Justin Maxwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Justin Maxwell |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Maxwell with the San Francisco Giants
|
|||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: November 6, 1983 Olney, Maryland, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: September 5, 2007, for the Washington Nationals | |||
| KBO: July 19, 2016, for the Lotte Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| MLB: August 31, 2015, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| KBO: August 17, 2016, for the Lotte Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .220 | ||
| Home runs | 41 | ||
| Runs batted in | 133 | ||
| KBO statistics | |||
| Batting average | .288 | ||
| Home runs | 4 | ||
| Runs batted in | 16 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
Justin Adam Maxwell (born November 6, 1983) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for teams like the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros. He also played in the KBO League for the Lotte Giants in South Korea.
Contents
About Justin Maxwell
Early Life and College Baseball
Justin Maxwell's dad, Austin Maxwell, was a US Navy dentist. He even worked as the "presidential dentist" for Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Justin's mom was also a Navy officer.
Justin grew up in Maryland and South Carolina. He also lived in Japan for four years because of his dad's Navy job.
After high school, Justin was picked by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2001 baseball draft. But he decided to go to college instead, attending the University of Maryland. He played college baseball there.
He was drafted again in 2004 by the Texas Rangers. He turned that down too. Finally, in 2005, the Washington Nationals drafted him. This time, he signed and started his professional career.
Starting His Professional Career
Justin began playing in the minor leagues in 2006. In 2007, he played for two minor league teams. He had a great year, hitting .281 with 27 home runs and 83 RBI. He was the only minor league player that year to have at least 25 doubles, 25 home runs, and 25 stolen bases.
Because of his strong performance, the Nationals called Justin up to the major leagues in September 2007. He made his first MLB appearance on September 5. Six days later, he hit his first career grand slam! It was a pinch-hit grand slam against the Florida Marlins.
In 2008, Justin played in Double-A but missed most of the season. He fractured his wrist while trying to catch a fly ball.
Big Moments with the Nationals
Justin spent most of the 2009 season in Triple-A. He was called back up to the Nationals later that year. On September 30, 2009, he hit a special "walk-off" grand slam. This means his home run won the game for his team in the very last inning. It was against the New York Mets.
In 2010, Justin continued to split his time between Triple-A and the Nationals. On September 15, he hit another grand slam against the Atlanta Braves. This was his third grand slam in only four chances with the bases loaded! After the season, he had Tommy John surgery on his elbow.
Playing for Other Teams
Houston Astros
In 2011, Justin was traded to the New York Yankees. He played in Triple-A but had another injury, a torn shoulder. In 2012, the Houston Astros picked him up. He had a good year, leading the team with 18 home runs. He batted .229 and had 53 RBIs.
Kansas City Royals
Justin was traded to the Kansas City Royals in July 2013. He hit another walk-off grand slam on September 22, 2013, this time against the Texas Rangers. He played for the Royals until June 2014.
San Francisco Giants
In 2015, Justin joined the San Francisco Giants. He played well during spring training, which helped him earn a spot on the team. He played for the Giants until September 2015.
Playing in South Korea
After his time in MLB, Justin signed with the Lotte Giants in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in South Korea. He played there for part of the 2016 season.
Life After Playing Baseball
Becoming a Broadcaster
After his playing career, Justin started a new role. From 2019, he began working as a baseball broadcaster. He has been a studio analyst for the Nats Xtra shows, which cover Washington Nationals games. He also fills in as a game analyst for MASN.
Becoming a Dentist
Following in his father's footsteps, Justin went back to school. He enrolled at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry in 2019. He graduated in 2022 as a Doctor of Dental Surgery. As of 2025, he has his own dental practice called Major League Smiles in Ellicott City, Maryland.
Personal Life
Justin Maxwell is married and has three children.
See also
- Houston Astros award winners and league leaders
