Spencer Elliott Horwitz (born November 14, 1997) is an American 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 ...

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 ...

and

second baseman In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the Infielder, infield, between Baseball field#Second base, second and Baseball field#First base, first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and f ...

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

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 ...

(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for 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) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

. The Blue Jays selected him in the 24th round of the

2019 MLB draft The 2019 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 3 to 5, 2019. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order was set based on the reverse order of the 2018 MLB season standings. In addition, compensation picks ...

, and he made his MLB debut in 2023. Horwitz played for Team Israel in the

2023 World Baseball Classic The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball tournament and the fifth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. It began on March 8, 2023, and ran until March 21. It was originally scheduled to take place in ...

Early life and high school

Horwitz is the son of David and Laura Horwitz, and has a brother, Ben. He was born in

Timonium, Maryland Timonium is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it has a population of 10,458. Prior to 2010 the area was part of the Luth ...

. He is Jewish. Horwitz played both baseball and hockey at St. Paul's School for Boys in Brooklandville, Maryland. In baseball, Horwitz was a 2016

Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association The Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (M.I.A.A.) is a boys' sports conference for private high schools generally located in the Baltimore metropolitan area but extending to various other regions, including the state's mostly rural Ea ...

(MIAA) First Team selection, and twice MIAA All-Conference as a

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 ...

. In hockey he played as a

defenseman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the l ...

, and led the high school to two state championships.

College

Horwitz played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

Radford University Radford University is a public university in Radford, Virginia, United States. It is one of the state's eight doctorate-granting public universities. Founded in 1910, Radford offers curricula for undergraduates in more than 100 fields, graduate ...

, primarily at

first base 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 2017 as a freshman, Horwitz batted .311/.384/.481 in 206 at bats, and was named

Big South Conference The Big South Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I. Originally a non-football conference, the Big South began sponsoring football in 2002 as part of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), ...

Second Team, and a ''

Collegiate Baseball ''Collegiate Baseball Newspaper'' (also known as ''Collegiate Baseball Magazine'' and ''Collegiate Baseball'') was an American publication based in Arizona that considered itself the "voice of amateur baseball" and was published for over 40 yea ...

'' Freshman All American. In 2018, Horwitz batted .288/.386/.443 in 219

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, ...

s, had 43

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) 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 th ...

(RBIs) (7th in the conference), and was again named Big South Conference Second Team. After the 2018 season, 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 ...

with 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 (ballpark) ...

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 1,000 forme ...

. In 2019 he batted .268/.392/.465 with 10

home runs In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run ...

and a league-leading 49 walks; he was named Big South Conference Honorable Mention.

Professional career

Toronto Blue Jays

2019–22

The

selected Horwitz in the 24th round of the

2019 Major League Baseball draft The 2019 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 3 to 5, 2019. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order was set based on the reverse order of the 2018 MLB season standings. In addition, compensation picks ...

. He signed for a $100,000

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 ...

. Horwitz spent his first professional season in 2019 with the Rookie League

Bluefield Blue Jays The Bluefield Blue Jays were a minor league baseball team of the Rookie Appalachian League representing the twin cities of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Bluefield, Virginia. The team played their home games at Bowen Field at Peters Park, a histori ...

and Low–A

Vancouver Canadians The Vancouver Canadians are a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. They are members of the Northwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Canadians play their home games at Nat Bail ...

. He batted a combined .307/.368/.440 with 4 home runs and 52 RBIs. He was named a 2019 Appalachian League Post-Season All-Star. Horwitz did not play in 2020 due to the Minor League Baseball season being cancelled 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 ...

. Horwitz returned in 2021 to play for the now High–A Vancouver Canadians and for the Double–A

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 (1938–present), Eastern League, is the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Ja ...

. He batted a combined .294/.400/.462 with 12 home runs and 66 RBIs. He had a 28-game

hitting streak In baseball, a hitting streak is the number of consecutive official games in which a player appears and gets at least one base hit. According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is not necessarily ended when a player has at least 1 pl ...

, breaking a 60-year-old Northwest League/High A-West League record. He was named the Northwest League’s 2021 Top MLB Prospect, and a Northwest League Post-Season All Star. After the season, Horwitz played for the

Mesa Solar Sox The Mesa Solar Sox are a baseball team that plays in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games in Mesa, Arizona, at Sloan Park, which is also the spring training facility of the Chicago Cubs. The team was establi ...

in the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...

, where he batted .375/.460/.484 in 64 at bats.He was named an Arizona Fall League Rising Star. MLB.com named him Toronto's #30 prospect. Horwitz started 2022 with New Hampshire, and was named Eastern League Player of the Week on June 13. He was promoted to the Triple–A

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

following a strong start to the season. Across both levels in 2022, he batted .275/.391/.452 in 403 at bats with 77 runs, 12 home runs, and 51 RBIs, while playing 73 games at first base and 20 games in left field.

2023

On November 15, 2022, Horwitz was added to the Blue Jays'

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, an ...

. He was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to begin the 2023 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 ...

'' named him the Jays’ #14 prospect. Following a hot start in Triple-A, Horwitz was promoted to the major leagues for the first time on June 16, 2023. On June 18, 2023, he made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays, and collected his first MLB hit off of Texas Rangers pitcher

Jon Gray Jonathan Charles (Jon) Gray (born November 5, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Colorado Rockies. Gray pla ...

. He hit his first major-league home run (a solo shot) in a 7-5 win against the Colorado Rockies on September 3, 2023. In 39 at bats for the Blue Jays, he hit .256/.341/.385. During his time in Triple-A, Horwitz batted .337/.450/.495 in 392 at bats. He was voted Bisons' 2023 team MVP and the International League's top defensive infielder in a Baseball America poll.

2024

In January 2024, MLB Pipeline ranked Horwitz #9 on its Top 10 1B Prospects list. He was optioned to Triple–A Buffalo to begin the 2024 season, where he batted .335/.456/.514 in 212 at bats. Horwitz was called up to the Blue Jays on June 6, 2024, after the club designated

Cavan Biggio Cavan Thomas Biggio ( '; born April 11, 1995) is an American professional baseball Utility player (baseball), utility player for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Toronto Blue Jays, Lo ...

for assignment. In 2024 for the Blue Jays, he batted .265/.357/.433 with 46 runs, 12 home runs, and 40 RBIs in 328 at bats. On defense, he split time between first base (41 games), second base (39 games), and designated hitter (17 games). Among qualified AL rookies, Horwitz ranked first in OPS and seventh in WAR.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On December 10, 2024, Horwitz, alongside Nick Mitchell, was traded to the

Cleveland Guardians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. Since , the team has played its home gam ...

in exchange for Andrés Giménez and Nick Sandlin. On the same day, Horwitz was then traded by the Guardians to the

in exchange for Luis Ortiz, Michael Kennedy, and Josh Hartle. He missed

Spring Training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

and the first 45 games of the 2025 season following a thumb surgery to relieve right wrist pain.

International career

Horwitz played for the

Israel national baseball team The Israel National Baseball Team () represents Israel in international competitions. It is managed by Ian Kinsler. At the 2017 WBC, Team Israel came in 6th. In 2022, Israel was ranked 20th in the world. The Israel national baseball team compete ...

roster in the

. He played left field for Team Israel manager and former All-Star

Ian Kinsler Ian Michael Kinsler (; born June 22, 1982) is an American-Israeli former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 14 seasons for the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles A ...

, and alongside All-Star outfielder

Joc Pederson Joc Russell Pederson ( ; born April 21, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, San ...

and starting pitcher

Dean Kremer Dean Junior Kremer (; born January 7, 1996) is an Israeli–American professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). In 2015, he became the first Israeli drafted by an MLB team. He made his MLB debut in Se ...

, among others.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Horwitz, Spencer Living people 1997 births Altoona Curve players American expatriate baseball players in Canada Baseball players from Baltimore County, Maryland Bluefield Blue Jays players Bourne Braves players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Indianapolis Indians players Jewish American baseball players Major League Baseball first basemen Major League Baseball outfielders Mesa Solar Sox players New Hampshire Fisher Cats players People from Timonium, Maryland Pittsburgh Pirates players Radford Highlanders baseball players Toronto Blue Jays players Vancouver Canadians players 21st-century American Jews 2023 World Baseball Classic players