| Josh Walker | |
| Team: | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Birth Date: | 1 December 1994 |
| Birth Place: | Otisville, New York, U.S. |
| Bats: | Left |
| Throws: | Left |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | May 16 |
| Debutyear: | 2023 |
| Debutteam: | New York Mets |
| Statyear: | July 30, 2024 |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Stat1label: | Win–loss record |
| Stat1value: | 0–1 |
| Stat2label: | Earned run average |
| Stat2value: | 6.45 |
| Stat3label: | Strikeouts |
| Stat3value: | 23 |
| Teams: |
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Joshua Todd Walker (born December 1, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets.
Walker attended Minisink Valley High School in Slate Hill, New York, where he played football, baseball, and swam. As a senior, he had a 2.60 earned run average (ERA).[1] After high school, he played college baseball for two seasons at the University of South Florida before transferring to the University of New Haven in 2016. In 2017, his senior season at New Haven, he had a 3–1 record and a 2.40 ERA over thirty innings.[2]
After the season, Walker was selected by the New York Mets in the 37th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[3] He signed and made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Mets where he posted a 9.42 ERA over innings.[4] In 2018, he played with the Kingsport Mets of the Rookie-level Appalachian League before being promoted to the Brooklyn Cyclones of the Low-A New York–Penn League, pitching to a 3.27 ERA with 52 strikeouts over innings. Walker pitched only six innings in 2019 after being in a car accident that injured his left arm, and he did not play a game in 2020 after the minor league season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]
To begin the 2021 season, Walker was assigned to Brooklyn (now members of the High-A East) and was promoted to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies of the Double-A Northeast and the Syracuse Mets of the Triple-A East during the season.[6] [7] Over 21 games (twenty starts) between the three clubs, Walker pitched to a 9-4 record, a 3.73 ERA, and 98 strikeouts over innings.[8] He returned to Syracuse to begin the 2022 season on the injured list.[9] He made rehab appearances with the Florida Complex League Mets and the St. Lucie Mets before he was assigned to Syracuse; over 22 innings pitched for the season between the three teams, he went 3-2 with a 4.91 ERA and 38 strikeouts.[10]
Walker began the 2023 season with Syracuse, where he made nine appearances and logged a 0.68 ERA with 18 strikeouts in innings pitched. On May 16, 2023, Walker was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[11] In 14 games for the Mets, he struggled to an 8.10 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 10 innings of work. On August 14, Walker was placed on the injured list with a right oblique strain.[12] He was transferred to the 60–day injured list on August 17.[13]
Walker was optioned to Triple–A Syracuse to begin the 2024 season.[14] [15] In 10 games for the Mets, he recorded a 5.11 ERA with 11 strikeouts across innings pitched. Walker was designated for assignment following the acquisition of Ryne Stanek on July 26.[16]
On July 30, 2024, Walker was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Nicolas Carreno.[17] [18] After one appearance for the Triple–A Indianapolis Indians, the Pirates designated Walker for assignment on August 9.[19] He was released by the organization the next day.[20] Walker re-signed with the Pirates on a minor league contract on August 15.[21]