MOBILE VERSION
Jewish Box Score
Max Adds 2 shutouts
Top Story
- Max Fried continues to dominate. On April 27, the Yankees southpaw stifled Texas in a 4-2 win, allowing just four hits and two walks over six innings, striking out five, and picking off a baserunner. Not even a 415-foot pinch-hit blast by Rangers DH Joc Pederson off New York reliever Camilo Doval could spoil Fried’s night. Five days earlier, Fried dismantled the Red Sox 4-1 on exactly 100 pitches, yielding three hits and two walks while striking out nine. He escaped a second-inning jam by striking out three consecutive batters swinging. The three-time All-Star is the only MLB pitcher this year with four scoreless starts of 6+ innings (4/29/2026)
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)
Minor-League Bulletin
- It’s been a yo-yo Spring for RHP Robert Stock. Released by the Red Sox in August, he signed a minor-league deal with New York in November and later got an invite to join the Mets for Spring Training. The 36-year-old veteran wowed the brass in his debut, a 5-0 win over the Astros on February 26, striking out 6 batters over 3 innings of relief, yielding only one baserunner, tossing strikes on 26 of 39 pitches, and earning a hold. A week later, Stock had similar success in a 1-0 exhibition victory over the Marlins, this time wearing an “Israel” jersey. Unfortunately, the March 3 outing proved costly; Stock reported shoulder discomfort after the game and ultimately chose to get thoracic outlet surgery, leading him to his current spot on the injured list. But two days after the Marlin defeat, Stock got good news: The Athletic, a website owned by the New York Times, featured Stock and Stockyard Baseball, the pitch-modeling app he created (4/8/2026)
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)
Season Stats
Transactions
- 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)
Recent Articles
Archives
DESKTOP VERSION
Max Adds 2 shutouts
Transactions
- 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)
Minor-League Bulletin
- It’s been a yo-yo Spring for RHP Robert Stock. Released by the Red Sox in August, he signed a minor-league deal with New York in November and later got an invite to join the Mets for Spring Training. The 36-year-old veteran wowed the brass in his debut, a 5-0 win over the Astros on February 26, striking out 6 batters over 3 innings of relief, yielding only one baserunner, tossing strikes on 26 of 39 pitches, and earning a hold. A week later, Stock had similar success in a 1-0 exhibition victory over the Marlins, this time wearing an “Israel” jersey. Unfortunately, the March 3 outing proved costly; Stock reported shoulder discomfort after the game and ultimately chose to get thoracic outlet surgery, leading him to his current spot on the injured list. But two days after the Marlin defeat, Stock got good news: The Athletic, a website owned by the New York Times, featured Stock and Stockyard Baseball, the pitch-modeling app he created (4/8/2026)
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 Story
- Max Fried continues to dominate. On April 27, the Yankees southpaw stifled Texas in a 4-2 win, allowing just four hits and two walks over six innings, striking out five, and picking off a baserunner. Not even a 415-foot pinch-hit blast by Rangers DH Joc Pederson off New York reliever Camilo Doval could spoil Fried’s night. Five days earlier, Fried dismantled the Red Sox 4-1 on exactly 100 pitches, yielding three hits and two walks while striking out nine. He escaped a second-inning jam by striking out three consecutive batters swinging. The three-time All-Star is the only MLB pitcher this year with four scoreless starts of 6+ innings (4/29/2026)
Jewish Box Score
Season Stats
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)
