| Josh Sborz | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Sborz with theOklahoma City Dodgers in 2018 | |
| Free agent | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1993-12-17)December 17, 1993 (age 31) Washington, D.C., U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 20, 2019, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) | |
| Win–loss record | 13–13 |
| Earned run average | 4.96 |
| Strikeouts | 193 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Joshua Alan Sborz (/spɔːrz/SPORZ;[1] born December 17, 1993) is an American professionalbaseballpitcher who is a free agent. He was drafted 74th overall by theLos Angeles Dodgers in the2015 Major League Baseball draft and played for the Dodgers in 2019 and 2020. Sborz playedcollege baseball at theUniversity of Virginia.
Sborz attendedMcLean High School inMcLean, Virginia. He played for the school's baseball team as apitcher and aninfielder, and received all-state and all-Met honors twice. Additionally, he was named Group AAA state Player of the Year in 2012.[2] Sborz committed to playing college baseball at theUniversity of Virginia.
As a freshman with the Cavaliers, Sborz mainly pitched out of the bullpen. He made 30 appearances for Virginia, which was the 10th most in team history.[3] Sborz joined the UVA rotation during his sophomore season and made 15 starts.[4] He started Game 3 of theCollege World Series finals againstVanderbilt.[5] In 2013 and 2014, he playedcollegiate summer baseball with theOrleans Firebirds of theCape Cod Baseball League.[6][7]
For his junior season, Sborz was moved back to the bullpen and was named the team's closer. As a result of injuries to the starting rotation, Sborz made two starts towards the end of the regular season. He ended the regular season with a 2.49 ERA and was tied withFlorida State's Billy Strode for the ACC lead in saves with 12.[8] For his accomplishments, Sborz was named to the All-ACC second-team.[9] On May 19, 2015, he threw a one-hit shutout againstGeorgia Tech in anACC Tournament play-in game.[10] Sborz was named theCollege World Series Most Outstanding Player following UVA's championship run in the2015 College World Series. He recorded three wins and a save in four games; pitching 13 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts, four walks and seven hits allowed.[11]
TheLos Angeles Dodgers selected Sborz in the second round of the2015 MLB draft.[12] The Dodgers announced his signing on July 8, 2015.[13] He was assigned to the rookie levelOgden Raptors of thePioneer League to start his career.[14] After pitching in two games for the Raptors he was promoted to theGreat Lakes Loons of the Single-AMidwest League.[15] He also made two starts for the Loons and was 0–1 with a 2.84 ERA leading to his promotion again, to the High-ARancho Cucamonga Quakes of theCalifornia League on August 14.[16] In nine relief appearances for the Quakes he allowed two runs in 12 innings.[17] He remained with the Quakes for the start of the 2016 season[18] and pitched in 20 games, 19 of which were starts. He was 8–4 with a 2.66 ERA[17] and was named to the mid-season[19] and post-season California League All-Star teams as well as the league pitcher of the year.[20] He was promoted to the Double-ATulsa Drillers of theTexas League at the end of the season and made 10 relief appearances with them, for a 3.78 ERA.[17]
Sborz spent all of 2017 with Tulsa where he started 24 games with an 8–8 record, 3.86 ERA and 81 strikeouts.[17] In 2018, he appeared in 46 games (all in relief) for Tulsa and the Triple-AOklahoma City Dodgers with a 4–2 record and 3.88 ERA with six saves.[17] The Dodgers added Sborz to their40-man roster after the 2018 season, in order to protect him from theRule 5 draft.[21]
Sborz was called up to the Majors for the first time on April 14, 2019,[22] but was optioned back to Triple-A on April 20 without appearing in any games, briefly becoming aphantom ballplayer.[23] He was called back up to the majors on June 20[24] and made his debut that night. After pitching a scoreless eighth inning. Sborz allowed three runs on two hits and a walk in the following inning without getting an out.[25] He appeared in seven total games in the majors in 2019, pitching nine innings and allowing eight runs to score.[26] Sborz spent most of the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he was 4–3 with a 4.68 ERA in 50 innings (over 46 appearances) with three saves.[17]
The minor league season was cancelled in 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic and Sborz spent most of the season at the Dodgers alternate training site,[27] only appearing in four games in the Majors. He worked 41⁄3 innings, striking out two and walking one.[26] The only run he allowed all season was a solo home run byWil Myers of theSan Diego Padres.[28] Sborz wasdesignated for assignment on February 11, 2021.[29]
On February 16, 2021, Sborz was traded to theTexas Rangers in exchange for Jhan Zambrano.[30] Over 59 innings for Texas in 2021, Sborz posted a 4–3 record with a 3.97 ERA while striking out 69 batters.[31] Sborz split the 2022 season between Texas and theRound Rock Express of theTriple-APacific Coast League. With Texas he posted a 1–0 record with a 6.45 ERA over22+1⁄3 innings; with Round Rock he went 3–0 with a 1.61 ERA over22+1⁄3 innings.[32]
Notably, Sborz was a member of theTexas Rangers' 2023 postseason run. He had a 0.75 ERA through 10 games, pitching 12 innings.[33] Sborz pitched the last 7 outs of the2023 World Series, striking outKetel Marte looking for the final out. It was the second save of Sborz's career.
Sborz was removed from a game against theHouston Astros on April 7, 2024, and placed on the 15-day injured list with a right rotator cuff strain.[34] In 17 total appearances for Texas, he compiled a 3.86 ERA with 17 strikeouts over16+1⁄3 innings pitched. On November 23, it was announced that Sborz had undergone shoulderdebridement surgery that would sideline him for the first 2–3 months of the 2025 season.[35] On September 7, 2025, the Rangers announced that Sborz would be shut down for the remainder of the 2025, after not making a single appearance.[36] On November 21, he was non-tendered and became a free agent.[37]
Josh's parents are John and Tina Sborz. He has two sisters, Chrissy and Heather, and an older brother,Jay, who pitched for eight years in theDetroit Tigers organization. Chrissy is a licensed insurance professional.[3]
On November 12, 2020, he married Alexis Shaffer,[38] a formerwomen's soccer player who had been namedAtlantic Coast Conference midfielder and offensive player of the year in 2016 and was selected 25th overall byFC Kansas City in the2017 NWSL College Draft.[39] They have two children together.[38]
Joshua Alan Sborz…he and his wife, the former Alexis Shaffer (m. 11/12/20), have a son named Werth (b. 7/28/21)…Josh and Alexis met at the University of Virginia, where Josh played baseball and Alexis played soccer.