Ryan Cole Lavarnway (Hebrew: ריאן לווארנוויי; born August 7, 1987) is an American-Israeli former professional baseball catcher.

He was called up to the major leagues by the Red Sox in August 2011, making headlines in September when he hit two home runs in his first start as a catcher.

Lavarnway received international honors in 2017, getting named Pool A MVP after playing for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

In November 2019, he obtained Israeli citizenship, hoping to play for Team Israel in baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

[2][3][4][5] Born to a Jewish mother and a Catholic father, Lavarnway celebrated Chanukah growing up but never had a Bar Mitzvah.

[6][8] At El Camino Real High School, Lavarnway caught at first but later played outfield for the "Conquistadors" baseball team as a senior.

[5] Following the college season, Lavarnway played for the Manchester Silkworms in the New England Collegiate Baseball League in the summer of 2007, batting .313 for the team.

[5][13] He missed the last 11 games of the year after breaking the scaphoid bone in his left wrist while diving into home plate in April.

[17] Lavarnway left the university 11 credits short of graduating, and wants to return to Yale to finish his philosophy degree.

[19][11] Once projected to be drafted higher, his status had fallen after he broke his left wrist in April 2008, causing him to more strongly consider remaining at Yale for his senior year.

[20] He played his first professional baseball for the Lowell Spinners of the Class A short season New York-Penn League, batting .211 with two home runs and nine RBIs in 22 games.

[22] He hit 21 home runs (a team all-time record) and posted a .540 slugging percentage; in both these categories, he led all Red Sox minor league players.

[2][21][31] Lavarnway started the 2011 season with Portland before getting promoted to the Pawtucket Red Sox in the Class AAA International League on June 13.

[37] On September 27, with both Jason Varitek and Jarrod Saltalamacchia injured, Lavarnway started for the Red Sox and hit his first two major league home runs, recording four RBIs in a key 8–7 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

[38] Lavarnway became the third player in major league baseball history to hit two home runs in his first start at catcher, joining Bobby Pfeil (1971) and J. P. Arencibia (2010).

[42] On September 14, he had four RBIs, including a three-run home run against Aaron Laffey, as the Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 8–5.

[52][53] He had surgery to remove the hamate bone from his left wrist at the Cleveland Clinic on June 4 and began a rehab assignment with Portland on July 21.

Manager Buck Showalter said, "I just don't think Ryan's swing and the things that he's capable of doing are conducive to playing once a week," and indicated that he hoped Lavarnway would accept a Norfolk roster position.

[71] Playing for the Triple-A Gwinnett Braves, in 49 plate appearances he recorded a .268 batting average/.388 on-base percentage/.463 slugging percentage with two home runs and eight RBIs.

[74][75] On July 11, his home run against Jorge de la Rosa accounted for half of Atlanta's scoring in a 3–2 loss to the Colorado Rockies.

[2] Invited to spring training with the Braves in 2016, Lavarnway failed to make the team and played for Gwinnett, batting .276 with no home runs and 10 RBIs in 25 games.

[78] On May 27, 2016, Lavarnway signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and was assigned to the Double–A New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

[81] On November 21, 2016, Lavarnway signed a minor league contract with the Oakland Athletics that included an invitation to spring training.

[89] Lavarnway began the 2018 season playing for the Indianapolis Indians of the Class AAA International League, for whom he was a mid-season All Star.

[99] On December 18, 2019, Lavarnway signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins with an invitation to spring training.

[118] Lavarnway was the starting catcher for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic in the main tournament, in March 2017.

[119][120] After # 41-ranked Israel defeated # 3-ranked South Korea and # 4-ranked Taiwan, Lavarnay noted: "two generations ago, the way that this team was put together would have meant that we were being killed...It means a lot more than that we're here.

"[123] In November 2019, Lavarnway obtained Israeli citizenship, hoping to play for Team Israel in baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

He played under manager Ian Kinsler, and alongside All Star outfielder Joc Pederson and pitcher Dean Kremer, among others.

[127][128] Lavarnway played catcher for Team Israel in the 2023 European Baseball Championship in September 2023 in the Czech Republic.