Marek Minařík

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 8", Weight 176-234 lb.

• Born June 28, 1993 in Louny Czech Republic

Minors BR page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Marek Minařík of the Czech Republic signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in May 2010. The scout was Rick Jacques. In the 2009 World Youth Championship, he had allowed 6 runs (3 earned) on 5 hits and 4 walks in 4 innings while fanning 5. He participated in the MLB European Academy in 2010. He was 0-1 with a 2.76 ERA as the clear Czech ace in the 2010 World Junior Championship (though the tournament site listed him as Marek Miabrik), including holding the Netherlands to one run in six. He made his pro debut in 2011, appearing in 2 games for the GCL Phillies and gave up 2 earned runs over 3 innings. He spent most of the year on the DL with a right forearm strain. In 2012, he was 1-0 with a 2.65 ERA in 13 games for the GCL Phillies.

He appeared four times for the Czechs in the 2012 European Championship, each time in one-run games, getting the decision three of the four times. In his opener, he entered against defending Bronze Medalist Germany with a 3-2 deficit in the 8th, replacing Jan Blažek. He tossed two shutout innings while his team tied it, but allowed two runs in the 10th to lose it, a sacrifice fly by Ludwig Glaser the winning hit. In his next outing, he got the upset win over defending Silver Medalist the Netherlands. Relieving Michal Sobotka with two on, none out and a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 9th, he got Danny Rombley to hit into a double play but an error by Martin Schneider on a Nick Urbanus grounder let the Netherlands tie it. After the Czechs scored 3 runs in the top of the 10th, he fanned Mike Duursma then Jan Řeháček and Jan Homolka finished off the game. He was called on to defend a 2-1 lead over Spain in the 7th, relieving Blažek, but gave up a 2-run double to Jesús Golindano and walked the first two batters in the 8th; they both wound up scoring after Homolka relieved, as Spain won, 6-5. In his last outing, the Czechs beat Sweden, 6-5, with Marek getting the win in relief of Homolka; he struck out 3 and allowed one hit and one walk in two shutout innings to end the game.

In the 2013 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers, he pitched one game and did not fare well against Great Britain. He replaced Alex Sogard to open the 7th with a 7-2 deficit. He struck out Steven Bumbry but B.J. Hubbert homered, Chris Berset walked and Sam Wiley singled. He got Aeden McQueary-Ennis to fly out but Matt Roxburgh singled in one run and a wild pitch scored another. Richard Klijn fanned to end it. He made his Extraliga debut in 2013, going 5-0 with a 2.91 ERA for Kotlarka Prague. He held opponents to a .158/.324/.247 batting line with 23 hits but 30 walks in 43 1/3 IP. Had he qualified, he would have been 6th in the league in ERA.

He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates for 2014 and split time between the Bristol Pirates (0-2, 5.51 in 5 G) and Jamestown Jammers (1-4, 4.86 in 10 G). He was roughed up in the 2014 European Championship, giving up 11 hits and 8 runs in 5 2/3 IP for the highest Czech ERA, over a point higher than Jan Novák. Most of the damage was done in a loss to the eventual champion Netherlands, a far cry from his 2012 turn against them. In 2015, he was 2-6 with a 6.32 ERA for Bristol, tying for second in the Appalachian League in losses.

He was on the Czech team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers in March 2016 but did not get used in a game.