Former Jumbo Shrimp Fishman debuts for Marlins

Left-hander becomes fourth Jacksonville alumnus in eight days to make MLB debut

Jake Fishman pitched 3.1 strong innings on Sunday in his major league debut. (Joey Mims/Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp)

By Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp

August 1, 2022

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Former Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp left-handed pitcher Jake Fishman tossed 3.1 innings of one-run ball for the Miami Marlins in his major league debut on Sunday against the New York Mets from loanDepot park. Fishman is the fourth former Jumbo Shrimp to make his MLB debut in the

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Former Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp left-handed pitcher Jake Fishman tossed 3.1 innings of one-run ball for the Miami Marlins in his major league debut on Sunday against the New York Mets from loanDepot park. Fishman is the fourth former Jumbo Shrimp to make his MLB debut in the last eight days, following former Jacksonville teammates JJ Bleday (July 23, Miami Marlins), Huascar Brazoban (July 24, Miami Marlins) and infielder Charles Leblanc (July 30, Miami Marlins).

Fishman came on in relief of Pablo López with two outs in the third inning and proceeded to work 3.1 frames, yielding only one run on four hits in Miami’s 9-3 defeat. The 3.1 innings are the fourth-most he’s worked in any game over the course of his career, which includes 173 appearances.

When Fishman was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 30th round of the 2016 draft, he became the first played ever picked from Division III Union College (Schenectady, N.Y.). In his career as a Dutchman, Fishman went 18-2 with a 1.36 ERA while also hitting .410. He was the Liberty League Player and Pitcher of the Year following a 2016 season that saw him top all of NCAA baseball in ERA (0.41) to go along with a 7-0 record, 85 strikeouts in 66.0 innings pitched and a .361 batting average.

After pitching mostly with High-A Dunedin (2-3, 2.68 ERA in 44 games) and Double-A New Hampshire (1-1, 3.45 ERA in 42 games) in 2018 and 2019, respectively, Fishman was selected by the Marlins in the Triple-A phase of the 2020 Rule 5 draft. During the 2021 season, he pitched for Jacksonville and also was a member of Team Israel during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. When pitching for the Jumbo Shrimp in 2021, he made 34 appearances, including two starts, registering a 5-1 record and 3.67 ERA. Over 56.1 innings, Fishman yielded only 44 hits and struck out 51 against 17 walks.

Fishman returned to the Jumbo Shrimp to begin the 2022 season, earning elite results. Prior to his promotion to the major leagues, he went 4-0 with a 1.87 ERA over 43.1 innings covering 25 games. He fanned 43 against 16 walks and only 27 hits allowed.

In addition to Fishman, Leblanc, Brazoban and Bleday, former Jumbo Shrimp infielder Joe Dunand (May 7, Miami Marlins), right-handers Chad Smith (May 29, Colorado Rockies), Jason Alexander (June 1, Milwaukee Brewers), Aneurys Zabala (June 12, Miami Marlins) and Max Meyer (July 16, Miami Marlins) and outfielder Jerar Encarnacion (June 19, Miami Marlins) have also made their major league debuts thus far during the 2022 season.

Fishman is the 950th player to don both a Jacksonville uniform and play in the major leagues, including the 112th former Jumbo Shrimp. The history of Minor League Baseball in Jacksonville dates back to 1904.

ABOUT THE JUMBO SHRIMP: The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp offer affordable family fun at 121 Financial Ballpark. Their inaugural season garnered the Southern League’s Don Mincher Organization of the Year, Promotional Trophy and Jimmy Bragan Executive of the Year, won by general manager Harold Craw. The club added its second Promotional Trophy in three years following the 2019 season. The 2021 season marked the return of Triple-A baseball in Jacksonville. To experience the excitement with the terrific value of ticket and group options, call the Jumbo Shrimp at (904) 358-2846 or visit www.jaxshrimp.com.