Jewish Infielder Spencer Horwitz Shines In MLB Debut For Blue Jays

Spencer Horwitz, 25, made his Major League Baseball debut on Sunday for the Blue Jays and hit a single in his first at bat. ELSA/GETTY IMAGES  

Jewish infielder Spencer Horwitz, 25, made his Major League Baseball debut on Sunday for the Blue Jays and hit a single in his first at bat.

In his second, he batted in a run on a sacrifice to put Toronto ahead 6-0, and he got walked in his other two at bats.

Spencer Horwitz #48 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats during his MLB debut against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Globe Life Field on June 18, 2023. In his second, he batted in a run on a sacrifice to put Toronto ahead 6-0, and he got walked in his other two at bats. RON JENKINS/GETTY IMAGES  

The Texas Rangers went on to win 11-7.

“This is a day I’ve dreamed of,” said Horwitz. “I’ve never been more grateful to have family and friends who are reaching out and who can be here with me.”

Last March, Horwitz played for Team Israel at the World Baseball Classic, batting in a run in Israel’s 3-1 win over Nicaragua.

He said of his Jewish identity: “I’ve been around the Jewish culture my whole life, and I’ve grown to love it and just appreciate it and respect it.”

Produced in association with Jewish News Syndicate

Edited by Maham Javaid