Josh James (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Josh James |
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James with the Houston Astros
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| Free agent | |||
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: March 8, 1993 Hollywood, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 1, 2018, for the Houston Astros | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2021 season) |
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| Win–loss record | 8–1 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.64 | ||
| Strikeouts | 158 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Joshua James, born on March 8, 1993, is an American professional baseball pitcher. He used to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros. Josh is known for his super-fast fastball, which can reach 102 miles per hour! He played college baseball before being drafted by the Astros in 2014.
Early Life and College Baseball
Joshua Edward James was born in Hollywood, Florida. His dad, Ivan, is from Puerto Rico. His mom, Tricia, was born in St. Thomas. Josh spent some of his childhood in the U.S. Virgin Islands with his sister, Joy.
High School Sports
Josh went to South Broward High School in Hollywood, Florida. He played baseball for three years there. At first, he mostly played as an infielder. He did not start pitching until he was 16 years old. One of his teammates, Jose Marmolejos, also became a Major League Baseball player. Besides baseball, Josh also played basketball, golf, and track in high school. He even played tennis for a short time.
College Journey
Josh started college at Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. His coaches there wanted him to focus only on pitching. He pitched only a few innings in 2012. After his first year, Josh decided to move to another college. He wanted more playing time and a scholarship.
He transferred to Western Oklahoma State College in Altus, Oklahoma. At this college, Josh tried to go back to playing as an infielder. But his coaches told him he would be more successful as a pitcher. He did not play in 2013. In 2014, he returned as a starting pitcher. He had a 3.21 ERA and struck out 56 batters.
Professional Baseball Career
Houston Astros
Starting in the Minor Leagues
The Houston Astros picked Josh James in the 34th round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft. He was the 1,006th player chosen overall. Josh started his professional career in 2014 with the Greeneville Astros. He pitched well, with a 2.72 ERA.
In 2015, he played for the Quad Cities River Bandits. He won 7 games and had a 2.63 ERA. He moved up to the Lancaster JetHawks in 2016. In 2017, he played for the Corpus Christi Hooks.
Fastball Speed Boost
In 2018, Josh started with the Corpus Christi Hooks. Later, he moved up to the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies. That year, his fastball speed increased a lot. He said this happened after he found out he had sleep apnea. His roommate had often complained about his loud snoring.
Josh started using a special machine called a CPAP machine. He felt more rested each morning. This helped his fastball speed go from 94-95 miles per hour to 100 miles per hour! He was named the Astros' Minor League Pitcher of the Year for 2018.
Major League Debut
Josh James joined the Major Leagues on September 1, 2018. He was the lowest-drafted pitcher in Astros history to start a game. In 2018, he had a great start with the Astros. He won 2 games and had a 2.35 ERA. He struck out 29 batters in 23 innings.
He was on the team's roster for the American League Division Series. In the 2018 American League Championship Series, he pitched well. In Game 4 of the 2018 ALCS, Josh threw his fastest fastball ever. It was 102.4 miles per hour! He struck out Rafael Devers with that pitch.
Moving to the Bullpen
In 2019, Josh changed from being a starting pitcher to pitching from the bullpen. This means he came into games later to help finish them. On September 3, 2019, he got his first career save. A save is when a pitcher finishes a close game without letting the other team score.
He finished the 2019 season with 5 wins and a 4.70 ERA. He struck out 100 batters in 61.1 innings. Josh was also part of the Astros teams that played in the ALDS, ALCS, and World Series. He earned a win in Game 3 of the World Series. This made him one of only 10 Astros pitchers to win a World Series game.
Injuries and Recovery
In 2020, Josh started the season as a starting pitcher. But he soon moved back to the bullpen. He had some hip discomfort and was placed on the injured list. He also had to go on the COVID-19 injured list. He finished the year with 1 win and a 7.27 ERA.
In October 2020, Josh had surgery on his left hip. He also received a special injection in his right elbow. He spent a long time recovering from these injuries. In 2021, he played some games in the minor leagues to get back in shape. He also pitched in 5 Major League innings.
In 2022, Josh signed a new contract with the Astros. He started the season in Triple-A with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. He got his first save of the year for them. Later, he had another injury, a right lat strain. He worked hard to recover again. In October 2022, he had surgery on his right flexor tendon. The Astros did not offer him a new contract in November 2022, making him a free agent.
Other Teams
St. Louis Cardinals
On January 26, 2024, Josh signed a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. He played in 9 games for their Triple-A team, the Memphis Redbirds. He was released by the Cardinals in May 2024.
Long Island Ducks
On May 21, 2024, Josh joined the Long Island Ducks. This team is part of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He played in 23 games for the Ducks. He was released by the Ducks in August 2024.
Staten Island FerryHawks
On August 6, 2024, Josh signed with the Staten Island FerryHawks, another team in the Atlantic League. He pitched in 17 games for them. He recorded a 3.78 ERA and 1 save. After the season, Josh became a free agent again.
Personal Life
Josh James has many tattoos. He has a partial sleeve on his left arm. On his right forearm, he has a Bible verse: "Thy Word Is a Lamp Unto My Feet and Light Unto My Path." Other tattoos honor his family roots in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He also has the date of his Major League debut (9.1.18) tattooed on his arm.
Josh is a big fan of the Miami Heat basketball team and has their logo tattooed. He also has a tattoo of the Florida Marlins logo. Even though he has the Marlins logo, he grew up a fan of the New York Yankees. His favorite players were Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.
In the offseason, Josh lives in Southwest Florida with his wife, Gabrielle. They started dating in 2013 when they were both in college. They got married in January 2022. They have four children: Noah, Sophia, Avery, and Jace.
