Josh Harrison facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Josh Harrison |
||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Harrison with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2020
|
||||||||||||||
| Free agent | ||||||||||||||
| Second baseman / Third baseman / Outfielder | ||||||||||||||
| Born: July 8, 1987 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| debut | ||||||||||||||
| May 31, 2011, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through 2023 season) |
||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .270 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 73 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 388 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||
Joshua Isaiah Harrison, born on July 8, 1987, is an American professional baseball player. He plays in the infield, meaning he covers positions like second base or third base. Josh has played for several Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. These include the Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies. He was also chosen twice to be an MLB All-Star, which is a big honor!
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Josh Harrison started playing tee ball when he was just three years old. Even before joining organized teams, he loved baseball. He would use a kitchen fork as a bat and a balled-up piece of paper as a ball. His older brother, Vince, would pitch the paper to him for their games.
Josh played shortstop at Princeton High School in Ohio. After high school, he went to the University of Cincinnati. There, he played college baseball for the Cincinnati Bearcats as a second baseman. In 2007, he played summer baseball for the Cotuit Kettleers. In 2008, he was named the Co-Player of the Year for the Big East Conference. He had a great batting average of .378 that year.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting with the Cubs
The Chicago Cubs picked Josh Harrison in the sixth round of the 2008 MLB draft. He was the first player from the University of Cincinnati to be drafted so early since 2001. From 2008 to 2009, Josh played for three different teams in the Cubs' minor league system.
Playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates
On July 30, 2009, the Cubs traded Josh Harrison to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He made his MLB debut with the Pirates on May 31, 2011. In that game, he got his first MLB hit! On May 18, 2012, Josh stopped Justin Verlander from throwing a no-hitter in the ninth inning.
Josh was sent to the minor leagues a few times in 2013. But he kept working hard to get back to the big leagues.
Becoming an All-Star Player
On July 6, 2014, Josh was chosen for his first All-Star Game. His teammates Andrew McCutchen and Tony Watson were also selected. At that time, Josh was hitting .298 and had played five different positions. He was listed as a utility player for the All-Star Game.
Even though he was a utility player, Josh played in 143 games in 2014. He finished the season with a .315 batting average. This was the second-best in the National League! He also hit 13 home runs and had 52 runs batted in. He even finished ninth in the voting for the NL MVP award.
Josh continued to play many positions for the Pirates. He spent most of his time at third base. In 2015, he signed a four-year contract extension with the Pirates. After the 2015 season, Josh became the Pirates' starting second baseman.
Tough Injuries and Leaving the Pirates
.jpg)
In April 2017, Josh was hit by a pitch four times in a row over two games. This was the first time a player had been hit that many times consecutively since 1974!
On August 23, 2017, Josh made history. He hit a walk-off home run in the tenth inning to break up a no-hitter. This gave the Pirates a 1–0 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Later that year, he broke a bone in his left hand and went on the disabled list.
In April 2018, Josh broke the same bone in his left hand again. This kept him out for about six weeks. After the 2018 season, the Pirates decided not to offer him a new contract, and he became a free agent.
Moving to Other Teams
Detroit Tigers
On February 23, 2019, Josh signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers. He chose to wear number 1 to honor a famous former Tigers second baseman, Lou Whitaker. Josh played in 36 games before he got a hamstring injury in May. The Tigers released him in August while he was still recovering.
Philadelphia Phillies (First Time)
Josh signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in November 2019. However, he asked to be released from the team in July 2020.
Washington Nationals
_(cropped).jpg)
On July 27, 2020, Josh signed a contract with the Washington Nationals. He played very well for them, hitting .278 with three home runs. He re-signed with the Nationals for another year in October 2020.
Oakland Athletics
On July 30, 2021, Josh was traded to the Oakland Athletics. He finished the 2021 season with a .279 batting average, 8 home runs, and 60 RBIs between the Nationals and the Athletics.
Chicago White Sox
On March 15, 2022, Josh signed a one-year contract with the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox decided not to keep him for the 2023 season.
Philadelphia Phillies (Second Time)
Josh signed with the Philadelphia Phillies again on January 30, 2023. He played in 41 games, hitting 2 home runs. On August 1, he was released by the team.
Texas Rangers
On August 15, 2023, Josh signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. He played 6 games for their Triple-A team before choosing to leave the contract on August 25.
Cincinnati Reds
On February 5, 2024, Josh signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. He did not make the main team and left the deal on March 18.
International Baseball Career
Josh Harrison was chosen to play for the United States national baseball team. He represented his country in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, which is a big international tournament.
Personal Life
Josh Harrison's uncle, John Shelby, was also a major league baseball player and coach. His brother, Vince Harrison, played minor league baseball for many years. Vince now works as a player-coach for the Pirates organization.
Since 2014, Josh has hosted a youth baseball camp in Cincinnati for kids and teens. His brother Vince also helps with this event. Josh and his wife, Brittney, have two daughters. One was born in 2014 and the other in 2017.
Images for kids
-
Josh Harrison waves to fans before a spring training game in March 2016
-
Josh Harrison with the Pirates in 2017
-
Harrison with the Washington Nationals in 2020
