Toronto Blue Jays
2019–22
The Toronto Blue Jays selected Horwitz in the 24th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. [10] He signed for a $100,000 signing bonus. [5]
Horwitz spent his first professional season in 2019 with the Rookie League Bluefield Blue Jays and Low–A Vancouver Canadians. [11] He batted a combined .307/.368/.440 with 4 home runs and 52 RBIs. [6] He was named a 2019 Appalachian League Post-Season All-Star. [12] Horwitz did not play in 2020 due to the Minor League Baseball season being cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Horwitz returned in 2021 to play for the now High–A Vancouver Canadians and for the Double–A New Hampshire Fisher Cats. He batted a combined .294/.400/.462 with 12 home runs and 66 RBIs. [6] He had a 28-game hitting streak,breaking a 60-year-old Northwest League/High A-West League record. [3] [4] He was named the Northwest League’s 2021 Top MLB Prospect,and a Northwest League Post-Season All Star. [3] [13]
After the season,Horwitz played for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League,where he batted .375/.460/.484 in 64 at bats.He was named an Arizona Fall League Rising Star. [12] MLB.com named him Toronto's #30 prospect. [14]
Horwitz started 2022 with New Hampshire,and was named Eastern League Player of the Week on June 13. [15] He was promoted to the Triple–A Buffalo Bisons following a strong start to the season. [12] [15] Across both levels in 2022,he batted .275/.391/.452 in 403 at bats with 77 runs,12 home runs,and 51 RBIs,while playing 73 games at first base and 20 games in left field. [6]
2023
On November 15,2022,Horwitz was added to the Blue Jays' 40-man roster. He was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to begin the 2023 season. [16] Baseball America named him the Jays’#14 prospect. [17]
Following a hot start in Triple-A,Horwitz was promoted to the major leagues for the first time on June 16,2023. [18] On June 18,2023,he made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays,and collected his first MLB hit off of Texas Rangers pitcher Jon Gray. [19] He hit his first major-league home run (a solo shot) in a 7-5 win against the Colorado Rockies on September 3,2023. In 39 at bats for the Blue Jays,he hit .256/.341/.385. [6]
During his time in Triple-A,Horwitz batted .337/.450/.495 in 392 at bats. He was voted Bisons' 2023 team MVP and the International League's top defensive infielder in a Baseball America poll. [20]
2024
In January 2024,MLB Pipeline ranked Horwitz #9 on its Top 10 1B Prospects list. [21] He was optioned to Triple–A Buffalo to begin the 2024 season,where he batted .335/.456/.514 in 212 at bats. [22] [23] [24] [25] Horwitz was called up to the Blue Jays on June 6,2024,after the club designated Cavan Biggio for assignment. [26]
In 2024 for the Blue Jays,he batted .265/.357/.433 with 46 runs,12 home runs,and 40 RBIs in 328 at bats. [6] On defense,he split time between first base (41 games),second base (39 games),and designated hitter (17 games). [6] Among qualified AL rookies,Horwitz ranked first in OPS and seventh in WAR. [27]
