Jeremy Bleich (pronounced BLYSH; born June 18, 1987) 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 ...

former 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 currently works as an advance scout and analyst for 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 ...

and pitches for Team Israel. He previously played for the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB). In high school, Bleich was named a 2005 first-team All-American by ''

Collegiate Baseball ''Collegiate Baseball Newspaper'' (also known as ''Collegiate Baseball Magazine'' and ''Collegiate Baseball'') is an American publication based in Arizona that considers itself the "voice of amateur baseball" which has been published for over 40 ...

'' (

Louisville Slugger Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

), a third-team All American by ''

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 ...

'', and was twice named All-State in Louisiana. He was profiled by author

Michael Lewis Michael Monroe Lewis (born October 15, 1960) Gale Biography In Context. is an American author and financial journalist. He has also been a contributing editor to '' Vanity Fair'' since 2009, writing mostly on business, finance, and economics. H ...

in his short book ''Coach: Lessons on the Game of Life'', published in 2005. He was named a

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 ...

All-Star in 2006. Bleich was selected in the First Round of the

2008 Major League Baseball Draft The 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft continued Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 5 and 6, 2008. First round selections ;Key Supplemental first rou ...

(44th overall) by the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

, out of

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

. He was named a

Hawaii Winter Baseball Hawaii Winter Baseball (HWB), based in Honolulu, Hawaii, was a professional baseball league in the Hawaiian islands. It was loosely affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB). History The HWB league first began play in 1993. Funded by Major ...

post-season All-Star in 2008, had surgery to repair a torn

glenoid labrum The glenoid labrum (glenoid ligament) is a fibrocartilaginous structure (not a fibrocartilage as previously thought) rim attached around the margin of the glenoid cavity in the shoulder blade. The shoulder joint is considered a ball and socket ...

in his throwing shoulder in 2010, and was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week on May 26, 2014. Bleich pitched for Team Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic

qualifier In linguistics, a modifier is an optional element in phrase structure or clause structure which ''modifies'' the meaning of another element in the structure. For instance, the adjective "red" acts as a modifier in the noun phrase "red ball", provi ...

, and for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He made his major league debut in 2018. He pitched for Team Israel in the

2019 European Baseball Championship The 2019 European Baseball Championship was an international baseball tournament organized by the Confederation of European Baseball. The 2019 Championship was held September 7–15, 2019, in Bonn and Solingen, Germany. The tournament contributed ...

. He also pitched for the team at the Africa/Europe 2020 Olympic Qualification tournament in Italy in September 2019, which Israel won to qualify to play

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 ...

. He pitched for Team Israel 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 and personal life

Bleich was born in

Metairie, Louisiana Metairie ( ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and is part of the New Orleans metropolitan area. With a population of 143,507 in 2020, Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish and was (a ...

, a suburb 15 minutes west of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, to Stan (a

cardiologist Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular hear ...

and Chair of the board of cardiology at

East Jefferson General Hospital East Jefferson General Hospital is a hospital in Metairie, Louisiana (U.S.). The hospital broke ground in 1965 and is still expanding. The facility serves the people of the East Bank of Jefferson Parish. History In 1965, the Jefferson Parish ...

, who grew up in Brooklyn) and Caron Bleich.Elizabeth Aguilar
"Jeremy Bleich: Finding Calm after the Storm,"
''The Stanford Daily'', June 16, 2006Michael Lewis

''The New York Times'', March 28, 2004"Dr. Stanley Bleich dies, will be buried in Boston,"
''Crescent City Jewish News'', October 21, 2014 Bleich is Jewish, grew up in a

Conservative Jewish Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish religious movement which regards the authority of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions as coming primarily from its people and community through the generat ...

home with

Orthodox Jewish Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on M ...

grandparents, had a bar mitzvah and went to Israel on

Birthright Birthright is the concept of things being due to a person upon or by fact of their birth, or due to the order of their birth. These may include rights of citizenship based on the place where the person was born or the citizenship of their paren ...

, and is a member of Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation."Player Bio: Jeremy Bleich"
GoStanford.com His paternal grandparents George (from Poland) and Yolanda Bleich (from an area of Czechoslovakia that is now Ukraine; seven of her siblings were killed) were

Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...

Holocaust survivor Holocaust survivors are people who survived the Holocaust, defined as the persecution and attempted annihilation of the Jews by Nazi Germany and its allies before and during World War II in Europe and North Africa. There is no universally accep ...

s. He said: "it’s something I feel ... defines me.... It gives you a foundation for some of the struggles you go through, gives you perspective in the moment." He has a sister (Dr. Lauren Feldman), and a brother (Dr. Steven Bleich). Remarking on how his father and siblings are all doctors, Bleich noted: "I always tell people I'm the black sheep of the family." He is close friends with former outfielder

Sam Fuld Samuel Babson Fuld (born November 20, 1981) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and the current general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. He played eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Tampa B ...

, whom he credits with being a great sounding board throughout his career.

High school

He attended

Isidore Newman School Isidore Newman School is a private, nondenominational, co-educational college preparatory school located on an campus in the uptown section of New Orleans, Louisiana. Jeré Longman of ''The New York Times'' described Isidore Newman as "one of ...

in New Orleans, graduating in 2005. As a sophomore Bleich was 9–3, striking out 100 batters in 71.0 innings while batting .318. As a junior, he was 7–3 with a 1.25 ERA, and 110 strikeouts in 72.2 innings, while also batting .464. As a senior, he was 7–1 with an 0.56 ERA, and 138 strikeouts in 63.0 innings, while batting .387. In high school by his junior year he had what author

described as "a decent fastball, great command, a big-league change-up and charm to burn", and had over 40 colleges recruiting him. Bleich was named a 2005 first-team All-American by ''

'' (

), a third-team All American by ''

'', and the 2005 All-Metro Player of the Year. He was named All-State in Louisiana twice, was the 2004 and 2005 District Most Valuable Player, and in 2003–05 was named a three-time All-District, All-Metro, and All-Orleans teams player. As a pitcher at Isidore Newman, he was profiled by author Michael Lewis in his short book ''Coach: Lessons on the Game of Life'', published in 2005. He played in the 2004 WWBA World Championships with the Cincinnati Reds scout team, and in the 2005 High School All-American Game, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was rated the 97th-best prospect in the nation in 2005.Mike Axisa
"Prospect Profile: Jeremy Bleich,"
River Avenue Blues, November 19, 2008

College

Bleich then attended

, majoring in Economics. As a freshman in 2006, throwing an 88–92 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 ...

, a

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 ...

, and 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 ...

, he tied for fourth in the

Pac-10 The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its College football, football teams compete in the NCAA D ...

with seven saves. He was named a

All-Star in 2006, pitching for the

Wareham Gatemen The Wareham Gatemen are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Wareham, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Gatemen play their home games at Clem Spillane Fie ...

. ''Baseball America'' named him the 19th-best player in the league. As a sophomore in 2007, he was 10th in the Pac-10 in starts (16) and innings pitched (98.2). As a junior in 2008 during which he missed two months with

tendinitis Tendinopathy, a type of tendon disorder that results in pain, swelling, and impaired function. The pain is typically worse with movement. It most commonly occurs around the shoulder (rotator cuff tendinitis, biceps tendinitis), elbow (tennis elbo ...

in his elbow, he was 3–3 record with one save and a 2.09 ERA, leading the team in ERA, and earned honorable mention Pac-10 All-Academic honors.

Minor leagues

2008–2014

Bleich was selected in the First Round of the

(44th overall) by the

out of Stanford, and received a $700,000

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 ...

."Jeremy Bleich, P, Pittsburgh Pirates"
kffl.com ''

'' named him the Yankees' ninth-best prospect for 2010. He was named a

post-season All-Star in 2008, pitching for the

Waikiki BeachBoys The Waikiki BeachBoys were a minor league baseball team in the Hawaii Winter Baseball league. They were based in Honolulu, Hawaii. The BeachBoys name derives from the "Beach Boys of Waikiki," a group credited with the rebirth of surfing in Hawa ...

, for whom he was 3–1 with a 1.77 ERA (2nd in the league among starters) in 7 starts."Jeremy Bleich Register Statistics & History,"
Baseball-Reference.com He then pitched in one game that season for the

Staten Island Yankees The Staten Island Yankees were a minor league baseball team located in the New York City borough of Staten Island from 1999 to 2020. Nicknamed the "Baby Bombers", the Yankees were the Class A Short Season affiliate of the New York Yankees and pla ...

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 2009, he pitched for the

Tampa Yankees Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

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 ...

, and for the

Trenton Thunder The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the Doub ...

of the Class AA Eastern League, starting 27 games. Bleich had surgery to repair a torn

in his throwing shoulder, after starting 8 games for Trenton in 2010. He then missed part of the 2010 season, and all of the 2011 season. In 2012, he was 2–1 with a 2.76 ERA as he pitched in 16 games for the

GCL Yankees The Florida Complex League Yankees are a Rookie-level affiliate of the New York Yankees, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball ...

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 ...

, the Staten Island Yankees, and the Tampa Yankees. He was named the 2012 Minor League Comeback Player of the Year by ''Jewish Baseball News''. In 2013, he was again 2–1 with a 2.76 ERA, this time for Trenton in 27 games, 4 of them starts. Bleich began the 2014 season pitching for Trenton, for whom he started 15 games, and was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week on May 26, 2014. He was promoted to Triple-A for the first time later that season, and pitched for the

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pen ...

of the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

2015

Bleich signed a minor league deal with the

on November 18, 2014. In 2015, he pitched in one game for the

Bradenton Marauders The Bradenton Marauders are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Bradenton, Florida, and play their home games at LECOM Park, which also serves as th ...

of the Class A+

, made 25 relief appearances and had 4 saves 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, and had a 2.60 ERA in 13 relief appearances for the

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which open ...

of the Class AAA International League."Somerset Patriots Add LHP Jeremy Bleich,"
PatriotsBaseball.com, July 28, 2016

2016

In January 2016, Bleich signed a minor league contract with the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

. That season he pitched for the

Reading Fightin Phils The Reading Fightin Phils (also called the Reading Fightins) are a Minor League Baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Northeast Division of the Eastern League. The team plays their home games at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Re ...

in the Class AA Eastern League, and the

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and are named in reference to pig iron, used in the ...

in the Class AAA International League. Bleich signed with the

Somerset Patriots The Somerset Patriots are an American Minor League Baseball team based in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, that is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They compete in the Eastern League, known as the Double-A Northeast in 2021, and ...

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 July 2016, and went 2–2 with a 2.45 ERA in 17 relief appearances. In 22 innings, Bleich struck out 28 batters and gave up 3 walks.

2017

In February 2017, Bleich signed with the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...

. Bleich was released on the last day of

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

.Mike Ashmore (April 17, 2017)
“Somerset Patriots bring back Jeremy Bleich despite surplus”
/ref> Bleich was signed again by the Somerset Patriots in April 2017. He pitched scoreless innings, over two games. On April 29, 2017, Bleich signed a minor league contract with the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

and was assigned to

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

of the Class AAA

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

. Mid-season, his fastball was up to 95 mph, complemented by his

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 ...

, and

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 * ...

, and Oklahoma City pitching coach

Matt Herges Matthew Tyler Herges (born April 1, 1970) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1999 to 2009, and is the former pitching coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Herges played in ML ...

observed: "He's a strike machine, and he's fearless." He pitched in 31 games for Oklahoma City (for whom he was 5–3 with a 3.22 ERA, allowing opponents a .261 average — .228 by right-handers — as his fastball was in the mid-90s) and seven for the Class Double-A

Tulsa Drillers The Tulsa Drillers are a minor league baseball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club. Stadium The Drillers play at ONEOK Field (pronounc ...

while in the Dodgers system, and had a combined 5–4 record with 3 saves and a 3.77 ERA. On November 6, he elected to be a free agent.

2018

In January 2018, Bleich signed a minor league contract with the

and was invited to Major League spring training. A's general manager

David Forst David Lee Forst (born May 18, 1976) is an American baseball executive with the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball. He is the general manager of the Athletics. Early and personal life Forst was born in Santa Monica, California, and rais ...

said, "Jeremy proved with his performance last year that he can pitch at this level." He began 2018 pitching for the AAA

Nashville Sounds The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the ci ...

. For the 2018 season with Nashville, he was 1–2 with one save and a 2.63 ERA in innings over 38 games.

2019

On December 18, 2018, Bleich signed a minor league deal with the

.">"Phillies' Jeremy Bleich: Inks deal with Phillies"
CBS Sports, December 21, 2018. He pitched in spring training for the Phillies, and was released on March 21, 2019. On April 17, 2019, Bleich signed a minor league deal with the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

. He pitched in the 2019 season with the Triple-A

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

, with whom he was 2-2 with a 5.59 ERA, and the Class A-

Lowell Spinners The Lowell Spinners were a baseball team based in Lowell, Massachusetts. From 1996 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League (NYPL) as the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. With Major League ...

, with whom in nine relief appearances he was 1-0 with an 0.71 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 12.2 innings. Bleich was traded to the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

on July 25, 2019 in exchange for cash considerations. Pitching for the Class AAA

Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Field ...

in 2019 he was 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 13.1 innings. He became a free agent following the 2019 season.

Major League Baseball

Oakland Athletics (2018)

Bleich's contract was purchased by the Athletics from Nashville on July 13, 2018. He made his major league debut that night against the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

, a decade after being drafted and after pitching for 14 different teams, at 31 years of age. After he pitched in two major league games, he was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...

on August 6. He elected free agency on November 2. He faced 3,106 batters in the minor leagues, before facing just four in the majors.

Advance scout/analyst

Since 2020, Bleich has been a hybrid advance scout and analytics whiz for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has worked on the positioning and shifting of the defense, in part by combining tendencies gleaned from advance scouting and from the available statistics.

International team experience

Team USA

Bleich was a member of the U.S. Junior National Team in 2005, as it placed second at the 2005 Pan American Championships in Mexico.

Team Israel

Bleich pitched 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, in September 2016. Bleich first pitched during the second game of the series, throwing 23 pitches over innings, giving up two hits while recording three strikeouts. Bleich again pitched during the third and final game of the series, throwing 13 pitches over of an inning, giving up two hits, an unearned run, and a walk. Bleich pitched for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic main tournament, in March 2017.Aron Heller (January 11, 2017)
"Israel taps Jewish major-leaguers for World Baseball Classic,"
''The Toronto Star''.Hillel Kuttler (January 11, 2017).
"For these pro-baseball players, visiting Israel is like coming home,"
''The Times of Israel''. He appeared in three games, and struck out two batters in innings. Bleich said: "It was an unbelievable experience.... Those guys will forever be like family. We battled together in a tough environment and we succeeded." He pitched for Team Israel in the

, going 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA, as he pitched in one game, tossing three innings in relief against Team Italy and giving up one hit and two walks while striking out six. He also pitched for the team at the Africa/Europe 2020 Olympic Qualification tournament in Italy in September 2019, which Israel won to qualify to play

in Tokyo. In the tournament he was 1-1 with an 11.57 ERA over 4.2 innings."Pitching,"
olympicbaseball.wbsc.org. He pitched for Team Israel at the

in Tokyo in the summer of 2021. He was 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in three relief appearances, in which he limited opposing batters to a .125 batting average.

References

External links

Stanford Cardinal bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bleich, Jeremy 1987 births Living people 2017 World Baseball Classic players American people of Czech-Jewish descent American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent American people of Polish-Jewish descent Israeli people of Czechoslovak-Jewish descent Israeli people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent Israeli people of Polish-Jewish descent Altoona Curve players Baseball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Baseball players from Louisiana Bradenton Marauders players Indianapolis Indians players Jewish American baseball players Jewish Major League Baseball players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Lowell Spinners players Major League Baseball pitchers Nashville Sounds players Oakland Athletics players Oklahoma City Dodgers players Pawtucket Red Sox players People from Metairie, Louisiana Reading Fightin Phils players Rochester Red Wings players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Somerset Patriots players Stanford Cardinal baseball players Staten Island Yankees players Tampa Yankees players Trenton Thunder players Tulsa Drillers players Wareham Gatemen players 2019 European Baseball Championship players Olympic baseball players of Israel 21st-century American Jews