From Israel to South County, Nadav Machlin Continues to Shine

By Jackson Lynch

Nadav Machlin (Metro South County Braves, Paris JC) did not grow up playing 50-game seasons, traveling to showcases or playing in front of American college coaches.

Growing up in Israel, one of his biggest challenges to developing as a baseball player was simply finding enough games to play.

This summer, the player who once lacked consistent game experience became one of the toughest outs in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League.

Machlin hit .372 in 24 games with the Metro South County Braves, ranking third in the league. He reached base more than half the time, posting a .505 on-base percentage that placed him third in the Ripken Sr. League, while adding a 1.005 OPS and 10 doubles, the second-most in the league. His standout summer earned him selection as a 2026 Ripken Sr. League All-Star.

Those numbers are the product of a journey that has been anything but ordinary. Machlin grew up playing baseball in Israel, balanced military service with training, struggled during his first summer in the United States and eventually found his stride at Paris Junior College before bringing that success to the Braves.

Ask Machlin what has fueled his breakout summer and his answer is simple.

“I’m just trying to relax at the plate and trust my approach,” Machlin said. “I trust that I can still hit with two strikes or when I’m behind in the count. I just stick to my two-strike approach, shorten up, put the ball in play and let good things happen.”

Along with posting an elite batting average and on-base percentage, Machlin has driven in 18 runs, scored 23 and stolen four bases for a Metro South County team that currently sits second in the South Division and is fighting for a play-in round bye.

His path to that success began nearly 6,000 miles away.

Machlin is from Herut, Israel and attended Dror High School. He developed through the Lev Hasharon baseball program before earning spots on Israel’s national teams starting at age 13.

“Baseball in Israel is really small,” Machlin said. “But I got the opportunity to start playing for the national team when I was around 13.”

Machlin played for Israel’s 14U and 18U national teams before advancing to the country’s U23 and senior national teams.

In 2023, he helped Israel win the PONY Palomino European Zone championship in Stuttgart, Germany, qualifying the country for its first Palomino World Series appearance in Texas. Machlin started the championship game on the mound. He held the host Stuttgart Reds scoreless through four innings while striking out six, helping Israel to an 8-2 victory.

Later that year, Machlin made his senior national team debut at just 18 years old during the European Baseball Championship, where he shared the field with current and former Major League players on Team Israel.

Throughout his journey, representing Israel has remained one of the most meaningful parts of Machlin’s baseball career.

“Playing for your country is much different than playing for a normal team, especially Israel,” Machlin said. “Every time I hear the national anthem before a game, I get chills. It means something different to play for Israel.”

Representing Israel brought Machlin’s Ripken Sr. League season to an early end. After playing his final game with the Braves on Sunday in Alexandria, Machlin returned to Israel on Monday to begin training camp ahead of the U23 European Championships in Spain. Israel opens pool play against Croatia, Slovakia and Türkiye.

This is not Machlin’s first experience balancing competing interests and obligations. Before Machlin could pursue college baseball in the United States, he also had to complete two years of service in the Israel Defense Forces.

Machlin received elite-athlete status, allowing him to spend part of each day completing his military responsibilities and the rest training as a baseball player.

“It’s a tough routine,” Machlin said. “You wake up in the morning, put on your uniform, go to the base and do whatever they need you to do. Then you switch into your baseball uniform in the afternoon and train with the national team. It’s a hard routine, but it’s also a great routine and a great opportunity.”

While still serving in the military and before arriving at Paris JC, Machlin received military leave to play for the Boca Raton Beach Boys of the South Florida Collegiate Baseball League during the summer of 2024.

The adjustment wasn’t easy.

Machlin finished the summer with seven hits in 55 at-bats, batting .127. Less than two years later, he’s coming off a .350 freshman season at Paris JC and has developed into one of the CRSCBL’s top hitters.

The biggest difference, Machlin said, was experience.

“In Israel, you don’t get to play many baseball games,” Machlin said. “You practice a lot, but you don’t get to play much. Two years ago, I still hadn’t really played a full season.”

Israel gave Machlin the opportunity to learn the game and compete internationally, but Paris JC in Texas gave him something he couldn’t find back home: regular game experience against live competition.

“When I got to JUCO in Texas, I finally got to play a lot of games,” Machlin said. “I tried to face as much live pitching and play as many games as possible. I think that made the biggest difference in my performance.”

After his summer in Florida, Machlin received another chance to develop when Israel Baseball selected him for approximately two months of training in the Dominican Republic in late 2024.

Machlin spent the first month training at Campo Las Palmas, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ academy in the Dominican Republic. He lived alongside signed professional prospects before moving to the JD Ozuna Academy in La Vigía, where he focused on his swing and hitting mechanics.

He even took batting practice alongside major league slugger Marcell Ozuna.

What stood out most to Machlin was the country’s passion for baseball and the way coaches developed infielders.

“The Dominican Republic is a great place to develop,” Machlin said. “They teach fielding the Dominican way, and I really liked it. I think it helped me a lot.”

Training in the Dominican Republic helped Machlin continue to improve his game, but earning a college opportunity in the United States wasn’t easy.

American coaches rarely had the chance to watch him play in Israel. His recruitment depended heavily on video and finding a program willing to take a chance on him.

“Recruiting out of Israel was tough because no one really gets to see you play,” Machlin said. “Coaches have to trust the videos and what you tell them.”

Machlin targeted junior colleges in Florida and Texas. While interest from Florida was limited, an opportunity in Texas eventually led him to Paris JC.

The decision paid off.

Machlin played 43 games during his freshman season and hit .350 with nine doubles, four home runs, 35 RBIs and 37 runs scored. He also posted a .509 on-base percentage, a .537 slugging percentage and a 1.046 OPS.

Perhaps the clearest sign of his advanced approach was his plate discipline. Machlin drew 33 walks while striking out only 10 times.

That same disciplined approach carried over to the CRSCBL, where Machlin emerged as one of the league’s best hitters while reaching base at one of the highest rates in the league.

His summer with Metro South County gave him another season of valuable game experience before returning to Israel and eventually beginning his second year at Paris.

More than anything, Machlin said the summer reinforced the importance of trusting himself through both the highs and lows of a season.

“Stay humble, go to the field every day and give everything you have,” Machlin said. “Some days it won’t work, but you have to trust that the success will come. Just trust yourself.”

Machlin’s unique path has already taken him far. This summer, it led him to the Metro South County Braves, the top of the CRSCBL’s leaderboard, and the 2026 league All-Star team.

Now another chapter is waiting. Machlin has returned to Israel to represent his country in the U23 European Championships in Spain before heading back to Paris JC. During his sophomore season, he’ll look to build on one of the best freshman years in the country and continue establishing himself as one of the top JUCO hitters in the nation.

For Machlin, the message is simple.

“Believe in yourself.”