Jon Lester facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jon Lester
Lester with the Chicago Cubs in 2016
Pitcher
Born: (1984-01-07) January 7, 1984 (age 41) Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Left
debut
June 10, 2006, for the Boston Red Sox
Last appearance
October 2, 2021, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	200–117
Earned run average	3.66
Strikeouts	2,488
Teams
Boston Red Sox (2006–2014) Oakland Athletics (2014) Chicago Cubs (2015–2020) Washington Nationals (2021) St. Louis Cardinals (2021)
Career highlights and awards
5× All-Star (2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2018) 3× World Series champion (2007, 2013, 2016) NLCS MVP (2016) NL wins leader (2018) Pitched a no-hitter on May 19, 2008

Jonathan Tyler Lester (born January 7, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for five different teams. These teams included the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals, and St. Louis Cardinals.

Jon Lester achieved amazing things in his career. Less than two years after being diagnosed with a serious illness, he won the final game of the 2007 World Series for the Red Sox. In May 2008, he pitched a special game called a no-hitter. He also helped the Red Sox win another championship in 2013. Later, he won the 2016 World Series with the Cubs. Lester started the first game of a playoff series 12 times. This was a record in baseball for a long time!

Early Life and Baseball Beginnings

Jon Lester grew up in Puyallup, Washington. He went to Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma, Washington. While playing for his school's baseball team, Lester was a star player. He was named the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times. He was also chosen for the All-Area team three times. In 2000, he was even named the Gatorade State Player of the Year for Washington.

Professional Baseball Career

Becoming a Pro Player

The Boston Red Sox chose Jon Lester in the second round of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft. He was the 57th player picked overall. The Red Sox gave him a big signing bonus of $1 million. This was the most money given to any second-round pick that year.

Lester quickly moved up through the Red Sox's minor league teams. In 2005, he had a great season for the Portland Sea Dogs. He won 11 games and lost 7. He also had the best earned run average (ERA) in his league, at 2.61. An ERA shows how many runs a pitcher gives up per game. He also led the league with 163 strikeouts. Because of his strong performance, he was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year. He was also chosen as the Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Other major league teams wanted to trade for Lester. But the Red Sox always managed to keep him. They knew he was a very promising player.

Playing for the Boston Red Sox (2006–2014)

First Season in MLB (2006)

Jon Lester made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on June 10, 2006. He joined the Boston Red Sox as a starting pitcher. In his first year, he won 7 games and lost 2. He pitched for 81 innings.

However, in August 2006, Lester had to stop playing. Doctors found that he had enlarged lymph nodes. After more tests, they confirmed that Lester had a treatable form of anaplastic large cell lymphoma. This is a type of cancer. Lester went through chemotherapy treatments during the off-season. By December 2006, doctors reported that the disease was gone. He was in remission!

Amazing Comeback (2007)

Lester before Game 4 of the 2007 World Series

After successfully treating his illness, Jon Lester returned to the Red Sox. He started playing again in the middle of the 2007 season. He began with some rehab games in the minor leagues.

Lester made his first start for the Red Sox in 2007 on July 23. He pitched well and earned the win. Later that year, in the 2007 World Series, Lester helped the Red Sox win the championship! He pitched in Game 4, which was the final game of the series. He pitched 5⅔ innings and didn't allow any runs. This win made him only the third pitcher in World Series history to win a series-clinching game in his first postseason start.

For his incredible comeback, Lester received the 2007 Tony Conigliaro Award. This award honors a player who overcomes challenges.

Pitching a No-Hitter (2008)

On May 19, 2008, Jon Lester achieved something very special. He pitched a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals. This means he pitched an entire game without any opposing player getting a hit. It was the 18th no-hitter in Red Sox history. Lester threw 130 pitches in the game. He allowed only two walks and struck out nine batters. It was also the fourth no-hitter caught by his teammate, Jason Varitek.

In 2008, Lester had a fantastic season. He won 16 games and lost 6. His ERA was 3.21. He was named the American League Pitcher of the Month twice. He also played a big part in the Red Sox winning against the Angels in the playoffs. Lester pitched 14 innings in that series without giving up any earned runs. He also received the 2008 Hutch Award. This award goes to a player who shows great fighting spirit.

Consistent Performance (2009-2012)

In March 2009, Lester signed a new contract with the Red Sox. It was for five years and $30 million. He had a strong season in 2009, winning 15 games. He also set a personal best with 12 strikeouts in one game.

In 2010, Lester continued to shine. He won his 50th career game. He was also chosen for his first American League All-Star team. He finished the season with 19 wins and 225 strikeouts. He was one of the best pitchers in baseball that year.

Lester was the opening day starter for the Red Sox in 2011 and 2012. He had another solid season in 2011, leading the team in wins and strikeouts. However, 2012 was a more challenging year for him.

The line score inside Fenway Park following Jon Lester's no-hitter, May 19, 2008

World Series Champion Again (2013)

On May 10, 2013, Lester pitched a fantastic game. He threw a complete game one-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays. This means only one opposing player got a hit in the entire game.

Lester was chosen to start Game 1 of the 2013 playoffs for the Red Sox. He pitched very well, helping the Red Sox win the game. He continued to pitch strongly throughout the playoffs. He started two games in the 2013 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. He won both of his starts, helping the Red Sox win the series in six games. This was his second World Series championship with the Red Sox!

Final Season with Red Sox (2014)

On May 3, 2014, Lester had another amazing game. He pitched eight innings and only allowed one hit. He also had a career-high 15 strikeouts in that game.

He was chosen for his third All-Star Game in July 2014. He had a great first half of the season with a 2.73 ERA.

Playing for the Oakland Athletics (2014)

On July 31, 2014, Jon Lester was traded to the Oakland Athletics. He joined some of his former teammates there. He won his first game with the Athletics on August 2. He finished the season with a 6–4 record and a 2.35 ERA for the A's.

Lester started the Wild Card playoff game for the Athletics. He pitched well, but the Athletics lost a very close game in extra innings. Overall, Lester had a strong season in 2014, with 16 wins and 11 losses.

Playing for the Chicago Cubs (2015–2020)

In December 2014, Jon Lester signed a big contract with the Chicago Cubs. It was a six-year deal worth $155 million.

First Seasons with the Cubs (2015-2016)

Lester made his first start for the Cubs on April 5, 2015. He had a bit of a slow start to his Cubs career. As a pitcher, he didn't get many hits when he batted. On July 6, 2015, he finally got his first career hit in the major leagues!

In 2016, Lester had an outstanding season. He finished second in the National League with 19 wins. He also had a great ERA of 2.44. He was a key player for the Cubs in the playoffs.

Lester pitching in 2016 World Series

Lester started Game 1 of the 2016 playoffs against the San Francisco Giants. He pitched eight innings without allowing any runs. The Cubs won that series. He also pitched well in the next playoff series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lester was named the Co-MVP of the 2016 National League Championship Series. His strong pitching helped the Cubs reach the World Series for the first time since 1945!

Lester started Game 1 of the 2016 World Series against the Cleveland Indians. He also pitched in Game 5, helping the Cubs win and extend the series. In Game 7, Lester came in to pitch in relief. The Cubs won that game, winning their first championship in 108 years! Lester was voted the postseason MVP by baseball writers.

Later Seasons with the Cubs (2017-2020)

On August 1, 2017, Lester reached another milestone. He recorded his 2,000th career strikeout. In the same game, he also hit his first career home run!

Lester at the 2018 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby

Lester was the opening day starter for the Cubs in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, he had a great record of 11 wins and 2 losses early in the season. He was named to the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. He finished the season with 18 wins and 6 losses.

The 2020 season was a challenging one for Lester. He finished with a 3–3 record. After the season, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.

Playing for the Washington Nationals (2021)

On January 27, 2021, Jon Lester signed a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals. He was the first player to wear jersey number 34 for the team since Bryce Harper left in 2019.

Playing for the St. Louis Cardinals (2021)

On July 30, 2021, Lester was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. On September 20, 2021, he earned his 200th career victory against the Milwaukee Brewers. This was a huge achievement! At that time, he was one of only three active pitchers to reach 200 wins. Lester played 12 games for the Cardinals, winning 4 and losing 1.

On January 12, 2022, Jon Lester announced that he was retiring from baseball. When he retired, he was the last active player from the 2007 Boston Red Sox World Series team.

Understanding the "Yips"

Jon Lester had a well-known challenge in his career called the "yips". This is when an athlete has trouble performing a routine skill. For Lester, it was throwing the ball to first base. This is usually an easy throw for a professional pitcher. In 2015, people noticed he hadn't tried to pick off a runner at first base in over a year. He sometimes made wild throws when he did try. To get around this, Lester sometimes bounced his throws to first base.

Jon Lester's Life Off the Field

Lester with his sons at the 2016 Home Run Derby

On January 9, 2009, Jon Lester married Farrah Stone Johnson. They met in 2007. Together, they have two sons and one daughter. During the baseball season, they lived in Chicago. In the off-season, they live in Atlanta, Georgia. Lester also owns a large piece of land in Georgia.

Jon and Farrah Lester started a charity called NVRQT (short for "Never Quit") in 2011. This organization helps children with cancer and supports research to find a cure.

In his free time, Lester enjoys hunting. He is also a fan of fine wines. When the Chicago Cubs wanted him to join their team, they even sent him special wines and camouflage Cubs shirts!

See also