Tim Mayza Bio
Timothy Gerard Mayza, born on January 15, 1992, is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. Over the course of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he has played for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Philadelphia Phillies. The Blue Jays selected Mayza in the 12th round of the 2013 MLB draft, and he made his MLB debut in 2017. A left-handed relief pitcher, Mayza has built a career as a dependable bullpen arm across multiple organizations.
Tim Mayza Early Life and Background
Early Life and Background
Timothy Gerard Mayza was born on January 15, 1992, in Red Hill, Pennsylvania. He grew up in the same small Montgomery County community that helped shape his early athletic identity. His parents are Jerry Mayza and Marlene Mayza, and he is the eldest of four children in the family.
The Mayza household carried a strong athletic tradition. His father, Jerry, played NCAA Division III basketball at Allentown College, and his sister Deanna later played basketball at the University of Hartford. That family background gave Mayza an early appreciation for competitive sports and a clear path toward organized athletics from a young age.
Path to Baseball
Mayza attended Upper Perkiomen High School in Red Hill, Pennsylvania, where he lettered in baseball, basketball, and soccer. As a sophomore, he threw a no-hitter, an early sign of his pitching potential. In his final high school season, Mayza posted a 5–3 win–loss record, a 2.73 earned run average (ERA), and 53 strikeouts across 51 innings pitched, drawing attention from college recruiters.
After high school, Mayza enrolled at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, where he played college baseball for the Millersville Marauders. In the summer of 2012, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League, one of the most respected amateur leagues in the country. In his final season at Millersville, Mayza went 11–3 with a 1.55 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 98⅔ innings, a performance that put him on professional scouting radars.
Tim Mayza Career
Early Career (2013–2016)
The Toronto Blue Jays selected Mayza in the 12th round of the 2013 MLB draft and signed him to a $100,000 bonus. He was assigned to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Blue Jays and made 13 total appearances in his first professional season, posting a 1–4 record with a 7.76 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 29 innings. Mayza split 2014 between Bluefield and the Low-A Vancouver Canadians, continuing his development in the Blue Jays’ minor league system.
Mayza spent the entire 2015 season with the Single-A Lansing Lugnuts, going 3–2 with a 3.07 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 55⅔ innings. In 2016, he advanced to High-A Dunedin and was promoted in June to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, finishing the year with a 2.25 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 64 innings over 42 appearances. His consistent climb through the system earned him an invitation to Major League spring training in January 2017.
Toronto Blue Jays Breakthrough (2017–2019)
Mayza began the 2017 season with Double-A New Hampshire before earning a promotion to Triple-A Buffalo, where he posted a 0.93 ERA in 11 relief outings. On August 14, 2017, he was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his MLB debut on August 15, pitching a scoreless ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays and recording his first strikeout against Peter Bourjos. On September 12, Mayza earned his first MLB win when he pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth before the Blue Jays walked off the Baltimore Orioles 3–2.
In 2018, Mayza split time between Buffalo and Toronto, appearing in 37 games for the Blue Jays and going 2–0 with a 3.28 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 35⅔ innings. The 2019 season brought both a career high and a career setback. On September 13, 2019, Mayza threw a pitch behind Didi Gregorius of the New York Yankees and immediately crumpled to the ground in pain. The next day, the Blue Jays announced he had torn his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and would undergo Tommy John surgery, ending his season. Mayza was outrighted off the roster in November 2019 and spent all of 2020 recovering.
Return to Toronto (2021–2023)
Mayza returned from surgery in 2021 and was selected to the 40-man roster on April 1. That season, he recorded a 3.40 ERA and 57 strikeouts across 61 appearances for Toronto, re-establishing himself as a reliable left-handed option. In 2022, Mayza went 8–1 with a 3.14 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 48⅔ innings across 63 appearances, a strong bounce-back year. That season, on September 28, Mayza surrendered Aaron Judge’s 61st home run, which tied the American League single-season record.
On January 13, 2023, Mayza signed a one-year, $2.1 million contract with the Blue Jays to avoid salary arbitration. He turned in one of his best seasons, compiling a 1.52 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 53⅓ innings across 69 appearances. Mayza began the 2024 season in Toronto’s bullpen but struggled to an 8.03 ERA in 24⅔ innings, and on June 29, 2024, he was designated for assignment. The Blue Jays released him on July 5.
New York Yankees Era (2024)
On July 10, 2024, Mayza signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees and reported to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, where he posted a 2.16 ERA with eight strikeouts. On August 16, the Yankees selected his contract and added him to the active roster. In 15 appearances for New York, he recorded a 4.00 ERA with 12 strikeouts over 18 innings. The Yankees non-tendered Mayza on November 22, making him a free agent.
Pittsburgh Pirates Era (2025)
On February 3, 2025, Mayza signed a one-year, $1.15 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He made seven appearances for Pittsburgh and posted a 2.89 ERA with eight strikeouts across 9⅓ innings before a lat strain and teres major injury on April 23 shut him down for six weeks. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list the following day, and on August 30, Mayza was placed on release waivers.
Philadelphia Phillies Era (2025–Present)
On August 31, 2025, the Philadelphia Phillies claimed Mayza off waivers. In eight appearances for Philadelphia, he recorded a 4.91 ERA with seven strikeouts across 7⅓ innings. On January 22, 2026, Mayza re-signed with the Phillies organization on a minor league contract, and on March 22, the Phillies signed him to a major league contract, bringing him back to the active roster.
Notable Events and Milestones
Mayza’s career has been defined by a mix of resilience and notable moments. He made his MLB debut on August 15, 2017, with a scoreless inning against the Tampa Bay Rays, and later that year earned his first MLB win against the Baltimore Orioles. On September 28, 2022, he was on the mound when Aaron Judge hit his 61st home run, tying the American League single-season record, a moment that placed Mayza in the MLB history books. Most dramatically, in 2019 he suffered a torn UCL that required Tommy John surgery, only to return stronger and post a career-best 1.52 ERA in 2023.
Tim Mayza Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Mayza is the eldest of four children born to Jerry Mayza and Marlene Mayza. The family has a deep athletic tradition: his father played NCAA Division III basketball at Allentown College, and his sister Deanna played basketball at the University of Hartford. That sports-oriented upbringing helped shape Mayza’s competitive drive from an early age. Public details about Mayza’s personal relationships, spouse, or children are not widely confirmed in available sources.
2025 Season Performance
Mayza’s 2025 campaign was a study in persistence through adversity. After signing a one-year, $1.15 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he posted a 2.89 ERA with eight strikeouts in 9⅓ innings across seven appearances, an encouraging start for a team looking to stabilize its bullpen. On April 23, however, a lat strain and teres major injury cut his season short, and he was transferred to the 60-day injured list the next day, sidelining him for an extended stretch.
After being placed on release waivers on August 30, Mayza was claimed by the Philadelphia Phillies the following day, giving him a fresh start in a contending bullpen. In eight appearances for Philadelphia, he recorded a 4.91 ERA with seven strikeouts across 7⅓ innings, working to find consistency down the stretch. The 2025 season reflected both the physical challenges and the resilience that have come to define Mayza’s journeyman career.
