By Scott Barancik, Editor
There’s a lot to report about the 13 Jews who have played Major League baseball so far this season, so let’s get right to it. But first: if you didn’t already know, the annual MLB Draft takes place this weekend. We’ll keep you posted on any Jewish draftees.
Now, play ball!
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Joc Pederson’s bat has come alive. The 13-season veteran, who has 14 HRs in 236 ABs this season for the Rangers, hit five round-trippers from May 26-30 and another five from June 23-30. Exit velocity is part of Pederson’s secret: his 92.2-mph average this season ranks No. 10 among all A.L. hitters with at least 250 plate appearances. Pederson began the season 0-for-16 but broke the slump with a game-tying home run, naturally (7/7/2026)
A freak injury on June 23 derailed Zack Gelof’s 24-game hit streak. It also ended his streak of scoring a run in 13 consecutive games, the franchise’s longest stretch in 93 years. But Gelof returned to action this weekend and picked up right where he left off. On July 4, his first game back, the 6-foot-2-inch utility man doubled in his first at-bat, was hit by a pitch in the next one, and teamed with Alika Williams on a circus catch. A day later, he ran his latest hitting streak to two games with a 9th-inning single (7/7/2026)
Hooray for RHP Dean Kremer, who returned to action July 1 after spending 2.5 months on the injured list. Kremer mastered the White Sox over 6 innings, allowing one earned run on just four hits and one walk while striking out four en route to a 6-1 victory, and he needed only 79 pitches to do it. The seventh-year Oriole had two starts in April before straining his right quadriceps (7/7/2026)
3B Alex Bregman (Cubs) continues to try Chicago fans’ patience. The first-year Cubbie was hitting .241 (83-for-345) through July 6, with 7 HRs, 32 RBIs, .340 OBP, and a career-low .685 OPS. It’s a bit of a mystery, because Bregman remains one of the game’s most disciplined hitters. The 32-year-old’s 0.75 walk-to-strikeout ratio ranks No. 11 among N.L. hitters, as does his blast contact rate. And he is tied for No. 5 in the percentage of “competitive swings” that come at an ideal attack angle (7/7/2026)
RHP Jake Bird, who pitched in 29 games for the Yankees this season before being sent down to Triple-A on June 21, didn’t stay there for long. New York recalled the 30-year-old UCLA alum on June 29, and he has made two appearances since returning. After a tough April that saw him blow two save opportunities and tally an 11.12 ERA, Bird rebounded in May and June, recording ERAs of 3.00 and 3.24, respectively (7/7/2026)
It’s been a crazy couple of weeks for 1B Rowdy Tellez. Signed by Atlanta as a free agent during Spring Training, the 273-pound first baseman spent most of 2026 at Triple-A, where he hit .259 (45-for-174) with 8 HRs, 15 doubles, a career-best 14.49% walk rate, and an OBP (.367) and OPS (.850) that exceeded his career minor-league averages. The Braves selected Tellez’s contract on June 10, but he got only 10 at-bats before being designated for assignment on July 2 and outrighted to Triple-A on July 4. Later that same day, Tellez elected free agency for the third time since debuting in 2018, but it didn’t last long: the Braves re-signed him to a minor-league contract on July 7 (7/7/2026)
Out of Commission
1B Spencer Horwitz (Pirates) was placed on the 10-day injured list June 25 after straining his left hamstring, but he remains among league leaders in several offensive categories. The fourth-year Major Leaguer’s .386 OBP ranks No. 7 in the N.L., behind stars like Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani, and his plate discipline is elite. Horwitz ranks No. 6 in lowest swing rate (40.5% of pitches), No. 7 in walk-to-strikeout ratio (1.00), No. 8 in lowest swinging-strike rate (only 5.5% of all pitches), and No. 9 in the percentage of swings leading to contact (86.3%). Not surprisingly, after beginning the season ninth in the batting order, Horwitz has batted leadoff since April 27 (7/7/2026)
Speaking of Spencer Horwitz (Pirates) and Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers), the pair faced off on June 10, and Horwitz held his ground. The Maryland native singled in his first career at-bat against Ohtani before being retired three straight times. Later, Horwitz’s crowd-pleasing two-run home run off reliever Jack Dreyer in the bottom of the 8th inning helped Pittsburgh rally back from a 6-1 deficit en route to a 9-8 victory (7/7/2026)
LHP Max Fried (Yankees), who joined the injured list May 16 due to a bone bruise in his left elbow, hit a critical milestone in his recovery July 5 when he tossed a live batting-practice session. Sports Illustrated reported that Fried could return to the Yankees’ rotation by late July, assuming a rehab assignment is successful. Prior to the injury, Fried was 4-3 with a 3.21 ERA, held opponents to a .199 batting average (No. 2 among all A.L. pitchers with 60 or more innings), and ranked No. 8 with a 1.01 WHIP (7/7/2026)
CF Harrison Bader (Giants), out since late May with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, received a stem-cell injection on June 5 and is on the mend. Reports indicate he could begin a rehab assignment later this month. It’s been a frustrating season for the 10-year MLB veteran. After missing a month earlier in 2026 due to a left hamstring injury, Bader came back strong, homering in three of his first five games back, but he lasted less than three weeks before suffering his current injury (7/7/2026)
The Garrett Stubbs Mystery
Everyone loves Phillies utility man Garrett Stubbs. He is fun in the clubhouse (thus the Stubbs “Chief Vibes Officer” T-shirts), trusted by pitchers, beloved by fans for his enthusiasm, and willing to ride the bench for days at a time.
Jewish Baseball News loves him, too. But we have to ask: why is he on a Major League roster right now? Despite playing in 19 games since his April 22 call-up, which came when starting catcher J.T. Realmuto injured his back, Stubbsy has come to the plate just 32 times, hit .179 (5-for-28, all singles), struck out six times and drawn only one walk, and driven in two runs. Though he has scored seven runs, his sprint speed is below average even for catchers, and he has yet to attempt a stolen base.
Stubbs’ on-field appearances have been fleeting even within his 19 games. The USC alum has played only five complete games this season and entered 10 others in the sixth inning or later.
Stubbs undoubtedly has value. A catcher by trade, the versatile 33-year-old has played six positions this season, including three mop-up appearances on the mound when Philadelphia had no chance of winning. His catching is solid, and he helps pitchers with off-field game prep.
If the Phillies do decide at some point to move Stubbs off the roster, they risk losing him to another team. He is out of minor-league options, and therefore would have to be placed on waivers before being assigned to Triple-A.
Up and Down
It’s been a challenging season for RHP Max Lazar (Phillies), who suffered a left oblique strain Lazar during Spring Training that cost him a month on the injured list and weeks more on a Triple-A rehab assignment. But things are looking up. The Florida native—who made three MLB appearances after a June 16 call-up but was sent back to Triple-A on June 22—was recalled again July 7 (7/7/2026)
LHP Colton Gordon (Astros), who appeared in four MLB games earlier this season, has won his last three Triple-A starts. The victories included a six-inning, one-hit gem on June 28. The only other baserunner Gordon allowed that game came via a 3rd-inning walk (7/7/2026)
Two weeks after calling him up, the Cardinals reassigned LHP Jared Shuster to Triple-A on May 18. Shuster had appeared in four games during his MLB stint, recording a 2.35 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over 7.2 combined innings, along with three walks and two strikeouts (7/7/2026)
Other Stuff
Congratulations to CF Cole Carrigg (Rockies), who made his Major League debut on June 9 opposite the Cubs’ Alex Bregman and went 1-for-3 with a triple and a walk. Carrigg, who has Jewish lineage but identifies as Christian, played shortstop for Team Israel in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The 24-year-old rookie is off to a stellar start, hitting .309 (25-for-81) with 4 HRs, 3 triples, 4 doubles, a .385 OBP, and .978 OPS (7/7/2026)
Sam Fuld obtained his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in May. The former Major League outfielder has been promoted repeatedly since 2017, when the Phillies hired him to help players and coaches integrate analytics into their preparation and planning under manager Gabe Kapler. Fuld was named director of integrative baseball performance in early 2020, appointed vice president and general manager later that year, and elevated to president of business operations just days after completing his MBA (7/7/2026)
Sam Bregman, the district attorney for Bernalillo County and father of Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman, finished a distant second on June 2 in the Democratic primary for New Mexico governor (7/7/2026)
In Memoriam
Randy Cardinal, who pitched six games for the Houston Colt .45s in 1963, died in Utah at age 84 on April 28. Born in Brooklyn to Samuel Cardinal and Betty Epelgrad, a Russian Jew, Cardinal played alongside fellow right-hander Larry Yellen. Cardinal became a Christian after his playing career ended and later preached at Cowboy Desert Church in Quartzsite, Arizona (7/7/2026)
— Da End —
