Jake Fishman

Fishman grew up in Sharon, Massachusetts, and developed as a baseball player with help from his older brother.[1] His father recalled that, at eight years old, Fishman was playing alongside his brother and other children who were 12.[1]

He attended Hebrew school and celebrated his bar mitzvah at Congregation Klal Yisrael in Sharon.[1] Fishman recalled that learning to read from the Torah required considerable work but was rewarding.[1] His Hebrew-school attendance and involvement at the temple subsequently tapered off somewhat as he concentrated on baseball.[1]

Fishman was not recruited by Division I programs despite a successful high-school career. His father attributed this partly to his late physical development: Fishman was about five feet tall as a freshman and reportedly grew seven inches during his junior year.[1]

At Union College in Schenectady, New York, Fishman pitched to a 0.41 earned run average, leading college baseball.[1] The Toronto Blue Jays selected him in the 30th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.[1] While still in college, he negotiated a contract that included tuition support, and he returned to Union in 2018 to complete a degree in managerial economics with a minor in digital media.[1]

Fishman played in the Blue Jays’ minor-league organization before the Miami Marlins selected him in 2020.[1] In 2022, Miami called him up from its Triple-A affiliate, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.[1] Fishman learned of his possible promotion while on the road in Georgia and flew to Miami the next day. Manager Don Mattingly then told him he would be activated, a moment Fishman described as the fulfillment of a long-held ambition.[1] A left-handed pitcher with a sidearm delivery, he relied primarily on sinkers and sliders during his Major League debut.[1]

His debut came against the New York Mets on July 31, 2022.[1] Entering in the third inning with Miami trailing 6–0, Fishman pitched three and one-third innings and allowed one run on four hits.[1] He threw 49 pitches, including 33 strikes, in a game the Marlins ultimately lost 9–3.[1] Recalling his first encounter with Mets batter Francisco Lindor, Fishman said: “My first pitch was a strike, and I said, ‘I think we got this.’”[1]

The following day, Miami designated Fishman for assignment to make room for pitcher Jesus Luzardo.[1] Fishman subsequently cleared waivers and returned to Jacksonville.[1]

Fishman was included on Israel’s extended pitching roster for the 2017 World Baseball Classic but was not needed to play.[1] He formally made aliyah and obtained Israeli citizenship in 2019 in order to represent Israel on its Olympic baseball team.[1] He also praised the food in Israel, expressed surprise at how modern Tel Aviv was, and said he wanted to return.[1]

Israel’s qualification for the Tokyo Games marked its first Olympic baseball berth.[2] The team progressed from a second-tier pool to a first-tier pool before reaching the Europe/Africa Olympic qualifying tournament.[2] In that round-robin competition, Israel defeated Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy in its first three games, then lost to the Czech Republic.[2] A victory over South Africa secured the Olympic place.[2]

At the Tokyo Olympic tournament in 2021, Fishman pitched in three games for Israel.[1] In the July 29 game against South Korea, he replaced starter Jon Moscot as the first of five Israeli relievers.[3] His pitching troubled South Korea’s mostly left-handed batting order, but Ji Hwan Oh hit a two-run home run against him in the fourth inning to tie the score at 2–2.[3] Israel eventually lost 6–5.[3]

Fishman also appeared in Israel’s 12–5 victory over Mexico in Yokohama, the country’s first Olympic baseball win.[4] Israel had established a 6–0 lead before Mexico began to rally.[4] Fishman relieved starter Josh Zeid but also struggled, and Mexico had narrowed the deficit to 6–4 by the end of the third inning.[4] Israel subsequently added six runs and held on for the victory.[4] Fishman called the win “a very special moment.”[1]

Fishman described traveling in Israel and competing at the Olympics as highlights of his experience.[1] He contrasted the Olympic emphasis on winning with minor-league baseball’s focus on developing individual players.[1] Israel’s Olympic and national teams general manager, Peter Kurz, praised him as a good teammate who fit well with the team.[1]

Fishman’s career is notable for connecting professional baseball in North America with milestones for Israel’s national team.[1] He pitched in three games during Israel’s first Olympic baseball appearance.[1][2] He also took part in the 12–5 victory over Mexico, the country’s first Olympic win in the sport.[1][4] His 2022 debut with Miami then made him a Major League pitcher after years in the minor leagues.[1]

Peter Kurz, general manager of Israel’s Olympic and national teams, described Fishman as a valued teammate who fit naturally within the squad.[1] Fishman, in turn, identified travel in Israel, Olympic competition, and the win over Mexico as defining moments of his international career.[1]