Jonah Heim

Jonah Nathan Heim (born June 27, 1995) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Oakland Athletics. Born in Buffalo, New York, Heim attended Amherst Central High School, where the cold weather limited how often he played outdoors. The Baltimore Orioles selected him in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB Draft, and he took several years to develop his offensive abilities in the Orioles' farm system. Heim was traded twice in the minor leagues, first to the Tampa Bay Rays and then to Oakland, where he made his MLB debut in 2020. The following year, the Athletics traded Heim to Texas, where he became the Rangers' starting catcher and went on to represent the team at the 2023 MLB All-Star Game. Early life Jonah Nathan Heim was born June 27, 1995, in Buffalo, New York. A childhood fan of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB), Heim's favorite players were catchers like Jorge Posada and Russell Martin, and he grew up watching the Buffalo Bisons, the Toronto Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate, play at Sahlen Field. Heim began playing baseball when he was two years old, and around the age of 12, he took up switch hitting, telling his father, "hitting from the right side is boring". Heim attended Kenmore East High School for one year before his parents moved out of the school district, requiring him to transfer to Amherst Central High School. The harsh climate in Buffalo meant that Heim could only play 20 outdoor baseball games in a season, and the team's stadium lacked an outfield wall, so home runs landed in nearby backyards or soccer fields. After batting .470 and picking off 12 baserunners during his junior year of high school, Heim was invited to play in several national exhibition games, where he caught the attention of professional scouts and college recruiters. Amherst retired Heim's No. 6 jersey shortly after his 2013 graduation.