Woodmere Resident Jacob Steinmetz, first Orthodox Jew MLB Draft, Strikes Out Several Famous Pros in World Baseball Classic
Woodmere, New York Resident Jacob Steinmetz, 19, the the first Orthodox Jew Major League Baseball draft pick, turned heads with his performance at the World Baseball Classic this past Tuesday when he was the starting pitcher for Team Israel against the Dominican Republic.
While Team Israel lost 10-0, Steinmetz nonetheless acquitted himself admirably, striking out three famous pros that day: six-time All-Star Manny Machado, two-time All-Star Gary Sánchez and 2022 World Series MVP Jeremy Peña.
Steinmetz gave up two hits and one run in an inning and two-thirds, during which he pitched to every member of the Dominican Republic's roster.
Steinmetz's performance during the game was lauded by many, especially given the fact that he was a newbie to MLB after having only spent an extremely short amount of time in the minor leagues. In addition, he was the fourth-youngest player ever to start a WBC game.