Maxwell Glen Pentecost (born March 10, 1993) is an American former
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 ...
catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
. Prior to playing professionally, Pentecost attended
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw State University (KSU) is a public research university located in the state of Georgia with two different campuses in the Atlanta metropolitan area, one in Kennesaw and the other in Marietta on a combined of land. The school was fou ...
, where he played
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
for the
Kennesaw State Owls baseball
The Kennesaw State Owls baseball team represents Kennesaw State University, which is located in Kennesaw, Georgia. The Owls are an NCAA Division I college baseball program that competes in the ASUN Conference. They began competing in Division I ...
team. He was selected in the first round of the
2014 Major League Baseball draft
The 2014 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June ...
by the Blue Jays.
High school and college
Pentecost attended
Winder-Barrow High School in
Winder, Georgia
Winder (pronounced WINE-der) is a city and the county seat of Barrow County, Georgia, United States. It is located east of Atlanta and is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. The population was 18,338 at the 2020 census.
History
The Georgia Gene ...
. He suffered an arm injury during his senior year, which required surgery.
The
Texas Rangers selected Pentecost in the seventh round, with the 234th overall selection, of the
2011 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft. He opted not to sign with Texas, instead enrolling at
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw State University (KSU) is a public research university located in the state of Georgia with two different campuses in the Atlanta metropolitan area, one in Kennesaw and the other in Marietta on a combined of land. The school was fou ...
, where he played
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
for the
Kennesaw State Owls
The Kennesaw State Owls fields 17 varsity athletics teams, competing for Kennesaw State University. After spending ten years in Division II's Peach Belt Conference, the university fully transitioned to Division I status in the National Collegi ...
in the
Atlantic Sun Conference
The ASUN Conference, formerly the Atlantic Sun Conference, is a collegiate athletic conference operating mostly in the Southeastern United States. The league participates at the NCAA Division I level, and began sponsoring football at the Divisi ...
. After his sophomore year at Kennesaw State, he played
collegiate summer baseball
Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...
for the
Bourne Braves
The Bourne Braves are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bourne, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Braves play their home games at Doran Park on the c ...
of 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), where he was named the league's
most valuable player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
and ''Perfect Game''s College Summer Player of the Year.
Pentecost was named to the
CCBL Hall of Fame in 2023. As a junior, Pentecost won the
Atlantic Sun Player of the Year Award and
Johnny Bench Award
The Buster Posey Award, formerly known as the Johnny Bench Award, was created in 2000 to honor college baseball's top catcher in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The award is administered by the Greater Wichita Area Sp ...
. He was also a finalist for the
Dick Howser Trophy
The Dick Howser Trophy is bestowed annually to the national college baseball player of the year. The award is named after former collegiate and Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager Dick Howser, who died of brain cancer in 1987 at the age ...
.
Professional career
Pentecost was seen by
Jim Callis
Jim Callis (born October 15, 1967) is a baseball writer who currently covers the MLB Draft and prospects for MLB Pipeline and MLB.com. He was formerly the executive editor of the Durham, North Carolina-based magazine '' Baseball America'' and i ...
of
MLB.com
MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. (a subsidiary of MLB). MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports column ...
as a likely first round pick in the upcoming
2014 Major League Baseball draft
The 2014 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June ...
, and the best pure catcher in the draft.
The
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
selected Pentecost in the first round, with the 11th overall selection. Pentecost signed with the Blue Jays on July 2, for the full bonus slot value of $2.9 million. He was assigned to the
Gulf Coast Blue Jays
The Florida Complex League Blue Jays are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays. The team plays it ...
of the
Rookie-level 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 ...
because he did not have his passport at the time. Blue Jays GM
Alex Anthopoulos
Alex Anthopoulos (born May 25, 1977) is a Canadian professional baseball executive, currently working as the general manager and president of baseball operations for the Atlanta Braves. He was the senior vice president of baseball operations and ...
had intended to assign Pentecost to the
Vancouver Canadians
The Vancouver Canadians are a Minor League Baseball team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. They are members of the Northwest League and are affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Canadians play their home games at Nat Bailey Stadium. ...
of the
Class A-Short Season
Class A Short Season (officially Short-Season A) was a level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States from 1965 through 2020. In the hierarchy of minor league classifications, it was below Triple-A, Double-A, Class A-Advanced (cre ...
Northwest League
The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Pacific Northwest, Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Maj ...
. In his second professional game on July 8, he went 5-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and two
runs batted in
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
(RBIs). Pentecost was promoted to Vancouver on July 15. He played until August 7, when a wrist injury ended his season. In 25 total games, Pentecost batted .324 with 12 RBIs.
On October 1, Pentecost was named eighth-best
prospect in the Northwest League 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 ...
''.
In January 2015, Pentecost was named by MLB as the 10th best catching prospect in baseball. He underwent shoulder surgery in February 2015, and missed the entire 2015 season while rehabbing. Prior to the start of the 2016 minor league season, Pentecost was ranked 9th on MLB's top 10 catching prospects list. He opened the 2016 minor league season on the disabled list with the
Lansing Lugnuts
The Lansing Lugnuts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. They are located in Lansing, Michigan, and play their home games at Jackson Field (Lansing), Jackson Field.
The Midwe ...
of the
Class-A Midwest League
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 ...
. On May 12, Pentecost appeared in his first game in over 16 months, and hit the first home run of his professional career in a 5–0 win for the Lugnuts. As he was not cleared to catch, Pentecost continued to play as a
designated hitter
The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...
. After hitting .314 with seven home runs and 34 RBI the Lugnuts in 62 games, Pentecost was promoted to the
Advanced-A Dunedin Blue Jays
The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and are the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club. They are located in Dunedin, Florida, and play their home games at TD Ballpark, ...
. He played 12 games with Dunedin in 2016, and hit .245 with three home runs and seven RBI.
Aside from one rehab game in the Gulf Coast League, Pentecost spent the entire 2017 season with Dunedin. He was limited to 72 games due to two separate disabled list stints, and hit .274 with nine home runs and 54 RBI.
Pentecost played for the
Peoria Javelinas
The Peoria Javelinas are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. The Javelinas play their home games in the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona. The ballpark is also the spring training facility for the Sa ...
of the
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fill ...
(AFL) during the offseason, but he was deactivated in the last week of the AFL's season due to shoulder pain. The Blue Jays opted not to place him on their
40-man roster
A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...
to protect him from the
Rule 5 draft.
On January 24, 2018, the Blue Jays invited Pentecost to spring training. He spent the 2018 season with the
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are a Minor League Baseball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays major league club.
During the team's first seas ...
of the
Class AA
Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...
Eastern League, hitting .253 with 10 home runs and 52 RBI in 89 games.
On March 22, 2019, it was announced that Pentecost had left Blue Jays' spring training, and was considering retirement. His retirement was confirmed on April 3.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pentecost, Max
1993 births
Living people
All-American college baseball players
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
Baseball players from Georgia (U.S. state)
Baseball catchers
Bourne Braves players
Dunedin Blue Jays players
Gulf Coast Blue Jays players
Kennesaw State Owls baseball players
Lansing Lugnuts players
People from Winder, Georgia
New Hampshire Fisher Cats players
Peoria Javelinas players
Sportspeople from the Atlanta metropolitan area
Vancouver Canadians players