Alon Leichman has made history, becoming the first Israeli head pitching coach in Major League Baseball. The Israeli former professional baseball player and veteran assistant pitching coach signed with the Colorado Rockies for the position on December 8, 2025, following the 2024–2025 season.
Leichman previously served as assistant pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds during the 2023–2024 season and most recently for the Miami Marlins in the 2024–2025 season. Leichman’s coaching staff in Colorado includes Matt Buschmann, who will serve as bullpen coach, and Gabe Ribas as the assistant pitching coach.
Leichman credited his promotion and success to Miami and acknowledged the unique challenges of Coors Field, widely regarded as the most difficult MLB ballpark for pitchers due to its high altitude. Reflecting on the opportunity, he said, “It’s been the hardest place to coach pitching in the history of Major League Baseball… It excites me to go to a place with so much upside.” This mindset demonstrates his ability to embrace challenges, as he has faced and overcome many in his career.
Leichman, now 36, was born May 29, 1989, in Kibbutz Gezer, Israel, a small community located between the two major cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Leichman’s love for baseball began on a baseball field built by his fellow kibbutz members. In his early career, Leichman primarily played pitcher, leading him to become the first Israeli to represent Israel in the MLB European Academy. From 2010–2013, Leichman played for Cypress College, where an elbow injury required Tommy John surgery, sidelining him for an extended period. This injury was a pivotal moment in Leichman’s career, forcing him to adjust his mechanics and approach on the mound. Leichman then pitched three seasons for the UC San Diego Tritons while simultaneously pursuing a history degree.
Despite having to undergo a second surgery for his earlier injury, Leichman was able to pitch through the pain and lead his team to consecutive postseason appearances. While at San Diego State, Leichman threw for 122 innings with a 3.5 ERA, striking out 85 batters with only 20 walks. During off-seasons, Leichman competed for Israel in the European Baseball Championship qualifying rounds in 2011, 2012, and 2016, for the Israeli national baseball team in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, and for the Israeli team in the World Baseball Classic.
When reflecting on what kept him committed to baseball despite the obstacles, Leichman shared: “It was always a dream of mine as a kid, and it never stopped being my dream, so I just kept going at it.” This perseverance has defined his career while navigating the untraditional path he was taking as an Israeli, where baseball isn’t a major sport.
Leichman began his coaching career in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox as a pitching coach. In 2016, Leichman was recruited by the Dodgers to coach in the instructional league, helping develop pitching prospects for the organization. In 2017, Leichman supported minor league managers and coaches as the coordinator of organizational learning for the Seattle Mariners’ player development program. Over the next few years, Leichman coached for various affiliates of the Mariners, such as the West Virginia Power, Arkansas Travelers, Tacoma Rainiers, and the Peoria Javelinas. Following his time with the Mariners, Leichman was signed as the assistant pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds from 2023–2024, and most recently served in the same role for the Miami Marlins in 2025, up until his offer from the Colorado Rockies.
When asked about his coaching philosophy and the relationship he wants to have with players as he begins to prepare for his significant role with the Rockies, Leichman said he wants to be “someone that made them comfortable to be themselves. Someone who believed in them. And someone who, hopefully along with other coaches, helped them become a better player.” This is what he hopes for Rockies pitchers to say about him when reflecting on the end of the season.
Beyond his new role with the Rockies, Leichman recognized the significance of his position for Israelis: “It means a lot to be the only Israeli in professional baseball right now. I hope that’s not the case moving forward. I hope more players get into MLB.” His historic signing represents not only a personal milestone but also an opportunity to inspire future generations of Israeli baseball players and coaches.
As Leichman begins to prepare for his significant role with the Rockies in the upcoming 2026 season, he will make history as the MLB’s first Israeli pitching coach, showcasing the importance of patience and perseverance in paving the path to success. Leichman has had a long journey getting to where he is today, starting from a makeshift baseball field on a kibbutz in Israel all the way to the Coors Field clubhouse as the Rockies’ head pitching coach. His story not only reflects a milestone in MLB history, but also serves as an inspiration for coaches and players around the world, demonstrating how hard work and dedication can bring to life even the most unlikely dreams.
Israel Daily News Q&A with Alon Leichman
You’re officially the first Israeli pitching coach in MLB history. When did that actually hit you, and what did that feel like?
It was awesome, for sure. I have to admit that receiving the news of getting to the big leagues with the Reds for my first big league opportunity was more exciting from a personal standpoint—that was more of a “I made it” type of thing. This was more “this is really cool, I’m excited,” with it being the Rockies in Denver. Everyone knows about Denver and pitching, so it’s definitely exciting to be a part of a new wave of pitching and just a new wave for the organization itself.
Take me back to early December when you got the offer. Where were you, and what was going through your head?
I was interviewing Wednesday and Thursday, and then Friday I had no contact with them because I was getting married. I got married Friday, and then Saturday morning, Schaefer, our manager, called me and said he wants me to be his pitching coach. We took it from there.
You posted on Instagram that Miami changed your life. What specifically about your time with the Marlins prepared you for this role in Colorado?
I think it was two things. One was me meeting my wife. So a lot of that was towards my wife. As far as Miami, they gave me a lot of tools that I hope to carry out here in Denver as well. They gave me the experience of pitching in the big leagues—being fortunate to have that opportunity to be the first one to ever do that in a big league game. Being trusted to do that. And they opened my mind to a lot of ways of thinking that maybe in the baseball world are a little taboo, but with the Marlins, it was very encouraged and made a lot of sense. Even in my first few days here with the Rockies, a lot of the lessons and people I met in Miami are with me here for sure.
You grew up in Kibbutz Gezer in Israel on a community-built baseball field. How did that environment shape your relationship with the game?
I grew into it, which is interesting. In Israel, there’s not much baseball—that’s an understatement. But where I grew up, it was a kibbutz that was founded by Americans, so all the kids played. As a little kid, the older kids were all playing. My older brother was playing. It was kind of a natural progression for me. I grew up with my best friends and we were all playing and all enjoying it. I’m happy and pretty fortunate.
At what point did you realize coaching might be your future, not just a backup plan?
I’d say it was always the plan, but after a long career in the big leagues, type of thing. I always said I want to be that 70-year-old guy still in the game, but hopefully after a long playing career. Once I had a lot of surgeries—I had two surgeries and needed a third surgery—the writing was pretty much on the wall. I got an opportunity to coach at a high level, so I went for it. From there, the rest is history as they say.
How has your coaching philosophy evolved as you’ve moved through different levels and teams?
My coaching career started when I was a teenager coaching 10 to 12-year-olds on the kibbutz. I was pretty tough on them, but it was kinda like the same thing as today—a lot of truth telling, no sugar coating, demanding a lot from them in my own way. A lot of credit goes to Seattle, who gave me a chance. I was with them for 6 years and they shaped the way I view modern day pitching. I had my own baseline and background but Seattle really opened my eyes to a lot of different things. I have to say that that’s the core of me as a pitching coach—a lot of it came from Seattle.
Is there one specific technique or way of teaching that’s stayed consistent across all the organizations you’ve worked with?
Yeah I think like I said, truth-telling. Telling the truth to the players. When they need to get better, they’re gonna hear it from me. I do it in my own way. If I need to be a little tougher on a guy, I’ll be tougher. If a guy needs more love, he’ll get more love. But they’re both gonna hear the truth—it’s just the way I tell them.
Coors Field is famously challenging for pitchers. What excites you about taking on this specific challenge?
It’s been the hardest place to coach pitching in the history of Major League Baseball. It’s the challenge, the people that are here, the players that are hungry for more information, and just the city of Denver. I was there for a few days for our fan fest, and it was amazing to see. Those fans are hungry for it. Last year they lost a lot of games and were still top 15 in the league in attendance. It excites me to go to a place with so much upside. I can only imagine how it’s going to be when we’re in a playoff game.
What do you want Rockies pitchers to say about you as a coach by the end of the year?
Someone that made them comfortable to be themselves. Someone who believed in them. And someone who, hopefully along with other coaches, helped them become a better player.
What does it mean to you personally to represent Israel at this level, especially for young players watching from places where baseball isn’t the norm?
It means a lot to be the only Israeli in professional baseball right now. I hope that’s not the case moving forward. I hope more players get into MLB—affiliated, whether it’s the minor leagues, big leagues, coaching, scouting, or anything like that. It would be cool one day to get on a major league baseball field and go say hello to another Israeli on another team. That would be really cool.
If you could go back and talk to the kid throwing on that makeshift baseball field at the kibbutz, what would you tell him now?
You worked hard for your dream and now you get to enjoy it.
What kept you committed to this path when it wasn’t clear or traditional in Israel, where baseball isn’t a major sport?
Tough one to answer, but It was always a dream of mine as a kid, and it never stopped being my dream, so I just kept going at it.
You had Tommy John surgeries at Cypress College. How did that injury change the way you understood pitching and your own career?
As far as my surgeries and all of that, It was definitely something I learned from and had an opportunity to help other guys go through it as well. It gives you a good perspective on what guys are going through. There’s a lot more on the mental side of things. Guys can be going great, great, great, and then one day it all stops. You could be on top of the world, and then in a second, that elbow goes. There are a lot of guys that might not come back from it. Having that experience definitely helps me relate to them. Mainly on that side of things. Understanding what they’re going through physically is also helpful. You try to learn from every experience you have.
Tell me about the group chat you created with young analysts and coaches.
I have a group chat that’s about a year old with a bunch of young up-and-coming analysts or coaches, and we just share a lot of ideas and try to get each other better. For me, it’s really cool to help the younger guys, and having someone in professional baseball who can give them some of my experience while learning from them too. For them, it’s a place where they can showcase how they think, their knowledge, and their opinions. There’s a lot of growth in the chat.
Who was your favorite team growing up?
I was a die-hard Yankee fan. My dream was never actually to be a pitcher in the big leagues—it was to replace Derek Jeter in the big leagues. Following the Yankees and waking up in the middle of the night to watch their games kind of shaped who I am a little bit. I became a baseball freak because of the Yankees. Now I get to play against them, and I have a lot of friends on the team from different stops in my career. They always have a special place in my heart.
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