In MLB history, only 62 total players have been born in Germany, with 42 of them being position players.
When considering the list of players who grew up in Germany, it’s even smaller: current Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler and former Cincinnati Reds outfielder Donald Lutz, who was born in New York but raised in Germany.
Former Los Angeles Dodgers Minor Leaguer Markus Solbach, who recently signed with the Detroit Tigers, is looking to join both lists after being born and growing up in Pulheim, Germany.
If Solbach makes his MLB debut, he would become the first pitcher raised in Germany to pitch in a Major League game in history, which adds to the pressure of performing at the highest level but also fulfilling a life-long goal, via Lisa Johnson of Beyond the Bricks:
“I would be the first German-born and raised player to pitch in the Major Leagues, so it is kind of a big deal,” Solbach said. “There were a bunch of (players) born in Germany on (military) bases, but there has never been anybody who has signed out of Germany, learning baseball in Germany, to (pitch) in the big leagues, so that is a little bit of a big weight on my shoulders, but also a dream come true if that day ever happens.”
German professional baseball players have been few and far between because of Germany’s athletic system, according to Solbach. Instead of signing up for teams like in the United States, kids in Germany end up playing every sport for their city:
“We don’t have school sports,” Solbach said. “We don’t have a baseball team that is played for the school. Every city has a big sporting club and they have all sports represented. The city I lived in Pulheim, they had a baseball team, a basketball team, a soccer team, all Olympic sports and basically after school you go home do your homework and have practice for the city you live in. When I started, I was very fortunate to be honest, because now we have no more baseball in my town.”
Solbach was originally signed by the Twins as a Minor League free agent in 2011. He later signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014 where he stayed for three seasons until going to play in the Australian Baseball League after never making it above Class-A level.
In 2019, the Dodgers signed Solbach to a Minor League contract after a breakout season with the Adelaide Brite. With the Dodgers, he advanced from the Rookie Leagues to Double-A Tulsa in 2019 and then to Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2021, putting him one step away from the Majors.
During the 2021 season, Solbach threw 47.2 innings for the OKC Dodgers but struggled to an 8.12 ERA, however, his 4.33 FIP was more encouraging. He appeared in 17 games and started nine of them while striking out 7.55 hitters per nine and walking 3.40 per nine.
Solbach still has more work to do if he wants to make MLB history, but could now be in a better position as part of the Tigers organization during their rebuild.
Seiya Suzuki willing to wait through lockout
Seiya Suzuki, the top international free agent available, was posted by the Hiroshima Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball a little more than a week before the lockout began.
The 27-year-old initially had 30 days to join a team, but the work stoppage put a pause on his window to sign. Whenever that timeframe starts again, he will have roughly three weeks to reach an agreement or else return to Hiroshima for the 2022 season.
With MLB and the Players’ Association at significant odds, there’s no telling when a new collective bargaining agreement will be in place. It could come after the NPB begins Spring Training, which would present a dilemma for Suzuki.
Despite that, he is committed to joining an MLB club this offseason and is willing to wait for the lockout to end.
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