run in which he hit .308 (12-for-39) with 2 HRs and 7 RBIs. That included three three-hit games between April 21 and April 28 (5/5/2026)
- OF Sam Biller (Mets/High-A) earned a promotion from Single-A after starting the season with an 11-game hitting streak, good for a .359 batting average (14-for-39), .457 OBP, and 8 RBIs. It may take a bit to adjust to High-A, though. The undrafted lefty is hitless with nine strikeouts in his first four games (5/5/2026)
- RHP Levi Sterling (Pirates/Single-A), who earned a $2.5-million signing bonus at age 17 in 2024, is starting to live up to the hype. Unimpressive in his first three starts this season, the 6’5″ Californian shone in a 6-3 win over the Phillies affiliate on April 26, yielding 3 hits and zero walks over 5 innings while striking out a career-high nine batters. A week later, Sterling tossed 6 shutout innings on just 69 pitches in an 8-5 victory over the Tigers affiliate. The 19-year-old gave up 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out two (5/5/2026)
College Update
- C Max Kaufer, a senior transfer at Wichita State (AAC #7), ranks among the best D-1 players through 4/6/2026, with a .440 average (22-for-50) through 4/7/2026, an incredible 11 HRs in just 50 ABs, and 27 RBIs. He also leads all Jews with a .567 OBP and 1.747 OPS. Kaufer previously played at Texas A&M and the University of South Carolina, both of which are in the #1-ranked SEC (4/8/2026)
- Georgia Tech (ACC #2) 3B Ryan Zuckerman, a junior, is hitting .327 (36-for-110) through 4/7/2026, with 11 HRs (tied for #1 on team), 39 RBIs (#1/tied), OBP of .460, and 1.178 OPS. Zuckerman previously played at the University of Pittsburgh, a fellow ACC school (4/8/2026)
- St. John’s University (Big East #16) C Adam Agresti, a junior, is enjoying his best season yet. Agresti is hitting .315 (35-for-111) through 4/7/2026, with 12 HRs (#1 on team and among all Jewish players), 32 RBIs (#2 on team), OBP of .457 OBP (#1), and 1.142 OPS (#1). His brother, C/LF Jason Agresti, plays for the New York Boulders of the independent Frontier League (4/8/2026)
- University of Nebraska (Big 10 #4) RHP Cooper Katskee, a redshirt junior who previously played for Indiana University (Big 10 #4) and Miami of Ohio (MAC #20), is a wicked 5-0 with a 2.79 ERA through 4/7/2026, 0.83 WHIP (tied for #10 among all D-1 pitchers), and 45 strikeouts against 8 walks. Katskee was the 2025 MAC Pitcher of the Year (4/8/2026)
- Tulane University (AAC #7) LHP Jake Toporek, a graduate student who spent his first three season in a much lower-ranked conference (NEC #25), has risen to the challenge. The 23-year-old reliever is 1-2 with a 2.67 ERA (#1 on team) through 4/7/2026, 3.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio (#1), 1.15 WHIP (#2), and is averaging 10 strikeouts per 9 innings (4/8/2026)
- University of Maryland (Big Ten #4) LHP Austin Weiss, a freshman, made his college debut on March 22, and it was a doozy. had pitched only one inning, but it was a doozy. The first batter he faced was SS Roch Cholowsky — the projected #1 pick in the 2026 draft, playing for the nation’s #1-ranked college team. What did Weiss do? Struck him out on a 2-2 count. Weiss ended up tossing a scoreless inning, yielding no hits and two walks while striking out two. Alas, UCLA trounced Maryland 14-4 (4/8/2026)
This Date in History
Visit Jewish Baseball Museum to see highlights from today’s date
Top Stories
- It’s been feast or famine for 3B Jake Gelof (Dodgers/AA). His 21% walk rate ranks #3 in the Texas League among batters with at least 80 plate appearances, while his 34.6% strikeout rate ranks #13. Gelof has tallied only 12 hits in 64 ABs, but five have been home runs. They include a walkoff dinger with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th inning on April 18, shots to left field and right-center field on April 24, and a 3-run, first-pitch home run that gave his 1st-place team the lead for good in an April 28 win over the Padres affiliate (5/5/2026)
- Speaking of Jake Gelof, he and older brother Zack Gelof (Athletics) both homered on April 24. It was the sixth time the brothers have gone yard on the same date over their pro careers (5/5/2026)
- RHP Charlie Beilenson (Mariners/AA) held opponents scoreless in his first seven appearances of 2026. The third-year pro earned three saves in three chances, recorded a 0.57 WHIP over 12.1 combined innings, and fanned 17 batters while walking just one. Highlights included an April 18 appearance in which he struck out MLB’s #12 and #22 prospects. Beilenson finally gave up a run on May 1, but his ERA remained a slim 0.68 (5/5/2026)
Jewish Box Score
Season Stats
Transactions
- Cardinals call up LHP Jared Shuster from Triple-A (5/1/2026)
- Phillies send RHP Max Lazar to High-A on rehab assignment (4/30/2026)
- Mets promote OF Sam Biller to High-A (4/28/2026)
- Astros option LHP Colton Gordon to Triple-A (4/25/2026)
- Orioles place RHP Dean Kremer on 15-day injured list with right quad strain (4/23/2026)
- Padres activate RHP Josh Mallitz (Double-A) from injured list (4/23/2026)
- Phillies call-up C Garrett Stubbs from Triple-A (4/22/2026)
- Yankees recall RHP Jake Bird from Triple-A (4/22/2026)
- Tigers activate RHP Scott Effross (AAA) from injured list (4/22/2026)
- Phillies transfer RHP Max Lazar from 15-day injured list to 60-day injured list with left hamstring strain (4/22/2026)
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Archives
MLB News
- JBN reader and NYC resident Ethel H. did a deep dive into Max Fried’s metrics. Through April 28, her hometown hero leads A.L. pitchers in assists (8), H/9 (4.944), and vertical drop on curveballs (68.2 inches). He ranks second in WHIP (0.803), HR/9 (0.190), and range factor per game (1.57); #3 in WAR (1.9); and #7 in ERA (2.09). Fried currently is posting career bests in ERA, WHIP, H/9, HR/9, BA against, and OBP and OPS against. He also is showing elite movement on his changeup and four-seam fastball. “Fried’s strikeout percentage is at its lowest level,” Ethel noted, “but at the same time he is giving up the fewest hits per nine innings of his career,” Ethel writes (4/29/2026)
- Chicago is still waiting for 3B Alex Bregman to ignite. After signing a 5-year, $175-million deal, the Cubs third baseman hit just .188 (9-for-48) through his first dozen games, including only three extra-base hits. The three-time All-Star has since climbed to .256 (31-for-121), but the power is missing. Breggy has just one home run since the opening week (although he missed by a mere inch on April 22). His slugging percentage lags 50 points behind the Cubs average and 100 points below his pre-2026 career total. The frustration may have peaked on April 27, when he struck out with a man on base to end a 9-7 loss to San Diego. “It’s poor mechanics,” Bregman recently told the New York Times. “But I’m going to get it” (4/29/2026)
- Oakland called up 2B Zack Gelof on April 10. He forced their hand by torching Triple-A for a .366 average in 41 at-bats, including 4 HRs, 10 RBIs, 13 walks, a .519 OBP, and 1.251 OPS. The big-league transition has been tougher. In Oakland, Gelof is hitting .250 (7-for-28) with one home run, one double, 4 RBIs, one walk, and eight strikeouts. But on April 24, he flashed his potential by robbing Rangers RF Brandon Nimmo of a home run and hitting his first blast of the season in the same game (4/29/2026)
- The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette asked 1B Spencer Horwitz (Pirates) to keep a journal about representing Israel at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. “I’m slightly anxious about the WBC,” he wrote during the tournament. “People hate Jews. I don’t want that to stop me from playing. I do not want to give into fear.” Horwitz followed up after returning to Pittsburgh. “I’m glad I did not give into the fear that pushed some not to come,” he wrote. “The WBC was a great experience. It allowed me to 1. Show love for where I come from and represent my family. 2. Play baseball in a special environment, at the highest level” (4/29/2026)
- 1B Spencer Horwitz (Pirates) and DH Joc Pederson (Rangers) belong to an exclusive club: they are two of only 18 players with a pinch-hit HR this year (4/29/2026)
- Dean Kremer’s return to the big leagues has been a rollercoaster. The Orioles right-hander struck out nine and walked none in his April 13 debut but surrendered three home runs. He looked sharper against Cleveland, but his progress has stalled. Kremer hit the 15-day injured list on April 20 with a right quad strain (4/29/2026)
- C Garrett Stubbs (Phillies) is back. Called up on April 22 to replace an injured JT Realmuto, Stubbs looks to capitalize on back-up catcher Rafael Marchan’s .091 slump (4-for-44). In his season debut on April 23, Stubbs drove in a run with a sac fly. He followed that up with a 2-for-4 performance the next day (4/29/2026)
- To make roster room for teammate Garrett Stubbs, the Phillies moved LHP Max Lazar from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL. Lazar is still recovering from an oblique strain suffered while playing for Israel during the WBC and is eligible to return in late May (4/29/2026)
- Giants CF Harrison Bader hit the injured list on April 15 with a left hamstring strain. It’s a frustrating setback for the Team Israel alum, who was hitting just .115 (6-for-52) with a home run and 3 RBIs after a hot spring. Need a Bader fix? Watch his 19-minute Mic’d Up highlight reel (4/29/2026)
- Dr. Robert L. Hirsch has released Playing Ball While Jewish: Silence and Prejudice in Major League Baseball. Meanwhile, Israel Association of Baseball CEO Peter Kurz recently debuted Where Traditions Meet: The Personal Inside Story of the Israel Baseball Quest for Olympic Gold (4/29/2026)
