Jakub Ižold

From BR Bullpen

Jakub Ižold

  • Bats Right, Throws Left
  • Height 6' 4", Weight 205 lb.

BR minors page

Biographical Information[edit]

Jakub Ižold was the top hurler for Slovakia in the 2009 European Junior Championship at 1-0, 3.46, with a win over the Ukraine. At the plate, he was 3 for 13 with four walks. In the 2011 European Championship Qualifiers, he allowed two runs in four innings for the Slovakian national team. Pitching for Draci Brno in the Czech Extraliga, he had a 1-0, 7.94 record in 2010, the year he turned 17. He allowed two runs in 6 1/3 IP for them in 2011. In the 2012 European Cup, as one of only three non-Czechs on the club (the others were American Alex Derhak and Aussie Tom Brice), he got the start against the powerful L&D Amsterdam Pirates. He was promptly shelled for eight hits and six runs in two innings before Petr Minařík relieved; Ižold took the loss. He then took part in the MLB European Academy in 2012. He was 0-1 with a 4.26 ERA for Draci Brno in the 2012 Extraliga.

In 2013, he had one save and a 1.88 ERA in seven games for Draci Brno in the Extraliga. Cincinnati Reds scout Jim Stoeckel signed him, making him the first player from his country to sign with a MLB team. He was 0-1 with a 8.04 ERA for the AZL Reds that summer; he did fan 16 in 15 2/3 IP while allowing only three walks but gave up 28 hits for a .389 average against.

He was somewhat better for the 2014 AZL Reds (6.65 ERA, no decisions in 15 G) though his strikeout rate fell (12 in 21 2/3 IP). That ended his US career. He returned to Draci Brno briefly in 2016 and again did well (1-0, Sv, 0.68). With Slovakia in the 2017 B-Level European Championship, he lost to Serhii Shtapura and Ukraine and Andrei Lobanov and Russia. He had a 3.94 ERA and fanned 14 in 16 innings and also hit .333/.385/.500; he was Slovakia's main hurler. He tied for the event lead with two doubles, was 8th in ERA, ranked 6th in opponent average, tied Yauheni Kurhun for the most innings, tied Heorhii Hvrytishvili for 3rd in Ks and tied Kiryl Kazlouski and Artur Strzalka (also the first from his country to sign with a US team) for the most losses.

Ižold again was Slovakia's workhorse in the 2019 B-Level European Championship, working 17 of their 38 innings. He beat Kurhun and Belarus in the opener and Andrea Girasole and Switzerland in their last game. He had 19 of Slovakia's 35 K; he was 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA while his teammates were at 1-2, 13.71. He was among the leaders in ERA (third behind Edvardas Matusevičius and Mateusz Szustek), opponent average (.209, 6th), innings (1st, 2 2/3 ahead of Kurhun), strikeouts (3rd, behind Eduard Pirvu and Kurhun), wins (tied for 1st with Eimantas Žičkus and Takanobu Oshima), games pitched (3, tied for 2nd with Marek Bošanský, Žičkus and Girasole, one behind Matusevičius) and starts (2, tied for first).

Sources[edit]

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