Ryan Lavarnway is currently catching for the Miami Marlins’ Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. He was originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the sixth round of the 2008 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft. Since making his Major League Baseball debut on August 18, 2011, Ryan has played in parts of 10 Major League Baseball seasons for eight different teams. Ryan has also been a member of the Israeli national baseball team at multiple points in his career. He first played for Team Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic and was named Pool A MVP, after going 5-for-9 with a home run, three RBIs, and four walks. He more recently rejoined Team Israel for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. During the Olympics, Ryan delivered a couple of clutch hits in the group stage, including two home runs against South Korea on July 29, 2021. He previously served as a guest lecturer for a class titled “Baseball as Philosophy” at Harvard University. In addition, he has spoken at Yale Law School, Kent State University, the Indianapolis Public School Leadership Summit, and numerous Jewish community centers and Temples across the United States.
