By Scott Barancik, Editor
The 2026 MLB regular season debuted last night with a game featuring three Jews. It was an auspicious start to a season in which only six Jews appeared on Opening Day rosters—the lowest number in memory.
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Let’s play ball!
Fried, Yanks Blank Giants
- LHP Max Fried (Yankees) overcame a shaky first inning to lead New York to a 7-0 win over the Giants. The ace held San Francisco to just 2 hits and a walk over 6.1 shutout innings and struck out four. His victims included CF Harrison Bader, who struck out on three pitches to start the day and ended it 0-for-3 with 2 whiffs. RHP Jake Bird faced two Giants batters in the seventh inning and retired both, beginning with a swinging strikeout that ended on a 95.2-mph sinker
- Bader made a stellar play with 2 men on base in the fourth inning, sprinting from center field toward the diamond to make a sliding catch
Opening Day Rosters Disappoint
- Only six Jewish players made it onto Opening Day rosters, the fewest in memory. Three of the six were shoo-ins: LHP Max Fried (Yankees), CF Harrison Bader (Giants), and 3B Alex Bregman (Cubs). Bregman, the newly-minted Chicagoan, hit .524 (11-for-21) this Spring (#2 in the Majors), with eight extra-base hits (4 HRs and 4 doubles), 5 RBIs, a .583 OBP (#4) and an MLB-best 1.869 OPS
- The three remaining players were slightly less obvious. RHP Jake Bird (Yankees), who was traded to New York in late July, appeared in only 3 games as a Yankee in 2025 before being sent to the minors, going 0-1 with a 27.00 ERA over 2 combined innings. DH Joc Pederson (Rangers) hit just .181 (48-for-265) with 9 HRs and a .613 OPS in 2025 and only .175 (7-for-40) with 15 strikeouts during 2026 Spring Training. 1B Spencer Horwitz (Pirates) hit just .139 (5-for-36) with one HR and 3 RBIs in 2026 Spring Training, but then again, his career Spring Training batting average is just .178, so he’s historically a slow starter
- The absence of RHP Dean Kremer (Orioles) from Baltimore’s Opening Day roster came as a surprise. The veteran starter led Baltimore with 11 wins in 2025, tossed 4.1 scoreless innings for Israel in the 2026 WBC, and finished Spring Training with a strong start against the Yankees in which he outdueled New York ace Max Fried, yielding one earned run over 4.1 innings and striking out eight batters. Had the Orioles’ front office stayed with its plan to go with a six-man starting rotation rather than pivoting to five, Kremer would have made the roster
- RHP Max Lazar (Phillies) and RHP Robert Stock (Mets) suffered injuries during Spring Training that cost them a chance to appear on MLB rosters on Opening Day. Three other players who logged MLB time in 2025 were sent to Triple-A during Spring Training. LHP Colton Gordon (Astros) and 2B Zack Gelof (Athletics) were optioned, while C Garrett Stubbs (Phillies) was designated for assignment, thus exposing him to a trade or waivers. Philadelphia had tried but failed to trade Stubbs by Opening Day
- On the bright side, MLB.com projects that three Jewish minor-leaguers—RHP Harrison Cohen (Yankees/AAA), RHP Eric Reyzelman (Yankees/AAA), and OF RJ Schreck (Blue Jays/AAA) will make their MLB debuts in 2026. Fingers crossed
Recent Transactions
- Phillies place RHP Max Lazar on 15-day injured list (3/25/2026)
- Phillies designate C Garrett Stubbs for assignment (3/25/2026)
- Braves sign 1B Rowdy Tellez to minor-league contract, assign him to Triple A (3/23/2026)
- Cardinals reassign LHP Jared Shuster to Double-A (3/23/2026)
- Orioles option RHP Dean Kremer to Triple-A (3/21/2026)
- Guardians place RHP Aaron Davenport (AA) on 60-day injured list (3/19/2026)
- Athletics option 2B Zack Gelof to Triple-A (3/19/2026)
- Red Sox place RHP Robert Stock on 60-day injured list (3/18/2026)
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