Fifteen Former Indians Highlight 2025 MLB Division Series Rosters
IL Indianapolis Indians

Fifteen Former Indians Highlight 2025 MLB Division Series Rosters

Published on October 3, 2025 under International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


INDIANAPOLIS - Four best-of-three Wild Card series kicked off the 2025 Major League Baseball Postseason this week, with 21 former Indianapolis Indians scattered across 11 of the 12 clubs that clinched a playoff berth. Now, with the Division Series set to begin tomorrow, 15 former Indians continue their quest for a World Series ring in October.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Toronto Blue Jays (94-68, No. 1 seed)

Player(s): LHP Justin Bruihl (2024), C Tyler Heineman (2023), LHP Eric Lauer (2024)

Bruihl, 28, owns a career 4.72 ERA (47er/89.2ip) in 94 major league games (two starts) between Los Angeles (NL), Colorado, Pittsburgh and Toronto. In 2021, he appeared in three games of the NLCS with the Dodgers and logged 2.0 shutout innings with five strikeouts as they fell to Atlanta in the series. He made his way through Pittsburgh in 2024, appearing in seven games with six earned runs allowed in 5.2 innings. He also made 18 appearances with Indianapolis down the stretch, logging a 3.93 ERA (8er/18.1ip) with 23 strikeouts. He was signed as a non-drafted free agent by Los Angeles (NL) out of California Polytechnic State (San Luis Obispo) University on July 15, 2017.

Heineman, 34, has appeared in 176 total games for five major league clubs in his career - Miami, San Francisco, Toronto, Pittsburgh and Boston - with a .240 batting average (98-for-409). In 2025, Heineman posted the best season of his career as the Blue Jays backup catcher with an MLB career-high .289 batting average, 64 games, 43 hits, 25 runs, 12 extra-base hits and 20 RBI. He was claimed on waivers by Pittsburgh from Toronto in May 2022 and played 55 games with the Pirates across two seasons. The backstop logged six career games with Indy in 2023, posting a hit in five of six and collecting six RBI. Heineman was selected by Houston as the first pick in the eighth round (249th overall) of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of University of California Los Angeles.

Lauer, 30, returned to the majors in 2025 and posted a career-best 3.18 ERA (37er/104.2ip) and 1.11 WHIP after spending the 2024 season in the Korea Baseball Organization. Lauer brings playoff experience to the Blue Jays, winning the 2024 Korean Series with the Kia Tigers and starting Game 4 of the 2021 NLDS with Milwaukee at Atlanta. Lauer was signed by Pittsburgh as a minor league free agent in March 2024 and made eight appearances (six starts) with Indianapolis, logging a 5.52 ERA (18er/29.1ip) and 37 strikeouts. He has been a steady hand in the majors, logging 100.0-plus innings and 100-plus strikeouts in five of his six full MLB seasons. Lauer was drafted by San Diego in the first round (25th overall) of the 2016 First-Year Player draft out of Kent State (Portage County, Ohio) University.

Coach(es): First Base Coach Mark Budzinski (2003)

Seattle Mariners (90-72, No. 2 seed)

Coach(es): Manager Dan Wilson (1993)

New York Yankees (94-68, No. 4 seed - Defeated Boston, 2-1, in the Wild Card series)

Player(s): RHP David Bednar (2022, 2025)

Bednar, 30, was traded to New York (AL) from Pittsburgh on July 31, 2025, in exchange for catcher Rafael Flores, catcher Edgleen Perez and outfielder Brian Sanchez. He made his postseason debut in Game 1 of the Wild Card round vs. Boston and appeared in all three games of the Yankees series win over the Red Sox. In total, he allowed one run across 2.2 innings and blanked Boston in the ninth inning of Game 3 to seal the Yankees advancement to the ALDS. Bednar made 22 regular season appearances for the Yankees following the trade with a 4-0 record, 2.19 ERA (6er/24.2ip), 35 strikeouts, a .159 batting average against and went 10-for-13 in save opportunities. The two-time MLB All-Star (2022-23) and 2023 NL saves leader (39) spent the past five seasons with Pittsburgh, appearing in 276 games for the club with a 3.01 ERA (92er/275.1ip) and 335 strikeouts. His 101 saves with the Pirates are sixth in franchise history. He made two brief stints with Indianapolis in 2022 and 2025, allowing one run in eight total games (8.0ip). Bednar debuted for San Diego in 2019 and was dealt from the Padres to Pittsburgh on Jan. 19, 2021, as part of a three-team trade that sent left-hander Omar Cruz, right-hander Drake Fellows, outfielder Hudson Head and catcher Endy Rodríguez to the Pirates, right-hander Joe Musgrove to the Padres and southpaw Joey Lucchesi to New York (NL). The right-hander was originally selected by San Diego in the 35th round (1,044th overall) of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Lafayette (Easton, Pa.) College.

Coach(es): Manager Aaron Boone (1997-99)

Detroit Tigers (87-75, No. 6 seed - Defeated Cleveland, 2-1, in the Wild Card Series)

Coach(es): First Base Coach Anthony Iapoce (2000)

The Boston Red Sox (89-73, No. 5 seed - Lost to New York, 2-1, in the Wild Card series) featured former Indian LHP Justin Wilson (2011-12) on their postseason roster.

The Cleveland Guardians (88-74, No. 3 seed - Lost to Detroit, 2-1, in the Wild Card Series) did not have any former Indianapolis Indians on their coaching staff and postseason roster.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Milwaukee Brewers (97-65, No. 1 seed)

Player(s): RHP Nick Mears (2021-22), RHP Quinn Priester (2022-24), RHP Rob Zastryzny (2023)

Mears, 28, appears in his second consecutive postseason with Milwaukee after tossing 2.1 perfect innings across two appearances in last season's Wild Card round against New York (NL). He began his professional career with Pittsburgh when he was signed as a non-drafted free agent on Aug. 22, 2018, out of Sacramento (Calif.) Community College. He made his major league debut on Aug. 8, 2020 and appeared in 36 career games with the Pirates from 2020-22, logging a 4.75 ERA (16er/30.1ip) with 32 strikeouts before going onto stints with Colorado and Milwaukee. Mears pitched in 40 games with the Indians from 2021-22 with a 4.98 ERA (24er/43.1ip) and 52 strikeouts.

Priester, 25, was selected by Pittsburgh in the first round (18th overall) of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Cary-Grove (Ill.) High School and is set to make his MLB Postseason debut this week vs. his former hometown team. The right-hander had a breakout season with Milwaukee in 2025, posting a 13-3 record in 29 games (24 starts), 3.32 ERA (58er/157.1ip) and 132 strikeouts. He pitched with Indianapolis from 2022-24 and went 13-6 with a 3.81 ERA (64er/151.0ip), 1.27 WHIP and 162 strikeouts. Priester made his debut with Pittsburgh on July 17, 2023, vs. Cleveland and appeared in 20 games (14 starts) with the club from 2023-24, posting a 5-9 record and 6.46 ERA (68er/94.2ip). Following his time with Pittsburgh, he appeared with Boston before landing in Milwaukee.

Zastryzny, 33, was effective out of the bullpen in his seventh major league season, logging a 2.45 ERA (6er/22.0ip) in 26 games (one start). He owns a career 3.84 ERA (38er/89.0ip) in 80 career games between Chicago (NL), New York (NL), Los Angeles (AL), Pittsburgh and Milwaukee. He spent one season with Pittsburgh in 2023, logging a 4.79 ERA (11er/20.2ip) in 21 games (one start). He also made 15 appearances (one start) for Indianapolis in that campaign, posting a 4.41 ERA (8er/16.1ip). The southpaw does not have any postseason experience but represented Canada in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He was selected by Chicago (NL) in the second round (41st overall) of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Missouri (Columbia, Mo.).

Coach(es): Infield Coach Matt Erickson (2004)

Philadelphia Phillies (96-66, No. 2 seed)

Player(s): LHP Tim Mayza (2025)

Mayza, 33, was signed by Pittsburgh as a free agent on Feb. 3, 2025, and allowed three runs in 9.1 innings across seven appearances before landing on the injured list. He appeared in two games with Indianapolis this season on a major league rehab assignment before being released by Pittsburgh and claimed on waivers by Philadelphia on Aug. 31. He made eight appearances for the Phillies down the stretch, allowing four runs in 7.1 innings. Mayza had his contract first selected by Toronto on Aug. 14, 2017, and has pitched in 382 major league games to the tune of a 3.87 ERA (137er/318.1ip) since. Mayza's best big-league season came in 2023 with Toronto, in which he made 69 appearances and ranked sixth among major league pitchers with at least 50.0 innings pitched in ERA (1.52, 9er/53.1ip). He has appeared for Toronto, New York (AL), Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in his eight-year MLB career, including postseason appearances with the Blue Jays (2022-23) and Yankees (2024). Mayza was selected by Toronto in the 12th round (355th overall) of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Millersville (Pa.) University.

Los Angeles Dodgers (93-69, No. 3 seed - Defeated Cincinnati, 2-0, in the Wild Card Series)

Player(s): RHP Tyler Glasnow (2015-17)

Glasnow, 32, is in his second season with Los Angeles (NL) and pitched to a 3.19 ERA (32er/90.1ip) across 18 starts with the club in 2025. His season was shortened by shoulder troubles, as he was placed on the 15-day injured list on April 28 and later transferred to the 60-day injured list on May 31. Glasnow returned to the Dodgers on July 9 and made 13 starts down the stretch of the 2025 campaign. He was an All-Star in 2024 and has 10 career postseason starts with the Rays (2019-20, 2022-23), going 2-6 with a 5.72 ERA (29er/45.2ip) and 61 strikeouts in those games. In three seasons with Pittsburgh before being traded to Tampa Bay, he posted a 3-11 record, 5.79 ERA (91er/141.1ip) with 152 strikeouts. Glasnow was utterly dominant in his three seasons with Indianapolis, going 19-6 with a 1.95 ERA (53er/245.0ip), 321 strikeouts, 1.11 WHIP and a .183 batting average against in 43 starts. Among all Indy starters since at least 2005 with 40-plus starts, he leads the club in ERA, strikeouts, WHIP, opponent average and OPS. He entered the playoffs twice with Indy (2015, 2017) and made three total starts, allowing six earned runs in 17.2 innings with 22 strikeouts. Glasnow was selected by Pittsburgh in the fifth round (152nd overall) of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of William S. Hart (Newhall, Calif.) High School.

Chicago Cubs (92-70, No. 4 seed - Defeated San Diego, 2-1, in the Wild Card Series)

Player(s): RHP Jameson Taillon (2013, 2016, 2017)

Taillon, 33, made 23 starts for the Cubs in 2025 with a 11-7 record, 3.68 ERA (53er/129.2ip) and career-bests in WHIP (1.06) and batting average against (.225). He has appeared in three career postseason games with the Yankees (2022) and Cubs (2025), including 4.0 shutout frames in Game 3 of the Cubs' Wild Card series victory over the Padres. Taillon was a mainstay in the Pirates rotation for four seasons from 2016-2019, logging a 29-24 record, 3.67 ERA (190er/466.0ip) and 419 strikeouts. Taillon was stellar in 18 career starts with Indianapolis, posting a 2.87 ERA (35er/109.2ip), 1.01 WHIP and .213 batting average against. He made one career postseason start with the Indians, tossing 5.0 scoreless innings on Sept. 6, 2013, vs. Durham in the Governors' Cup Semifinals. Taillon was selected second overall by Pittsburgh in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft out of The Woodlands High School (Texas).

The San Diego Padres (90-72, No. 5 seed - Lost to Chicago, 2-1, in the Wild Card Series) featured former Indians outfielder Bryce Johnson (2025) and Indians manager Brian Esposito (2018-21, current Padres bench coach) on their postseason roster.

The Cincinnati Reds (83-79, No. 6 seed - Lost to Los Angeles, 2-0, in the Wild Card Series) featured former Indians Miguel Andújar (2023), Ke'Bryan Hayes (2019, 2021, 2023) and Brad Mills (1984, current Reds bench coach) on their postseason roster.

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International League Stories from October 3, 2025


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