MLB

By Scott Barancik, editor Colorado Rockies reliever Jake Bird, who made his MLB debut in June and later committed to represent Israel in next month’s World Baseball Classic, is the most recent Major Leaguer to be identified as Jewish. The 27-year-old California native starred at UCLA, his hometown school. In 2018, his senior year, Bird…

By Scott Barancik, editor Dalton Guthrie, a Philadelphia Phillies rookie who considered joining Team Israel for the upcoming World Baseball Classic, is the latest Major Leaguer to be identified as Jewish. The lanky 27-year-old is a talented and versatile fielder. Plucked out of the University of Florida in the 6th round of the 2017 amateur…

By Scott Barancik, editor Jewish Baseball News’ most recent MLB update took us through games played June 17. Following is an overview of what has happened since then, through games played August 21. Mazel Tov P Jake Fishman (Marlins) became the third Jewish pitcher to make his MLB debut in 2022. In 3.1 innings of…

By Scott Barancik, editor After one of the most improbable call-ups of 2022, P Bubby Rossman made his Major League debut Wednesday night with the Philadelphia Phillies (July 13). The circumstances were unusual. Four Phillies, including two pitchers, were ineligible to play the Blue Jays in Canada — where COVID laws are stiffer — because…

Many readers have expressed regret that Jewish Baseball News is no longer producing weekly MLB summaries. We hope someday to resume that level of activity. For now, however, the best we can do is produce occasional updates — such as the one below — and encourage you to follow our posts on social media. Jewish…

By Scott Barancik, editor P Kenny Rosenberg made his MLB debut last night (4/18/2022) with the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels were down 7-3 to the Houston Astros when they sent the 26-year-old southpaw to the mound in the 8th inning. Rosenberg struck out the first batter he faced on three pitches before yielding one…

Despite the will-they-or-won’t-they drama concerning the 2022 MLB season, a lot has happened during the offseason, and Spring Training has sprung. Jewish Baseball News wishes to welcome you back with abbreviated highlights. Comings and goings OF Joc Pederson signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants. He played for the Chicago Cubs and World…

Here is your summary for the week of November 1-7, plus other news and stats from the 2021 season World Series Max Fried (Braves) tossed 6 shutout innings on November 2, leading Atlanta to a 7-0 win over the Houston Astros — and the club’s first World Series championship since 1999. Fried yielded 4 hits…

Here is your summary for the week of October 25-31, which saw Houston take on Atlanta in the first 5 games of the 202`1 World Series:   L’sholom Tyler Herron, a former 1st-round draft pick who reached as high as Triple-A, died October 27 at age 35. According to JTA, Herron was of Puerto Rican…

Here is your summary for the week of October 18-24, which saw Houston defeat Boston to in the A.L. Championship Series and Atlanta beat Los Angeles in the N.L. Championship Series. Game 1 of the World Series takes place tonight in Houston:   Mazel tov Max Fried (Braves) is one of four pitchers to be…

By Scott Barancik, editor Eli Morgan, a rookie pitcher with the Cleveland Indians, is the latest Major Leaguer to be identified as Jewish. A 25-year-old California native, Morgan was plucked out of Gonzaga University in the 8th round of the 2017 draft. The 5’10” righty made quick work of Cleveland’s farm system and proceeded to…

Here are your playoff stats for October 12-17, a 6-day period that included the A.L. and N.L. Division Series and the beginning of the leagues’ respective Championship Series:   Stats to Share Through October 17, Jewish players had 2 of the 4 longest HRs in the 2021 playoffs. OF Joc Pederson (Braves) led the pack…

Here are your playoff stats for the six days from October 12-17, a period that includes both the A.L. and N.L. Division Series and the beginning of the leagues’ Champion Series. OF Joc Pederson (Braves) Pederson hit only .182 (2-for-11), but his clutch HR in Game 2 of the NLCS against Los Angeles tied the…

Mazel tov Max Fried was named N.L. Pitcher of the Month for September/October, the first Brave to win the monthly honor since 2013 (see

Stats to share Max Fried (Braves) has been a different pitcher since the All-Star break. His 1.78 ERA since July 13 is tied for #2 in the Majors and a vast improvement from his 4.71 ERA before the break. Other examples of his pre-break to post-break improvement include opponent batting average (.270 to .193), on-base…

Mazel tov Every year, current and former Major Leaguers issue a Heart & Hustle award to one player on each team. The winning player “demonstrates a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of the game.” It should come as no surprise that Kevin Pillar, in his first…

Mazel tov OF Ryan Braun, who last played in 2020 and spent his entire career in Milwaukee, eliminated all doubt his future on September 14 when he announced his retirement from baseball. “While it’s impossible to summarize my emotions, what I feel most is one, simple thing – gratitude,” he wrote on Twitter. Braun was…

Mazel tov C Ryan Lavarnway (Indians), who represented Team Israel in the 2021 Olympics, hit .375 with 2 doubles in 2 starts last week after being called-up from the minors. Lavarnway’s only other stint with Cleveland this season was a four-game stretch in June. After a less-than-perfect MLB debut on August 29, P Scott Effross…

Mazel tov P Scott Effross (Cubs) became the first Jewish player this season to make his Major League debut. After a 6-year sojourn in Chicago’s farm system, the 27-year-old reliever was called up on August 28 and made his first appearance the following day. It probably wasn’t the most satisfying experience; Effross hit a batter,…

Mazel tov Max Fried (Braves) pitched a gem on August 20, a 9-inning, complete-game shutout over the Orioles. Thanks to two double plays, Fried faced only 29 batters, two over the minimum. A leaping catch by teammate Joc Pederson also helped. The Forward published an article titled “100 years of baseball on radio, a century…