Andrew Jacob Yerzy (born July 5, 1998) is a Canadian professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

and

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

in the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

organization. He was drafted by the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

in the second round of the

2016 Major League Baseball draft The 2016 Major League Baseball draft began on June 9, 2016, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order is the reverse order of the 2015 MLB season standings. In addition, compensation picks were distributed for players who ...

Early life

Yerzy, a native of

North York North York is a former township and city and is now one of the six administrative districts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the northern area of Toronto, centred around Yonge Street, north of Ontario Highway 401. It is bounded by ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, was born to David and Patricia (née Wong) Yerzy, has two older brothers, and is Jewish. His paternal grandparents were Eric Yerzy (whose parents and siblings were murdered in

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

) and Sonia Yerzy. His maternal grandparents were Cheuck Yu Wong and Shun Kiu Susan Wong. He attended

York Mills Collegiate Institute York Mills Collegiate Institute is a public high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Toronto District School Board, offering grades 9–12. It is located in North York along York Mills Road between Leslie Street and Bayview Ave ...

in Toronto.

Career

Amateur career

Yerzy was selected for the Junior Canadian National Baseball Team at the age of 15. He was co-champion of Major League Baseball's Junior

Home Run Derby The Home Run Derby is an annual home run hitting competition in Major League Baseball (MLB) customarily held the day before the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, MLB All-Star Game, which places the contest on a Monday in July. In the context ...

at the

2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 86th edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The game was played at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio on Tuesday, July 14. It was televised nationally on Fox. The Ameri ...

. In 2016 he was named a Rawlings-Perfect Game Third Team

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

Arizona Diamondbacks

2016–18

Yerzy was drafted by the

in the second round of the

, 52nd overall. He was the third-highest

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

draft pick ever from the

Greater Toronto Area The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the Toronto, City of Toronto and the regional municipality, regional municipalities of Regional Municipality of Durham, Durham, Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton, Regional ...

, behind

Josh Naylor Joshua-Douglas James Naylor (born June 22, 1997) is a Canadian professional baseball first baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Guardians. The ...

(12th overall in 2015 by the Miami Marlins) and

Joey Votto Joseph Daniel Votto (born September 10, 1983) is a Canadian-American former professional baseball first baseman who spent his entire 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Cincinnati Reds from 2007 to 2023. He was the second Canad ...

(44th overall in 2002 by the Cincinnati Reds). He had signed 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 legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement, term she ...

to attend the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...

, but instead signed 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 $1.214 million. It was the 11th-highest bonus ever given a Canadian baseball player. Arizona scouting director Deric Ladnier said: "He has massive power." D-backs manager

Chip Hale Walter William "Chip" Hale (born December 2, 1964) is an American professional baseball infielder, coach (baseball), coach, and manager (baseball), manager. Hale played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1989 through 1997, and managed in MLB f ...

said "Now he's just got to graduate high school and ... start his career... he's as good looking of a 17-year-old as I've seen." After being drafted, at the age of 17, Yerzy played for both the rookie-level

Arizona League Diamondbacks The Arizona Complex League Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team competing as a Rookie-level affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Salt River Fields a ...

and the

Missoula Osprey The Missoula PaddleHeads are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Missoula, Montana, and play their home games at Ogren Pa ...

in 2016. He posted a combined .216 batting average with one home run and 16 RBI in 45 total games between both teams, while playing catcher. After the 2016 season, ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...

'' ranked him Arizona's #14 prospect. He spent 2017 with Missoula. Yerzy greatly improved over his debut, batting .298/.365/.524 with 13 home runs (tied for 6th in the Pioneer League), 45 RBI and an .890 OPS in 54 games. Yerzy played all of 2018 with the

Hillsboro Hops The Hillsboro Hops are a Minor League Baseball team in the Pacific Northwest, northwest United States, located in Hillsboro, Oregon, a city in the Portland metropolitan area. The Hops are members of the Northwest League and are the High-A affilia ...

, slashing .297/.382/.452 with eight home runs (tied for 8th in the

Northwest League The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the 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 Major League Baseba ...

), 34 RBIs (9th), and 34 walks (8th) in 63 games. He was both a Northwest League Mid-Season All Star and a Northwest League Post-Season All Star for Hillsboro.

2019–22

Yerzy split 2019 between the Hillsboro Hops and the

Kane County Cougars The Kane County Cougars are a professional baseball team located in Geneva, Illinois, and are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball (MLB). They play their home games a ...

in the Single-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 ...

, batting a combined .179/.279/.275 with 46 walks, six home runs, and 39 RBI in 357 at-bats. His 34 RBIs and 37 walks with Hillsboro were both 6th in the league. Yerzy did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. As of June 2021, he held every single Hops offensive record. In 2021, Yerzy played with the Single-A

Visalia Rawhide The Visalia Rawhide are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Visalia, California, and have played their home games at Valley Strong Ballpark since their ...

(12 games), Hillsboro (61 games), and the Double-A

Amarillo Sod Poodles The Amarillo Sod Poodles, nicknamed the Soddies, are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Amarillo, Texas, and play their home games at Hodgetown in downtow ...

(21 games). On May 21, 2021, Yerzy was named Canadian Baseball Network Player of the Week. On August 27, he was named Canadian Baseball Network Player of the Week. He batted a combined .220/.354/.459 in 318 at-bats, with 21 home runs, 61 RBI, 53 walks, 14 hit by pitches, and 7 stolen bases in 8 attempts. In the field, he played catcher (45 games; throwing out 33% of attempted base-stealers) and first base (24 games). In 2022, Yerzy played the entire season with Amarillo. He batted .220/.338/.402 in 291 at-bats, with 45 runs, 12 home runs, 38 RBI, and 50 walks. In the field, he played first base (48 games) and catcher (31 games), and pitched one scoreless inning in one game. He elected free agency following the season on November 10, 2022.

Cincinnati Reds

On March 10, 2023, Yerzy signed a minor league contract with the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

organization. In 17 games split between the Double–A

Chattanooga Lookouts The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home g ...

and Triple–A

Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, wi ...

, he hit a combined .235/.371/.529 with 11 runs, 4 home runs, and 14 RBIs in 51 at bats. On August 15, Yerzy was released by Cincinnati.

Kansas City Monarchs

On August 23, 2023, Yerzy signed with the

Kansas City Monarchs The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri, and owned by J. L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 193 ...

of the

American Association of Professional Baseball The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor ...

. In 12 games for the Monarchs, Yerzy batted .286/.457/.429 with one home run, four RBI, and 11 walks in 35 at-bats.

Milwaukee Brewers

On February 2, 2024, Yerzy signed a minor league contract with the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

. He was assigned to the

Biloxi Shuckers The Biloxi Shuckers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League (1964–present), Southern League and the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Biloxi, Mississippi, and are named in ref ...

, the Brewers' Double-A affiliate in

Biloxi, Mississippi Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It lies on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast in southern Mississippi, bordering the city of Gulfport, Mississippi, Gulfport to its west. The adjacent cities ar ...

. In 23 games split between Biloxi and the Triple-A

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 ...

, Yerzy batted .208/.275/.306 with two home runs and 14 RBI. He elected free agency following the season on November 4.

Cincinnati Reds (second stint)

On January 20, 2025, Yerzy signed a minor league contract with the

. In two games for the Double-A

, he went 1-for-6 (.167) with one walk. Yerzy was released by the Reds organization on April 14.

St. Louis Cardinals

On April 16, 2025, Yerzy signed a minor league contract with the

International career

Yerzy was selected to the

Canada national baseball team The Canada national baseball team represents Canada in international baseball. They are overseen by Baseball Canada, the governing body of baseball in Canada. Canada was an inaugural member of the World Baseball Classic, making its debut in th ...

at the

2015 U-18 Baseball World Cup The 2015 U-18 Baseball World Cup was an international baseball tournament held by IBAF. The 2015 edition was held in Osaka, Japan from August 28, 2015 to September 6, 2015. Format First Round: The twelve participating nations were drawn into two ...

and

2019 Pan American Games Qualifier The 2019 Pan American Games Qualifier is a baseball tournament that was held between January 29 and February 3, 2019 in Ibiúna and São Paulo, Brazil. The tournament qualified the last four teams to the Baseball at the 2019 Pan American Games tou ...

, and the

2019 WBSC Premier12 The 2019 WBSC Premier12 was an international baseball championship featuring the 12 highest-ranked national teams in the world, held by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). It was the second WBSC Premier12 event. The championship w ...

References

External links

Instagram page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yerzy, Andy 1998 births Living people Amarillo Sod Poodles players Arizona League Diamondbacks players Baseball catchers Baseball players from Toronto Biloxi Shuckers players Canada national baseball team players Canadian expatriate baseball players in the United States Canadian people of Jewish descent Canadian sportspeople of Chinese descent Chattanooga Lookouts players Dayton Dragons players Hillsboro Hops players Jewish baseball players Kane County Cougars players Kansas City Monarchs (American Association) players Louisville Bats players Missoula Osprey players Nashville Sounds players Sportspeople from North York Visalia Rawhide players 2019 WBSC Premier12 players