Dean Junior Kremer (; born January 7, 1996) is an Israeli–American professional baseball pitcher for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Baltimore Orioles. In 2015, he became the first Israeli drafted by an MLB team. He made his MLB debut in 2020.
In international competition, Kremer pitched for the Team USA baseball team in the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel, winning a gold medal. The following two years he pitched for Israel in the qualifying for the European Baseball Championship, and won the Most Valuable Pitcher award in both 2014 and 2015. He also pitched in September 2016 in the qualifier for Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
Kremer pitched for San Joaquin Delta College in his freshman year in 2014, and was named a Third Team All-American. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 38th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft, becoming the first Israeli to ever be selected in the MLB draft, but chose not to sign. He was drafted again, this time by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 14th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, and did sign. He threw a fastball in the range that sometimes reached , a slider, a curveball, and a splitter. He pitched for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. The Dodgers traded him to the Orioles at the 2018 trade deadline. In 2018, Kremer led all minor league pitchers in strikeouts. He made his MLB debut in September 2020, becoming the first Israeli citizen to pitch in the major leagues. Kremer pitched for Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic in Miami and again in 2026.
Early life Kremer was born and raised in Stockton, California, and is Jewish."Dean Kremer Stats, Highlights, Bio,", MiLB.com StatsAllon Sinai, "Kremer first Israeli to be picked in MLB draft," The Jerusalem Post, June 12, 2015 He had his bar mitzvah in Israel.Stuart M. Katz, "Dean Kremer: 18-year-old ace with Israeli roots,", Jewish Baseball News,, September 29, 2014 Discussing the decision by Jewish Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax to not pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because the game fell on Yom Kippur, Kremer said: "I would do the same."Harold Uhlman, "After making history Dean Kremer makes Loons debut; Young right-hander becomes first Israeli citizen to sign with MLB team," Think Blue LA, August 14, 2016
Kremer lives in Israel for two months of every year, and has dual Israeli-American citizenship.Todd Dewey, "UNLV pitcher Dean Kremer brings MLB history into home-opening series," Las Vegas Review-Journal, February 25, 2016 His parents Adi and Sigal Kremer are Israeli, and after they completed their service in the Israel Defense Forces they came together to the United States. His father played college tennis at the University of the Pacific, which he attended on a tennis scholarship.Hillel Kuttler, "Special meaning: Dodgers prospect, Israeli citizen, can't wait to represent Israel in WBC," Jewish Baseball Museum, September 19, 2016 Kremer is fluent in Hebrew and the family speaks Hebrew at home.
He has two younger brothers, Ron (who is in the Israeli Army) and Niv."Dean Kremer Bio," UNLVRebels.com"האיגוד הישראלי לבייסבול – Hear it from the Players: Kremer and Lipetz," Israel Association of Baseball, September 22, 2016 Kremer's grandparents live in Israel, in Tel Aviv and in Rishon LeZion, and all of his extended family other than his parents and youngest brother live in Israel.Aron Heller (July 22, 2015). "Pitcher Dean Kremer hopes to give baseball a boost in sports-mad Israel", The Globe and Mail. His great-uncle is American-Israeli businessman and philanthropist Haim Saban.
Amateur career Kremer started playing baseball in Little League at the age of five.
Kremer attended Lincoln High School in Stockton, California, and graduated in 2013. There, he played baseball for two seasons as a right fielder and pitcher, and was twice named Second Team All-League."Dean Kremer #16," San Joaquin Delta College Athletics – Baseball"Trojan Sports: Spring Preview – Baseball" The Link, February 2013 As a senior, on the mound for a significant amount for the first time, he was 6–2 with a 2.35 ERA, and 37 strikeouts in 41.2 innings."Dean Kremer's (Stockton, CA) Baseball Stats," MaxPrepsJoel Keller, "How a skinny kid blossomed into a MLB prospect; Pitcher Dean Kremer is the first Israeli to be drafted by a major league team" From the Grapevine, August 18, 2015
In 2013–14, Kremer attended San Joaquin Delta College for his freshman year of college as a Business major, playing for the Mustangs, and becoming a full-time pitcher. He also followed the college's weight and conditioning program, and the formerly skinny pitcher gained approximately , bringing him to over his weight when he graduated high school.Todd Dewey, "UNLV pitcher Dean Kremer brings MLB history into home-opening series," Las Vegas Review-Journal, February 26, 2016 Kremer was 13–1 with a 2.00 ERA in 112.2 innings pitched, with 90 strikeouts. He was named the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association's Pitcher of the Week for the week ending April 5, 2015, and a 2015 Third Team All-American."Player Bio – #6 – Dean Kremer" , Delta College"NORCAL Players of the Week!", California Community College Baseball Coaches Association, April 7, 2015
Kremer transferred for 2014–15 to the University of Las Vegas (UNLV) on a baseball scholarship for his sophomore year. He was a starting pitcher for the Rebels and went 4–5 with a 4.92 ERA.Aron Heller, "Israel's first major league pitcher hopes to put his country on the baseball map," Haaretz, July 22, 2015.Robert Gluck, Israeli trailblazer "Dean Kremer brings Jewish values to nascent pro baseball career," JNS, July 20, 2016. At the time, he threw a fastball in the low-90s.
Professional career In June 2015, at 19 years of age, Kremer became the first Israeli to ever be selected in the Major League Baseball draft, when he was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 38th round of the 2015 draft."Dean Kremer Becomes First Israeli Citizen Picked in MLB Draft, by San Diego Padres; Stockton, California teen, whose parents were born and raised in Israel, is among 15 Jewish players drafted this year,", Haaretz, June 18, 2015 He had been projected to go much higher in the draft, but for the fact that he had already committed to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and told interested MLB teams that he intended to attend the school for a year. He chose to honor his commitment and play college baseball for the UNLV Rebels, which left three years on his eligibility at the time, with the plan of playing professionally after college."Rebels Sign Nine For 2015–16," UNLV Rebels, November 20, 2014"First Ever Israeli Dean Kremer Drafted By The San Diego Padres" , OS News, June 11, 2015
Los Angeles Dodgers (2016–2018) Minor leagues In the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, Kremer was selected in the 14th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers, 431st overall. He signed with the Dodgers for a signing bonus of $147,500."Dean Kremer Makes History As First Israeli To Sign An Mlb Contract," bliister.comRoss Olson, "Dodgers Rumors: Signing Bonus Details For 2016 Draft Picks Will Smith, D.J. Peters And Others," Dodger Blue, June 21, 2016 At the time, he threw a fastball in the 90–93 mph range that sometimes reached -, a slider, a curveball, and a splitter.
Kremer made his professional debut on July 3, 2016, for the Ogden Raptors of the Rookie Pioneer League. On August 11, he was promoted to the Great Lakes Loons of the Class A Midwest League. Kremer finished his first professional regular season between the two teams with a 2–1 record and a 2.27 ERA, as in innings he struck out 35 batters, while giving up 19 hits and seven walks while holding hitters to batting average. In the playoffs, Kremer pitched innings with an 0.87 ERA and six strikeouts, and recorded the final eight outs of the Loons' championship-clinching win over the Clinton LumberKings.
The Dodgers assigned Kremer to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the High-A California League for the 2017 season. There he made 33 appearances for the team (including six starts), was 1–4 with three saves and a 5.18 ERA, and struck out 96 batters in 80 innings.
Kremer returned to the Quakes for the 2018 season and was named a California League Mid-Season All-Star. Kremer was 5–3 with a 3.30 ERA with 13.0 strikeouts per 9 innings (9th in the league) in 16 starts for the Quakes before he was promoted to the Tulsa Drillers of the Texas League on July 5. In his debut for them, he pitched a three-hit shutout against the Midland RockHounds while striking out 11. He was named the Texas League Pitcher of the Week on July 8.
Baltimore Orioles (2018–2026) On July 18, 2018, the Dodgers traded Kremer, Yusniel Diaz, Rylan Bannon, Zach Pop, and Breyvic Valera to the Baltimore Orioles for Manny Machado. At the time, FanGraphs wrote of Kremer: "Throws 92–95, touches 97, above-average curveball, average change. If pitchability improves, he's a back-end starter. If not, solid relief option."Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel (July 31, 2018). "Ranking the Prospects Traded at the Deadline," FanGraphs Baseball. He was assigned to the Bowie Baysox of the Double-A Eastern League and finished the year there. In 2018 in 25 starts between Rancho Cucamonga, Tulsa, and Bowie, he was 10–5 with a 2.88 ERA, striking out 178 batters (leading the entire minor leagues) in innings pitched. He was a mid-season California League All Star.
Kremer started the 2019 season ranked as the No. 9 Orioles prospect by Baseball America. In 2019 Kremer pitched two starts for the Frederick Keys of the High-A Carolina League, 15 starts for Bowie, and four starts for the Norfolk Tides of the Triple-A International League. He was a combined 9–6 with a 3.72 ERA, as in innings he struck out 122 batters, averaging 9.7 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 0.87 HR/9, and a ground-ball rate just short of 40 percent.
Kremer played in the Arizona Fall League for the Surprise Saguaros following the 2019 season. Kremer pitched 19 innings with a 2.37 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP, giving up 13 hits and four walks, with 23 strikeouts. He was named a league All Star and was added to the Orioles' 40-man roster to protect him from being claimed in the Rule 5 draft.
Kremer pitched scoreless innings in spring training in 2020. In July 2020, he was added to the team's 60-man player pool. Kremer was ranked as Baltimore's 9th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline.
Major leagues 2020–21 On September 6, 2020, the Orioles called Kremer up to the majors. In his MLB debut, he allowed only one run and one hit while striking out seven batters (the most in an Orioles' debut in two decades) in a six-inning start, and was the winning pitcher in a 5–1 victory over the New York Yankees at Camden Yards.Trezza, Joe (September 6, 2020)."Kremer stymies Yanks, wins big league debut," MLB.com. Retrieved September 6, 2020 He became the fourth Orioles starter to throw six innings or more of one-hit ball in his debut. He was the first Israeli citizen to pitch in the major leagues, and the second (after catcher Ryan Lavarnway) to play in the majors.
Kremer made more history by becoming just the second rookie to—in each of his first three starts—throw at least five innings, with one or no runs, four or fewer hits, and at least six strikeouts; Eduardo Rodriguez of the Boston Red Sox is the other pitcher to accomplish that feat.
Kremer ended the 2020 season with a 4.82 ERA, a 1–1 record, and 22 strikeouts in 18.2 innings over 4 starts.
Kremer struggled in 2021, with a 7.55 ERA, a 0–7 record, and 47 strikeouts in 53.2 innings over 13 starts.
2022