Alexander Benjamin Katz (born October 12, 1994) is an

American-Israeli , native_name_lang = , image = , caption = , population = 110,000–150,000 , popplace = New York metropolitan area, Los Angeles metropolitan area, Miami metropolitan area, and other large metropolitan are ...

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

left-handed

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

who is a free agent. He has played internationally for Team Israel. Katz pitched for the St. John's Red Storm, and was part of the team that won the 2015

Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and M ...

Regular Season and Tournament. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 27th Round of the

2015 Major League Baseball draft The 2015 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft was held from June 8 through June 10, 2015, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order is the reverse order of the 2014 MLB season standings. As the Diamondbacks ...

. In 2015 and 2016 combined, pitching in the Rookie Pioneer League and

Arizona League The Arizona Complex League (ACL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona, since 1988. Prior to 2021, it was known as the Arizona League (AZL). Along with the Florida Complex League (FCL), it f ...

, the Class A

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...

, and the Class A+

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

, he was 0-3 with a 2.87 ERA and 6 saves. In 87.2 innings, he struck out 97 batters. Katz pitched for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He made four relief appearances and pitched a total of 3.1 scoreless innings. In May 2017, Katz was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for two international pool spots. In October 2018, he became a dual

Israeli citizen Israeli citizenship law details the conditions by which a person holds citizenship of Israel. The two primary pieces of legislation governing these requirements are the 1950 Law of Return and 1952 Citizenship Law. Every Jew in the world has ...

. He pitched for the

Israel national baseball team The Israel national baseball team ( he, נבחרת ישראל בבייסבול) represents Israel in international competitions. It is managed by Israeli-American former Major League Baseball World Series champion, World Baseball Classic champion, ...

at the

2020 Summer Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...

in Tokyo in the summer of 2021.

Early life

Katz was born in

Manhasset, New York Manhasset is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island, in New York (state), New York. It is considered the anchor communi ...

, to Gary and Adrienne Katz. He has two older sisters, Anna and Natalie.

High school

Katz went to

Herricks High School Herricks High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school with 1450 students accredited by the New York State Board of Regents and the Middle States Association. The school is located in Searingtown, New York, 20 miles east of Manhatta ...

(Class of 2012) in

New Hyde Park, New York New Hyde Park is a village (New York), village in the Towns of Hempstead, New York, Hempstead and North Hempstead, New York, North Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York (state), New York, United States. ...

, where he pitched and played first base and outfield."Class of 2012 Top Prospects"
, bluechipprospects.com He threw a 84 mph

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thro ...

. He was an All-League selection as a junior, and named All-County, Second Team All-Long Island, 2012 honorable mention Rawlings/Perfect Game Preseason All-America, ''Perfect Game'' first team All-Northeast Region, MVP of the Nassau County Exceptional Senior Game, and won the Best Pitcher Award for the RTC Grand Slam Challenge (Long Island All-Star Game).

College

Katz then pitched for the St. John's Red Storm, attending the school on a baseball and academic scholarship, while majoring in sports management and minoring in business."Alex Katz Bio,"
RedStormSports.com. As a freshman, Katz made 22 appearances, including two starts, and went 1-3 with one save and a 5.33 ERA. During the summer of 2013, Katz pitched in the

Hamptons Collegiate Baseball The Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League (HCBL) is a summer baseball organization located in The Hamptons in the U.S. state of New York. It is a seven-team league consisting of the Sag Harbor Whalers, Southampton Breakers, Westhampton Aviators ...

League for the Shelter Island Bucks and in the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...

(CCBL) for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...

'' named Katz the top pitching prospect in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League for that season, and ''Perfect Game'' named him the Hamptons pitcher with the best

breaking ball In baseball, a breaking ball is a pitch that does not travel straight as it approaches the batter; it will have sideways or downward motion on it, sometimes both (see slider). A breaking ball is not a specific pitch by that name, but is any p ...

. As a sophomore, Katz appeared in 16 games, including nine starts, and went 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 42.0 innings of work. On April 2, 2014, Katz started and struck out five in 6.0 scoreless innings of no-hit ball to earn the win as part of a combined one-hit shutout at Wagner. In the summer of 2014, Katz returned to the CCBL, playing for the

Chatham Anglers The Chatham Anglers, more commonly referred to as the Chatham A's and formerly the Chatham Athletics, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Chatham, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in t ...

. As a junior, Katz appeared in 19 games, including 6 starts, and went 3-1 with a 3.40 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 55.2 innings of work. He threw mostly a

, a

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...

, and a

slider Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...

. In March 2015, Katz was named the

Pitcher of the Week after striking out 13 batters in 7.0 scoreless innings in a pair of appearances that helped St. John's post consecutive shutouts in a two-game week. Katz, who made one start and one relief appearance, had a career-high 13 strikeouts in 6.0 scoreless frames to earn the win in a start against Fairfield. Katz then added 1.0 shutout inning against Central Connecticut. The lefty surrendered just one hit in his two appearances to limit the opposition to a .048 batting average (1-for-21). Katz was part of the St. John's Red Storm baseball team that won the 2015

Regular Season and Tournament.Laura Amato (October 3, 2016
"St. John’s hurler heading to World Baseball Classic,"
''TimesLedger''.

Minor leagues

Chicago White Sox

Katz was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 27th round of the

. In 2015, at the age of 20, he pitched for the

Great Falls Voyagers The Great Falls Voyagers are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Great Falls, Montana, and play their home games at Cente ...

of the Rookie Pioneer League, and for the

Arizona League White Sox The Arizona Complex League White Sox are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Camelback Ranch in Phoenix, Arizona. The team is compos ...

of the Rookie

. He was a combined 0-2 with a 2.20 ERA and 4 saves, as in 32.2 innings he struck out 40 batters."Alex Katz Register Statistics & History,"
Baseball-Reference.com. In 2016, he pitched for the

Kannapolis Intimidators Kannapolis () is a city in Cabarrus and Rowan counties, in the U.S. state of North Carolina, northwest of Concord and northeast of Charlotte and is a suburb in the Charlotte metropolitan area. The city of Kannapolis was incorporated in 1984. The ...

of the Class A

, and the

Winston-Salem Dash The Winston-Salem Dash are a Minor League Baseball team in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They are a High-A team in the South Atlantic League and have been a farm team of the Chicago White Sox since 1997. The Dash began playing their home games at ...

of the Class A+

. He was a combined 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA and 2 saves, and in 55 innings he struck out 57.

Baltimore Orioles

On May 20, 2017, the White Sox traded Katz to the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

for two international pool signing bonus spots valued at over $750,000."Orioles notes: Katz acquired for international signing slots,"
''Baltimore Sun''. Orioles Executive Vice President

Dan Duquette Dan Duquette (born May 26, 1958) is an American baseball executive. He is the former general manager of the Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, and Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball. He is also the founder of the Dan Duquette Sports Academy ...

said of Katz:

"He has a good fastball and excellent strikeout record. A lot of guys like him and they project him to be a major league reliever. We’re going to send him to Frederick.... He showed a good fastball and a really good breaking ball in the orld Baseball Classic We got a couple good looks at him."

At the time of the trade, Katz had struck out 10.1 batters per 9 innings in his 62-game, 102-inning minor league career. In 2017, pitching for the Kannapolis Intimidators before he was traded, he was 0-1 with a 4.40 ERA, and pitching for the

Frederick Keys The Frederick Keys are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. The Keys are based in Frederick, Maryland. The franchise is named for "Star-Spangled Banner" writer Francis Scott Key, a native of Frederick County. A new team masco ...

of the Class A+

after the trade he was 3-2 with a 5.57 ERA. Katz pitched in the 2018 season for the

Delmarva Shorebirds The Delmarva Shorebirds are a Minor League Baseball team based in Salisbury, Maryland. They are members of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Their home games are played at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. The Shore ...

of the Class A South Atlantic League, for whom he was 3-2 with a 4.26 ERA in 25 games, and for Frederick for whom he was 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 5 games. Katz was released by the Orioles’ Single-A affiliate, the

, on October 18, 2018.

Chicago White Sox (second stint)

In late 2018, Katz signed a minor league deal to return to the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

organization, but was released during spring training in March 2019.

Long Island Ducks

On April 15, 2019, he was signed as a spring training invitee for the

Long Island Ducks The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor-league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "partne ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...

. In 2019 he was 0-0 with a 4.70 ERA over 15.1 innings for the Ducks. He became a free agent following the season.

Kansas City Royals

On February 12, 2020, Katz signed a minor league deal with the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

. Katz did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. Katz was released by the Royals organization on November 12, 2020.

Chicago Cubs

On May 4, 2021, Katz signed a minor league deal with the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

. He was assigned to the Single-A

Myrtle Beach Pelicans The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a Minor League Baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Pelicans compete in the Carolina League. Home games are played at TicketReturn.com Field, which open ...

of the

Low-A East The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unt ...

, later receiving promotions to the Class A+

South Bend Cubs The South Bend Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in South Bend, Indiana, and play their home games at Four Winds Field at Coveleski Stadium. The team was o ...

of the

High-A Central The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

and the Double-A

Tennessee Smokies The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Kodak, Tennessee, a suburb of Knoxville. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They play at Smokies Stadium, directly off Int ...

of the

Double-A South AA, Aa, Double A, or Double-A may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''America's Army'', a 2002 computer game published by the U.S. Army * '' Ancient Anguish'', a computer game in existence since 1992 * Aa!, a J-Pop musical group * Do ...

. In 20 appearances between the three affiliates, Katz posted a cumulative 6.51 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 47.0 innings pitched. He elected minor league free agency following the 2021 season on November 7.

Staten Island FerryHawks

On April 18, 2022, Katz signed with the

of the

. However, he was released prior to the start of the season on April 22. He began the 2022 season pitching as a reliever for the

Staten Island FerryHawks The Staten Island FerryHawks are an American minor-league professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Staten Island. They are a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner leag ...

of the Atlantic League.

Team Israel

Katz was on the roster for

Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic Team Israel has competed in the World Baseball Classic since the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifier round. In 2017 Israel competed at a World Baseball Classic qualifier for the second time, and for the first time qualified for the main tourname ...

qualifier,Vince Lara-Cinisomo (September 22, 2016)
"Rosters for WBC Qualifier in Brooklyn,"
''Baseball America''. but did not make an appearance during the tournament. Team Israel beat Pakistan, Great Britain, and Brazil, all of which were better ranked. Katz pitched for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, in March 2017. He pitched in 4 games, pitching 3.1 scoreless innings. In October 2018 he became a dual Israeli citizen, partly to help Israel’s baseball team make the 2020 Olympics. He pitched for the

in two relief appearances at the

in Tokyo in the summer of 2021.

Business venture

Katz, who describes himself as "a big sneakerhead," started a company named Stadium Custom Kicks, which customizes baseball cleats."Orioles minor leaguer Alex Katz supplies customized cleats for All-Star Futures Game,"
''Baltimore Sun''.">"Stadium Custom Kicks (@stadiumcustomkicks),"
Instagram. Among the company's clients are

Aaron Judge Aaron James Judge (born April 26, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). Judge was unanimously selected as the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year in 2017, and finishe ...

Robinson Cano Robinson may refer to: People and names * Robinson (name) Fictional characters * Robinson Crusoe, the main character, and title of a novel by Daniel Defoe, published in 1719 Geography * Robinson projection, a map projection used since the 1960 ...

José Altuve José Carlos Altuve (; born May 6, 1990) is a Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Astros signed Altuve as an amateur free agent in 2007, and he made his major league debut ...

Byron Buxton Byron Keiron Buxton (born December 18, 1993) is an American professional baseball center fielder for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was the second highest-rated prospect in baseball according to MLB.com and Baseball Prosp ...

Robbie Ray Robert Glenn Ray (born October 1, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Toronto Blue Jays. Ray was an M ...

and a few hundred major leaguers and minor leaguers; 450 of them in the major leagues. While two thirds of his custom projects are baseball cleats, football and golf are close behind.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Katz, Alex 1994 births Living people Arizona League White Sox players Chatham Anglers players Frederick Keys players Great Falls Voyagers players Jewish American baseball players Kannapolis Intimidators players Long Island Ducks players St. John's Red Storm baseball players Winston-Salem Dash players Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox players 2017 World Baseball Classic players Israeli American Israeli baseball players South Bend Cubs players Baseball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Olympic baseball players of Israel 21st-century American Jews Myrtle Beach Pelicans players Tennessee Smokies players Herricks High School alumni