| Max Lazar | |
|---|---|
| Philadelphia Phillies – No. 60 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1999-06-03)June 3, 1999 (age 26) Coral Springs, Florida, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 10, 2024, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |
| Win–loss record | 1–1 |
| Earned run average | 4.75 |
| Strikeouts | 35 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| |
Max Brandon Lazar (born June 3, 1999) is an American professionalbaseballpitcher for thePhiladelphia Phillies ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He was selected by theMilwaukee Brewers in the 11th round of the2017 MLB draft and made his MLB debut in 2024 with the Phillies.
Lazar played two years of baseball atCoral Springs High School inCoral Springs, Florida, graduating in 2017.[1] As a pitcher he was 15–4 with an 0.81ERA, and 186strikeouts and 15walks while allowing 78hits, in121+2⁄3innings.[2][3][4]
TheMilwaukee Brewers selected Lazar in the 11th round, with the 324th pick, in the2017 Major League Baseball draft.[5][2] He signed for asigning bonus of $425,000, turning down acollege baseball scholarship fromFlorida Atlantic University.[6] He made his professional debut that year for theRookie-levelArizona League Brewers.[7][8] Over13+2⁄3 innings he gave up 9earned runs, 16 hits, and one walk, while striking out 14 batters.[9]
Lazar spent the 2018 season with theHelena Brewers of thePioneer League. Lazar was 3–3 with a 4.37 ERA. In 14 starts (third most in the league), he pitched 68 innings (fourth), giving up 74 hits and 15 walks, while striking out 55 batters (10th).[9]
Lazar was promoted to theSingle-AWisconsin Timber Rattlers to start off the 2019 season. He spent most of the season with the team, largely pitching in tandem withReese Olson in the early part of the season, with a brief stint with the rookie levelArizona League Brewers Gold in June (in which in six innings he gave up one earned run, four hits, no walks, and had 10 strikeouts).[9][2][8] With Wisconsin, he was 7–3 with onesave and a 2.39 ERA over 19 appearances (10 starts); in 79 innings he gave up 67 hits and 15 walks (1.7 walks per 9 innings; 7th in the league), while striking out 109 batters (12.4strikeouts per 9 innings (leading the league) and 7.27 strikeouts per walk (3rd), with a 1.038WHIP. Lazar was named a Low–A All-Star byBaseball America following the season.[2][9]
Lazar did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of theMinor League Baseball season because of theCOVID-19 pandemic. He then hadTommy John surgery early in 2021 and missed the 2021 season while recovering from the surgery.[2][10][11]Fangraphs wrote:
Ironically, he sits just 86-89 but his deceptive, funky, over-the-top delivery combined with the extreme length of his stride down the mound (nearly seven-and-a-half feet of extension) makes him an uncomfortable at-bat for opposing hitters.... Lazar can somehow turn over a changeup from this arm slot. We’ve seen plenty of fastballs thrive despite mediocre velocity before. Often it’s from someone who has an extremely vertical arm slot ... or huge extension and a flat approach angle... Lazar has both of these attributes, and has a bat-missing changeup, too.... Even if they don’t develop further, Lazar has two legit weapons that should work fine in relief, and he throws strikes at such a high rate that he could be a multi-inning bullpen piece.[11]
Returning to action in 2022, pitching for the first time in 951 days, he started the season with the Timber Rattlers, now at theHigh-A level, for whom he pitched 32 innings.[2][12] Lazar was placed on the injured list on June 13. He spent the rest of the season on a rehab assignment with the ACL Brewers (one inning) and theCarolina Mudcats of the Single-ACarolina League (seven innings).[2] He split the season starting and relieving, finishing with an aggregate record among the three teams of 1–1 with one save and a 3.83 ERA in 15 appearances (9 starts).[2] After the season, Lazar played for theBrisbane Bandits of theAustralian Baseball League and was 4–3 in 10 starts with a 3.72 ERA, pitching 46 innings and giving up 38 hits and 8 walks while striking out 52 batters.[13]
Lazar returned to Wisconsin for the start of the 2023 season, now exclusively arelief pitcher. He was promoted to theDouble-ABiloxi Shuckers of theSouthern League on June 30.[2] Over the entire season between both levels, he finished with a 3.26 ERA across 33 outings, with threeholds and three saves while striking out 73 batters (9.5 strikeouts per 9 innings) and walking 19 in 69 innings.[14] Lazar elected free agency following the season on November 6.[14]
On December 8, 2023, Lazar signed a minor league contract with thePhiladelphia Phillies.[15] He started the season with theDouble-AReading Fightin Phils, where he allowed no earned runs or walks while striking out 18 batters in10+1⁄3 innings over 8 appearances. He was then promoted to theTriple-ALehigh Valley IronPigs in theInternational League.[14] He was named Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Month for June, after not allowing any earned runs in 11 appearances (12+1⁄3 innings), while posting an 0.49 WHIP.[16] Lazar'sfastball was 94–95 mph, and hiscurveball was his best pitch.[17] Before he was promoted to the major leagues, he had a 1.79 ERA in 34 relief appearances, with 13 saves in 15 opportunities between Reading and Lehigh Valley. He had 53 strikeouts (11.8 strikeouts per 9 innings), 25 hits (5.6hits per 9 innings), and 9 walks in40+1⁄3 innings, and an 0.84 WHIP.[17][16][9] He had a 33.8% strikeout rate and 5.8% walk rate.[18]
On August 9, 2024, Lazar was selected to the Phillies'40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[17][19] He made his MLB debut the next day against theArizona Diamondbacks. He retired all four batters he faced with a mix of curveballs,cutters, and afour-seam fastball that reached 95.5 mph, including a strikeout ofJoc Pederson.[20][21] In 11 appearances during his rookie campaign, Lazar recorded a 4.61 ERA with 9 strikeouts across13+2⁄3 innings pitched.[22]
Lazar was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to begin the 2025 season.[23] He was recalled to the major leagues on May 19.[24] Lazar earned his first MLB save on May 24, pitching in an extra-innings win over theAthletics.[25] On July 21, Lazar recorded his first career win after tossing a scoreless inning of relief in an extra-innings victory over theBoston Red Sox.[26]