The Jewish Sport Report: A Jewish guide to the 2024 MLB season
| Published date | 22 March 2024 |
| Author | JACOB GURVIS/JTA |
| Publication title | Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel) |
Let's get right to it.
The 2024 Jewish MLB roster
A record 18 Jewish players appeared in an MLB game in 2023. The number could be even higher this season.
From bonafide stars like Alex Bregman and Max Fried to veterans Joc Pederson, Richard Bleier and Rowdy Tellez to the ascendant Zack Gelof, there are plenty of Jewish players to watch this season.
There are also a number of prospects who will begin the season in the minors but have a real shot to make it (back) to the big leagues soon — like Team Israel players Matt Mervis, Spencer Horwitz and Evan Kravetz.
Opening Day is Thursday, March 28 — get ready for baseball season with our complete Jewish guide.
Halftime report
COMING TO AMERICA. A new US-based nonprofit launched this week to support Israel's baseball program and its national team. Israel Baseball Americas, which is led by longtime Team Israel coach Nate Fish, will offer baseball opportunities for Jewish youth in North America and Latin America, and raise money to aid the sport's growth in Israel.
A MANOR OF TIME. Israeli soccer star Manor Solomon has been sidelined since October, and it looks like he won't be returning anytime soon. The Tottenham player recently underwent another knee surgery, and his coach would not commit to a timetable for his recovery.
BEST IN THE WORLD. Fencing star Nick Itkin, who won the men's senior foil Grand Prix in Washington D.C. last week, is now the top-ranked fencer in the world in that category. Last summer, Itkin, 24, had become the first American man to win an individual medal at back-to-back world fencing championships. Itkin is joined in the rankings by Jewish fencers Eli Dershwitz (No. 6 in sabre) and Yuval Freilich (No. 7 in epee).
SANDY SUPREME. As if we needed another reason to marvel at the superhuman qualities of Sandy Koufax, sabermetrician Bill James offered his take this week on the Hall of Fame pitcher: "If you take a 75-year swath of baseball history, 1920 to 1995, how many pitchers had a year comparable to Koufax in '63, '65 OR '66," James wrote on X. "You can argue that of the five greatest pitcher's seasons, 1920-1995, Koufax had THREE. That's unique." Dayenu, Bill.
The Jewish players and coaches to watch in March Madness
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