Max Lazar
Max Brandon Lazar (born June 3, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 11th round of the 2017 MLB draft and made his MLB debut in 2024 with the Phillies. Known for an over-the-top delivery and deceptive extension down the mound, Lazar has built his career as a strike-throwing reliever with a sharp curveball and a bat-missing changeup.
Early Life and Background
Max Brandon Lazar played two years of baseball at Coral Springs High School in Coral Springs, Florida, graduating in 2017. As a high school pitcher, he was 15–4 with a 0.81 ERA, recording 186 strikeouts and only 15 walks while allowing 78 hits across 121 and two-thirds innings. That combination of volume and control marked him as one of the more polished amateur arms in his draft class.
Rather than honor a college baseball scholarship from Florida Atlantic University, Lazar signed with the Milwaukee Brewers after being selected in the 2017 MLB draft. His path into professional baseball came with a signing bonus of $425,000, an early signal that organizations viewed his unique mechanics as a legitimate foundation for a future major league career.
Path to Professional Baseball
Lazar began his professional career with the Rookie-level Arizona League Brewers in 2017, working 13 and two-thirds innings in which he struck out 14 batters while issuing only one walk. In 2018 he moved up to the Helena Brewers of the Pioneer League, going 3–3 with a 4.37 ERA in 14 starts, pitching 68 innings and striking out 55 hitters. The workload helped him adjust to a full professional season.
Promoted to the Single-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers to begin 2019, Lazar posted a 7–3 record with one save and a 2.39 ERA over 19 appearances, striking out 109 batters in 79 innings. His 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings led the league, and his control was equally strong, earning him Low-A All-Star recognition from Baseball America. Those numbers established him as one of the more intriguing arms in the Brewers system.
Max Lazar Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
Across his first three professional seasons, Lazar climbed from the Arizona League to High-A, splitting time as a starter and reliever. His 2019 work in Wisconsin was the high-water mark of that stretch, leading his league in strikeout rate while limiting walks. The performance suggested that his unorthodox delivery and low arm slot could translate against more advanced hitters.
After the canceled 2020 minor league season, Lazar underwent Tommy John surgery early in 2021 and missed the entire year while recovering. The injury briefly stalled his timetable, but evaluators continued to highlight his extension, deception, and strike-throwing ability as traits that could play in a major league bullpen.
Milwaukee Brewers System (2017–2023)
Lazar returned to action in 2022 after 951 days without pitching in a game, splitting the year between the High-A Timber Rattlers, the ACL Brewers, and the Single-A Carolina Mudcats. He finished the season with a combined 3.83 ERA across 15 appearances. That winter he pitched for the Brisbane Bandits of the Australian Baseball League, going 4–3 with a 3.72 ERA in 10 starts and striking out 52 batters in 46 innings.
In 2023, now working exclusively as a reliever, Lazar opened the year back in Wisconsin before being promoted to the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers of the Southern League on June 30. Across both levels he posted a 3.26 ERA in 33 outings, recording three holds and three saves while striking out 73 batters in 69 innings. He elected free agency on November 6, ending his Brewers tenure.
Philadelphia Phillies Era (2024–Present)
On December 8, 2023, Lazar signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He opened 2024 with the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils, where he allowed no earned runs or walks while striking out 18 batters in 10 and one-third innings across eight appearances. A promotion to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs followed, and he was named Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Month for June after not allowing an earned run in 11 appearances while posting a 0.49 WHIP. Before his MLB call-up, he had a 1.79 ERA with 13 saves in 15 opportunities across Reading and Lehigh Valley.
Lazar was added to the Phillies’ 40-man roster on August 9, 2024, and made his MLB debut the next day against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He retired all four batters he faced using a mix of curveballs, cutters, and a four-seam fastball that reached 95.5 mph, including a strikeout of Joc Pederson. In 11 appearances during his rookie campaign he posted a 4.61 ERA with nine strikeouts in 13 and two-thirds innings.
Driving Style and Strengths
Lazar sits in the 86–89 mph range with his fastball but compensates with an over-the-top arm slot and nearly seven-and-a-half feet of extension toward the plate. That combination produces a flat approach angle that flatters his velocity and makes his curveball and changeup difficult to pick up. His career-long control profile, pairing low walk rates with high strikeout totals, has made him a natural fit for a multi-inning relief role.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key moments include his 2019 Low-A All-Star selection, his return from Tommy John surgery, and his first MLB appearance on August 10, 2024, in which he retired every batter he faced. He also earned his first MLB save on May 24, 2025, in an extra-innings win over the Athletics, and his first career victory on July 21, 2025, against the Boston Red Sox.
Max Lazar Career Wins and Performances
Across his professional career, Lazar has produced consistent strikeout totals and walk rates at every level he has reached. His most decorated minor league stretch came in 2019 with Wisconsin, and his 2024 work between Reading and Lehigh Valley established him as one of the Phillies’ most reliable relief prospects.
Minor League Highlights
Lazar was named a Low-A All-Star by Baseball America following the 2019 season and was recognized as Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Month in June 2024. He has posted ERA marks below 2.50 in multiple seasons, including a 2.39 ERA at Wisconsin in 2019 and a 1.79 ERA across Reading and Lehigh Valley in 2024. His 13 saves in 15 opportunities in 2024 underscore a growing late-innings role.
MLB Debut and Rookie Year
Lazar debuted with the Phillies on August 10, 2024, retiring all four batters he faced against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He appeared in 11 games during his rookie season, recording a 4.61 ERA with nine strikeouts in 13 and two-thirds innings. In 2025 he notched his first major league save against the Athletics and his first career win against the Red Sox.
Max Lazar Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Lazar’s family is limited beyond his baseball lineage. His development as a pitcher at Coral Springs High School suggests an upbringing that supported his athletic pursuits, though specific family details have not been widely published.
Personal Life
Max Brandon Lazar is Jewish, a background that has been noted in published profiles during his professional career. Information about his spouse, children, and residence outside of baseball has not been publicly confirmed.
2025 Season Performance
Lazar began the 2025 season optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley before being recalled to the Phillies on May 19. He quickly delivered a milestone moment on May 24, earning his first MLB save in an extra-innings win over the Athletics. The early returns showed the same control profile he had demonstrated in the minors, including a low walk rate and reliable strike-throwing under pressure.
By July 21, 2025, Lazar had recorded his first career victory after tossing a scoreless inning of relief in an extra-innings win against the Boston Red Sox. His role with the Phillies continued to expand as the season progressed, reflecting the organization’s confidence in his curveball-heavy arsenal and his comfort in late-inning situations. Working within Philadelphia’s bullpen structure, he provided length and reliability in middle and setup frames.
Looking ahead through the rest of the 2025 campaign, Lazar’s outlook centers on translating his minor league strikeout and walk numbers into a stable major league role. With his over-the-top mechanics, sharp curveball, and track record of limiting free passes, he remains a candidate to handle high-leverage innings for Philadelphia as the season moves toward the playoffs.