Ryan Lavarnway

Ryan Cole Lavarnway (; born August 7, 1987) is an American-Israeli professional baseball catcher in the Cleveland Indians organization. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and Miami Marlins. In international competition, he has played for Team Israel.
Lavarnway attended Yale University, where in 2007 he won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) batting title by hitting .467 and led the NCAA with an .873 slugging percentage. That year, Lavarnway also set the Ivy League record with a 25-game hitting streak. In addition, he set the Ivy League all-time career home run record, with 33.
Lavarnway was drafted by the Red Sox in 2008. In 2009, he led the South Atlantic League with 59 extra-base hits. Next season, he was a Carolina League Mid-Season and Post-Season All Star; additionally, he was named the Red Sox co-Minor League Offensive Player of the Year. In 2011, after Lavarnway hit 30 home runs in 478 minor league at bats, "Baseball America" named him the best power prospect in the International League. He was also named to their 2011 Minor League All-Star Team, and the Red Sox organization named him co-winner of their Offensive Player of the Year award for the second season in a row.
He was called up to the major leagues by the Red Sox in August 2011, making headlines in September when he hit two home runs in his first start as a catcher. Entering the 2012 season Lavarnway was the No. 9 prospect in the Red Sox system according to "Baseball America". That season, he was the International League (IL) All Star starting catcher and a post-season IL All-Star. He played 46 games for Boston in 2012, batting .157. He split 2013 between Pawtucket and Boston, batting .299 in 25 games for the major league club. In 2014 with Pawtucket, Lavarnway led the team to the International League title, and was voted MVP of the IL series. However, he was hitless in 10 at bats for Boston, who designated him for assignment after the year.
Lavarnway began the 2015 season with the Baltimore Orioles but only played 10 games for them before getting designated for assignment on May 26. Signed by the Atlanta Braves, he served as A. J. Pierzynski's backup starting on June 15; though he spent the rest of the season with Atlanta, he only appeared in 27 games for them. Failing to make the Braves' roster in 2016, he spent most of the season in the minor leagues for the Toronto Blue Jays. Lavarnway received international honors in 2017, getting named Pool A MVP after playing for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. In the major leagues that year, he got into six games with the Oakland Athletics. He was a 2018 mid-season Triple-A All Star for the Indianapolis Indians. Called up by the Pittsburgh Pirates at the end of 2018, he had four hits in six at bats. Lavarnway started 2019 in the minor leagues again but was called up by the Reds in July. In his debut for the team on July 19, he became the first Red with six RBIs in his Cincinnati debut since RBIs became a statistic in 1920. However, he only played five games for the Reds before they returned him to the minor leagues. In November 2019, he obtained Israeli citizenship, hoping to play for Team Israel in baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins in December.
Early life.
Lavarnway was born on August 7, 1987 in Burbank, California, but grew up in Woodland Hills, California. Born to a Jewish mother and a Catholic father, Lavarnway celebrated Chanukah growing up but never had a Bar Mitzvah. Starting in high school, Lavarnway began pursuing the Jewish faith more seriously. "I felt spiritually attracted and I began to attend synagogue," he said of his high school days.
From watching his father play softball games, Lavarnway developed an interest in baseball at a young age. He played catcher in Little League, and his favorite major league player growing up was Jason Varitek. At El Camino Real High School, Lavarnway caught at first but later played outfield for the "Conquistadors" baseball team as a senior. The team retired his jersey in 2018.
College career.
Lavarnway attended Yale University, where he majored in philosophy and played baseball for the Yale Bulldogs in the Ivy League. Lavarnway chose Yale because "obtaining good grades was important and [Yale] had a strong academic reputation," he said. In 2006, he primarily played right field, earning Ivy Player and Rookie of the Week honors that March.
In 2007, Lavarnway moved back to catcher. "I knew it would provide the best opportunity to reach the major leagues," Lavarnway said, explaining he did not have enough speed in the outfield. He led the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in batting average (.467) and slugging percentage (.873), setting Yale single-season records in those categories as well as in home runs (14) and runs batted in (RBIs). His 25-game hitting streak set an Ivy League record, and he earned the G.H. Walker, Jr. Award for being the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP). Following the college season, Lavarnway played for the Manchester Silkworms in the New England Collegiate Baseball League in the summer of 2007, batting .313 for the team. He was honored as a starter on the league All Star team, also competing in the home run derby.
In 2008, his junior year, Lavarnway was the Ivy League's leader in home runs (13), RBIs (42), walks (29), slugging percentage (.824), and on-base percentage (.541). He also batted .398. He missed the last 11 games of the year after breaking the scaphoid bone in his left wrist while diving into home plate in April. Even though he missed some playing time, Lavarnway set the Ivy League record with 33 home runs during his time at Yale. Lavarnway was a semi-finalist for the Johnny Bench Award and the Golden Spikes Award, in addition to being named Second-Team All-Ivy. In 120 total games for Yale, he had a .384 batting average, 33 home runs, and 122 RBIs.
In 2012, Craig Breslow (also Jewish) and Lavarnway became the first Yale players to be Major League teammates since 1949, and the first All-Yale battery in the major leagues since 1883. Lavarnway left the university 11 credits short of graduating, and wants to return to Yale to finish his philosophy degree.
Career.
Boston Red Sox.
2008–09.
Lavarnway was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 6th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft. He signed for a $325,000 signing bonus, though he vowed to later study the extra year he needed to complete his degree. Once projected to be drafted higher, his status had fallen after he broke his left wrist in April 2008, causing him to more strongly consider remaining at Yale for his senior year. He played his first professional baseball for the Lowell Spinners of the Class A short season New York-Penn League, batting .211 with two home runs and nine RBIs in 22 games.
In 2009, Lavarnway played for the Greenville Drive in the Class A South Atlantic League, with whom he started using a bigger bat. He hit 21 home runs (a team all-time record) and posted a .540 slugging percentage; in both these categories, he led all Red Sox minor league players. Additionally, he recorded 36 doubles (a team record), a league-leading 59 extra-base hits, and 87 RBIs (second in the league) in 404 at bats.
2010.
Lavarnway split 2010 between the Salem Red Sox of the Class A+ Carolina League, and the Portland Sea Dogs of the Class AA Eastern League, combining for 22 home runs (second among Red Sox minor leaguers; his 14 homers in his Carolina League stint led the league), 102 RBIs (first in the Red Sox system, and 11th among all minor leaguers), and a .489 slugging percentage (tops among Red Sox minor leaguers) in 462 at bats. He was a Carolina League Player of the Week (April 19), Mid-Season All Star, and Post-Season All Star. In the Eastern League, he won Player of the Week honors for the week ending August 30. He was leading the league in homers, RBIs, and runs at the time of his promotion. For 2010, he was named the Red Sox co-Minor League Offensive Player of the Year, along with first baseman Anthony Rizzo. He also threw out 33% of attempted base-stealers and was rated as the top Red Sox catching prospect by "Baseball America". After the regular season ended, Lavarnway also played for the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League (AFL). He was named an "AFL Rising Star" in November.
2011.
Lavarnway started the 2011 season with Portland before getting promoted to the Pawtucket Red Sox in the Class AAA International League on June 13. At Pawtucket, he batted third in the lineup. With Portland, he hit 14 home runs with a .510 slugging percentage in 208 at bats, and with Pawtucket he hit 18 home runs with a .612 slugging percentage in 227 at bats. That was good for a combined total of 30 home runs (tied for fourth-most in the minors) and 93 RBIs in 435 at bats.
Lavarnway was voted the International League Player of the Week for the week ending July 25 and received Topps Minor League Player of the Month honors for July. "Baseball America" named Lavarnway the best power prospect in the International League, and the Red Sox organization named him a co-winner of their Offensive Player of the Year award. Defensively, through mid-August he had made only one error behind the plate. "Baseball America" named him the catcher on its 2011 Minor League All-Star Team, and MLB.com ranked him the No. 93 prospect in Major League Baseball.
In 2011, former major leaguer Ken Ryan compared Lavarnway to Mike Lieberthal, whose offensive ability was far ahead of his catching ability when he first made it to the major leagues, but who over time established himself as a defensive catcher as well. On August 18, Lavarnway was called up to the Red Sox. He filled the roster spot of Kevin Youkilis, who went on the disabled list. The next day, August 19, he collected his first career hit, a single off of Jeff Francis of the Kansas City Royals.
On September 27, with both Jason Varitek and Jarrod Saltalamacchia injured, Lavarnway started for the Red Sox and hit his first two major league home runs, recording four RBIs in a key 8–7 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Lavarnway became the third player in major league baseball history to hit two home runs in his first start at catcher, joining Bobby Pfeil (1971) and J. P. Arencibia (2010). In 17 games for Boston in 2011, Lavarnway batted .231 with nine hits, two home runs, and eight RBI.
2012.

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