Josh Lester
Joshua Benjamin Lester
- Bats Left, Throws Right
- Height 6' 3", Weight 180 lb.
- School University of Missouri
- High School Columbus (GA) High School
- Debut September 5, 2022
- Born July 17, 1994 in Columbus, GA USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Josh Lester was a member of the Columbus, GA team that won the 2006 Little League World Series. he was drafted twice, first by the Cleveland Indians in the 30th round of the 2012 amateur draft coming out of high school, and then by the Detroit Tigers in the 13th round of the 2015 amateur draft, out of the University of Missouri.
He made his major league debut with Detroit in September of 2022, going 0 for 5 in 2 games. He had been playing in their system since 2015, first reaching AAA in 2019 the year before the COVID-19 pandemic. After being forced to sit out the 2020 season, he went back to AA in 2021, playing 84 games with the Erie SeaWolves before making it back to AAA with the Toledo Mud Hens for another 25 games. His slash line that season was .263/.324/.587 in 109 games, with 22 doubles, 32 homers and 78 RBIs. In 2022, he spent the entire season with Toledo, apart from the two games in Detroit, hitting .246/.311/.479, with another good season in terms of power as he banged 39 doubles and 29 homers and drove in 99 runs. He led all AAA players in doubles, extra-base hits (70) and total bases (267) and was second in RBI. One would have thought that the hitting-starved Tigers would have given him a longer look given that resumé, but it wasn't the case. As a result, frustrated by the lack of opportunity, he signed with the Baltimore Orioles as minor league free agent following the season.
With the Orioles, Lester was joining a team chock-full of talented prospects, so it was not going to be any easier making it to the Show. He started the 2023 season back in the International League, this time with the Norfolk Tides. In his first 52 games there, he was hitting .282 with14 homers and 50 RBIs, earning him a call-up to Baltimore on June 4th. In his first game with the Birds, playing third base, he recorded his first major league hit off Anthony DeSclafani of the San Francisco Giants. It was a two-run single in the 3rd inning, part of a six-run inning, and helped to lead the Orioles to an 8-3 win.
Further Reading[edit]
- Ben Ross: "'What a cool moment': Lester's 1st MLB hit a big one for O's", mlb.com, June 4, 2023. [1]
We're Social...for Statheads
Every Sports Reference Social Media Account
Site Last Updated:
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction?
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter
Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE
Your All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database
Do you have a sports website? Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Find out more.