MIAMI, Fla. – One day after earning a call up to the Major Leagues, Union All-American Jake Fishman '18 made his big-league debut on Sunday for the Miami Marlins, tossing 3.1 innings of one-run, four-hit ball against the National League East-leading New York Mets at LoanDepot Park.

The game marked a whirlwind 48 hours for Fishman, who was sent to Miami on Friday as part of the team's taxi squad.

"My AAA manager called me and a teammate into his office on Friday and told me that we were going to Miami and could be called up," Fishman recalled. "I got there the next day and a few hours before the game, [Marlins manager Don] Mattingly called me into his office, shook my hand and told me that I was being activated."
 
After Marlins starter Pablo Lopez got into trouble early and his pitch count started to rise, Fishman began to warm up in the Miami bullpen. He entered the game in the bottom of the third inning with two runners on and two outs, inducing a fielder's choice grounder from Francisco Lindor to end the frame.

"Running out of the bullpen was surreal," Fishman added. "When I stepped onto the mound, Mattingly said the same thing that every manager I've ever had has said - what the situation was and to go get 'em. That gave me some comfort to try and treat it like a normal situation."

Fishman worked around two singles in the fourth inning before the Mets scraped together one run in the fifth; however, he remained in the game and produced a double-play grounder to end the sixth inning and finish his day. The lefty tossed 49 pitches (33 strikes) over his outing, which was his longest of the season at any level.

VIDEO: Jake Fishman Makes MLB Debut (MLB.com)

According to Baseball Reference, Fishman is the first Union College alumnus to play in the Major Leagues since Bill Cunningham finished a three-year career with the Washington Senators in 1912. He is the fifth Union player in history to reach the highest level of professional baseball, joining Cunningham (1910-12), Seth Sigsby (1893), Jim McCauley (1885), Frank Mountain (1880-1882).

"From the first day I got to campus, playing in the Major Leagues was definitely a goal of mine," Fishman said. "As my career progressed through Union and I pitched in the summer leagues alongside Division I players, it gave me confidence that I could be drafted. It's such a long progression through the minors; there are some days where you think it will never happen and other days you feel like could play every day. But I just try and take things day-by-day."

Before his call up, Fishman was 4-0 with a 1.87 earned run average and 43 strikeouts in 43.1 innings for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (AAA) in 2022, and in two seasons with Jacksonville is 9-1 with a 2.89 ERA in 99.2 innings over 59 appearances. He also pitched for Team Israel in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, tossing 6.1 innings over three outings.

READ MORE: Fishman Goes Home, Reflects on Journey to Big Leagues (Times Union)
 
Fishman was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 30th round of the 2016 MLB Draft, forgoing his senior season to begin his professional career. The lefthander quickly rose through the ranks of the Blue Jay organization to reach the AAA level in 2018. He was selected by the Miami Marlins with the 12th pick of the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft in December 2020 and has been at the AAA level with Jacksonville for the last two years.
 
Fishman reached the professional level following a stellar three-year career with the Dutchmen. As a junior, he was named a D3baseball.com first-team All-American after posting a 7-0 record and leading Division III with a 0.41 earned run average. An All-Region selection in all three seasons by both D3baseball.com and the American Baseball Coaches Association, he was named the Liberty League Player and Pitcher of the Year in his final season and finished his career 18-2 with a 1.36 ERA and 177 strikeouts in 171.2 innings. In addition to being Union's all-time leader in ERA, wins, strikeouts (177) and opponent's batting average (.211), he also excelled at the plate for the Dutchmen, ranking third in batting average (.410), fourth in on-base percentage (.477) and eighth in hits (143) at the school.

"I am so proud to see Jake have this outing," said Union head coach Paul Mound. "Jake has always been a hard worker dedicated to his craft, and all of us at Union Baseball are proud of his accomplishment in making his major league debut."
 
Off the field, Fishman was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and a Dean's List student at Union. After leaving the school in 2016 to play professionally, Fishman continued his studies and graduated from Union in 2018 with a degree in managerial economics.