Jared Talor Lakind (born March 9, 1992) is an American-Israeli professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

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 also plays for Team Israel. In high school, Lakind played first base, outfield, and pitcher, and in his senior year in 2010 was named the Texas District 15-5A Most Valuable Player, Sun Player of the Year, and a

Rawlings Rawlings may refer to: *Rawlings (company), a U.S. sports equipment company *Rawlings, Maryland, an unincorporated community in Allegany County, Maryland *Rawlings (surname) Rawlings is an English-language surname. Notable people with the name in ...

-Perfect Game 1st Team All-American. Drafted by the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

in the 23rd round of the

2010 Major League Baseball draft The 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. First-round selections The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team pic ...

, he signed for $400,000—far above the maximum of $150,000 that Major League Baseball recommended for all players drafted after the 5th round. In 2013 Lakind was converted to a relief pitcher, and in 2015 he pitched for both the

GCL Pirates The Florida Complex League Pirates are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Pirates. The team plays its h ...

and the

West Virginia Power The Charleston Dirty Birds are an American professional baseball team based in Charleston, West Virginia. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a partner league of Major League Baseball. The Dir ...

, and was a combined 3–1 with a 1.69 ERA in 20 games. In 2016, he pitched for the

Altoona Curve The Altoona Curve are a Minor League Baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve (but also alluding to the curveball, a type of pitch). The team plays in the Eastern League and is the Double-A affiliate of the ...

of the Class AA Eastern League, set a team record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched in a single season at 25.1, and was named to the Eastern League All Star Team. For the season, he was 5–1 with 7 saves, and had a 2.59 ERA in 47 games. Lakind pitched for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic qualifier in September 2016, and joined and pitched for the team in the second round of the WBC in Japan in March 2017.

Early life

Lakind was born in

Cypress, Texas Cypress is an unincorporated community in Harris County, Texas, United States, located completely inside the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Houston. The Cypress area is located along U.S. Highway 290 (Northwest Freeway) is twenty-fo ...

, and is Jewish."Jared Lakind Stats, Highlights, Bio,"
MiLB.com StatsRon Kaplan
"Candidates for future JML updates?"
''

New Jersey Jewish News The ''New Jersey Jewish News'' (''NJJN'') is a weekly newspaper. Coverage and scope In addition to other issues, it covers local, national, and world events; Jewish culture and the arts; and Jewish holidays, celebrations, and other topics of int ...

'', February 18, 2016 His father, grandfather, and uncle are

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 ...

s. His father, Larry Lakind, played baseball and football at

Montclair State Montclair State University (MSU) is a Public university, public research university in Montclair, New Jersey, with parts of the campus extending into Little Falls, New Jersey, Little Falls. As of fall 2018, Montclair State was, by enrollment, ...

in New Jersey, and his grandfather, Alvin Lakind, played professional baseball in 1953 for the

Amarillo Gold Sox The Amarillo Gold Sox was the name of an American minor league baseball franchise that represented the city of Amarillo, Texas, in the Class D West Texas–New Mexico League, the Class A Western League and the Double-A Texas League at various t ...

in the West Texas-New Mexico League.Michael Sudhalter
"Lakind named Sun Baseball Player of the Year,"
''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...

'', June 16, 2010 His older sister, Harriet, played high school and college basketball. He began playing

t-ball Tee-ball (also teeball, tee ball or T-ball) is a team sport based on a simplified form of baseball or softball. It is intended as an introduction for children aged 4 to 6 to develop ball-game skills and have fun. Description Tee-ball association ...

at 4 years of age.

High school

Lakind played first base, outfield, and pitcher while at

Cypress Woods High School Cypress Woods High School, commonly known as Cy Woods, is a secondary school located in Cypress, which is an unincorporated area of Harris County, Texas, United States, near Houston. The principal of Cypress Woods is Gary Kinninger. The schoo ...

.Michael Sudhalte
"Lakind leads Woods baseball to new heights,"
''Houston Chronicle'', March 19, 2010Jeff Sullivan
"Top Prospect Interview: Jared Lakind,"
2010 MLB Draft Blog, January 17, 2010 In 2009, as a junior he was named a Perfect Game Underclass 1st Team All American, was a member of the 2009 Texas Rangers Area Code Team, and was a member of the 2009

Aflac Aflac Inc. (American Family Life Assurance Company) is an American insurance company and is the largest provider of supplemental insurance in the United States. The company was founded in 1955 and is based in Columbus, Georgia. In the U.S., A ...

All American Team."Jared Lakind – Player Profile,"
Perfect Game USA Lakind pitched in the Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic. In 2010, as a senior he hit .404/.523/.764, with 5 home runs and 23 RBIs. On the mound he had an 8–0 record, a 1.88 ERA, and 91 strikeouts in 63.1 innings pitched, and pitched the first

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

in school history."Jared Lakind, Sr., IF, Cypress Woods,"
''Houston Chronicle'', July 4, 2010 At the time he threw both a 4-seam and 2-seam

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 ...

that touched 90–91 mph, a

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

with a late break (77–79 mph), and a

change-up 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 ...

(81–83 mph). He was named the District 15-5A Most Valuable Player, and Sun Player of the Year. He was also named a 2010

-Perfect Game 1st Team All-American, Texas – All-Region 1st Team, and Rivals.com named him the # 60 high school baseball prospect in the nation (writing "With ability to either stay at first base or develop into a pitcher, Lakind has drawn comparisons all over the map. Most frequently he has been discussed as a 20-home run-type first baseman.").

Career

Pittsburgh Pirates

Lakind, who had a

letter of intent A letter of intent (LOI or LoI, or Letter of Intent) is a document outlining the understanding between two or more parties which they intend to formalize in a contract, legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a Heads of agreement ( ...

to play for the

University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas ...

, was drafted by the Pirates as a first baseman in the 23rd round of the

, and signed in August 2010 for a

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

of $400,000—far above the maximum of $150,000 that Major League Baseball recommended for all players drafted after the 5th round."Pirates Re-Sign Lefty Reliever Jared Lakind,"
Pirates Prospects, October 12, 2016 He began his professional career in 2010 and 2011 as a first baseman with the

of the Rookie

Gulf Coast League The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the lo ...

."Jared Lakind Register Statistics & History,"
Baseball-Reference.com In 2012, he played first base for the

State College Spikes The State College Spikes are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in State College, Pennsylvania, and play their home games at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on the campus of Pennsylvania State University. The ...

of the Class A-

New York-Penn League New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

. In 2013 Lakind was converted to a relief pitcher and pitched in 17 games for the

Jamestown Jammers The Jamestown Jammers were a minor league baseball team based in Jamestown, New York from 1994 until 2014. The team was the Short-Season A classification affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates and played in the New York–Penn League. The team playe ...

of the New York-Penn League. In 2014, he pitched for both Jamestown and for the

of 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 for the two teams combined was 0–1 with a 3.57 ERA in 25 games. In 2015, he pitched for both the GCL Pirates and the West Virginia Power, and was a combined 3–1 with a 1.69 ERA in 20 games. He missed half the season, due to surgery to remove a

cyst A cyst is a closed sac, having a distinct envelope and cell division, division compared with the nearby Biological tissue, tissue. Hence, it is a cluster of Cell (biology), cells that have grouped together to form a sac (like the manner in which ...

from the

sciatic nerve The sciatic nerve, also called the ischiadic nerve, is a large nerve in humans and other vertebrate animals which is the largest branch of the sacral plexus and runs alongside the hip joint and down the lower limb. It is the longest and widest si ...

in his left leg. That year his fastball was noted as having good deception, which made it look faster to batters. In 2016, the Pirates skipped him over Class A+ Bradenton and had Lakind pitch for the

of the Class AA Eastern League. He set a team record for consecutive scoreless frames pitched in a single season at 25.1 innings from May 5 – June 23. Lakind was named to the Eastern League All Star Team as a member of the bullpen. For the season, he was 5–1 with 7 saves and had a 2.59 ERA in 47 games and a career-high 66 innings, and had 8.5 K/9."Pirates re-sign Jared Lakind,"
Bucs Dugout, October 12, 2016 He throws a fastball that reaches 94 mph, and has a good breaking ball. In October 2016 the Pirates re-signed Lakind, which kept him from becoming a minor league

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

. He started the 2017 season pitching for Altoona, for whom he was 1–1 with 2 saves and a 6.81 ERA, and 38 strikeouts in 35.2 innings. On July 7, the Pirates released him from the organization.

Miami Marlins

One week later he signed with the

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

who assigned him to the

Greensboro Grasshoppers The Greensboro Grasshoppers are a Minor League Baseball team based in Greensboro, North Carolina. They are members of the South Atlantic League and are the High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They play their home games at First National ...

of the Class A

, for whom he was 1–1 with a 4.24 ERA, and then to the

Jupiter Hammerheads The Jupiter Hammerheads are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in the town of Jupiter, Florida, Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida, and play their home game ...

of the Class A+

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

, for whom he pitched 1.2 scoreless innings. He elected to be a free agent on November 6.

Lancaster Barnstormers

In 2018, Lakind pitched for the

Lancaster Barnstormers The Lancaster Barnstormers (colloquially known as the Stormers) are an American professional baseball team based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league ...

of the independent

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 ...

. He was 2–3 with a 3.83 ERA, in 42.1 innings over 41 games.Jared Lakind Minor, Winter & Independent Leagues Statistics & History , Baseball-Reference.com
/ref> He became a free agent following the 2018 season. In the 2018–19 winter season, he pitched for

Charros de Jalisco The Charros de Jalisco ( en, Jalisco Horsemen) are a professional baseball team in the Liga Mexicana del Pacífico, Mexican Pacific League based in Zapopan, Jalisco. Their home ballpark is Estadio de Béisbol Charros de Jalisco y Atletismo, Estadi ...

of the

Mexican Pacific Winter League The Mexican Pacific League (), known as Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico for sponsorship reasons or simply LMP for its acronym in Spanish, is a professional baseball winter league based in Northern Mexico. The ten-team regular season schedule run ...

. In 2019, Lakind re-signed with the Lancaster Barnstormers. Pitching for the team in 2019 he was 7–9 with a 4.82 ERA, and was 10th in the league with 98 strikeouts in 142.0 innings. He became a free agent following the season. Lakind re-signed with the Barnstormers on February 22, 2020. However, he did not play with the team in 2020 as the season was canceled due to 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 ...

Team Texas

In July 2020, Lakind signed on to play for Team Texas of the

Constellation Energy League The Constellation Energy League was an independent baseball league that operated in Texas during 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions limiting travel, and as a way to create opportunities for minor league players. History The league consisted of ...

(a makeshift 4-team independent league created as a result of the pandemic) for the 2020 season.

Lancaster Barnstormers (second stint)

On February 26, 2021, Lakind re-signed with the

of the

. He became a free agent following the season.

Team Israel

Lakind pitched for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic qualifier in September 2016. To demonstrate to Team Israel that he was Jewish, Lakind's family sent the team a photo of the tombstone of Lakind's grandmother, with a

Star of David The Star of David (). is a generally recognized symbol of both Jewish identity and Judaism. Its shape is that of a hexagram: the compound of two equilateral triangles. A derivation of the ''seal of Solomon'', which was used for decorative ...

carved onto it. Lakind's only appearance in the tournament was during the second game, against

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. He threw 31 pitches over 1 inning, walking 2 and striking out 2, and picking up the

hold Hold may refer to: Physical spaces * Hold (ship), interior cargo space * Baggage hold, cargo space on an airplane * Stronghold, a castle or other fortified place Arts, entertainment, and media * Hold (musical term), a pause, also called a Fermat ...

. Lakind pitched for Team Israel in the second round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He pitched in 2 games, pitching 1.2 scoreless innings. In November 2019, he obtained

Israeli citizenship 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 ...

so that he could play for Team Israel in

baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics Baseball was featured at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in Tokyo, for the first time since the 2008 Summer Olympics. Six national teams competed in the tournament: Israel, Japan (host), Mexico, South Korea, the United States, and the Dominican Republ ...

in Tokyo. Lakind was included on the roster for Team Israel at the

2020 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 1 ...

, but was later replaced after suffering an injury while playing for the Lancaster Barnstormers.

References

External links

Twitter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lakind, Jared 1992 births Living people Israeli American Israeli baseball players Altoona Curve players Baseball players from Texas Greensboro Grasshoppers players Gulf Coast Pirates players Jamestown Jammers players Jewish American baseball players People from Cypress, Texas State College Spikes players West Virginia Power players Jupiter Hammerheads players Lancaster Barnstormers players Charros de Jalisco players 2017 World Baseball Classic players Team Texas players 21st-century American Jews