| Justin Foscue | |
| Team: | Texas Rangers |
| Number: | 56 |
| Position: | Second baseman / First baseman |
| Birth Date: | 2 March 1999 |
| Birth Place: | Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | April 5 |
| Debutyear: | 2024 |
| Debutteam: | Texas Rangers |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Statyear: | July 24, 2024 |
| Stat1label: | Batting average |
| Stat1value: | .133 |
| Stat2label: | Home runs |
| Stat2value: | 0 |
| Stat3label: | Runs batted in |
| Stat3value: | 1 |
| Teams: |
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Justin Connor Foscue (born March 2, 1999) is an American professional baseball second baseman and first baseman for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was selected 14th overall by the Rangers in the 2020 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut on April 5, 2024.
Foscue attended Virgil I. Grissom High School in Huntsville, Alabama, where he played baseball.[1] In 2017, his senior year, he hit .318 with six home runs,[2] earning All-State honors.[3] Undrafted in the 2017 Major League Baseball draft, he fulfilled his commitment to play college baseball at Mississippi State University.[4]
In 2018, Foscue's freshman season for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Foscue appeared in 58 games, batting .241 with three home runs and twenty runs batted in (RBIs).[5] As a sophomore in 2019, he moved from third base to second base[6] and slashed .331/.395/.564 with 14 home runs, sixty RBIs, and 22 doubles over 67 starts.[7] [8] [9] He earned All-SEC First-Team honors.[10] That summer, he played for the United States collegiate national team.[11] [12] [13] In 2020, Foscue's junior year, he hit .302 with two home runs and 16 RBIs over 16 games before the college baseball season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14]
The Texas Rangers selected Foscue in the first round, with the 14th overall selection, of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft.[15] He signed with the Rangers on June 19 for a $3.25 million signing bonus.[16] He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Minor League Baseball season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[17]
To begin the 2021 season, Foscue was assigned to the Hickory Crawdads of the High-A East.[18] He missed the whole month of June and the beginning of July after suffering a rib injury.[19] He received a cortisone injection and rehabbed with the Arizona Complex League Rangers before returning to Hickory on July 10.[20] From July 9 (his last rehab appearance) to July 23 (with Hickory), Foscue homered in eight consecutive games, tying the Major League Baseball record.[21] In early August, he was promoted to the Frisco RoughRiders of the Double-A Central.[22] Over 62 games for the 2021 season, Foscue slashed .275/.371/.590 with 17 home runs and 51 RBIs.[23] He played in the Arizona Fall League for the Surprise Saguaros after the season, hitting .257/.416/.529/.944 with five home runs and 14 RBIs.[24] [25] He opened the 2022 season with Frisco on the injured list with a back injury.[26] Over 101 games with Frisco, he slashed .288/.367/.483 with 15 home runs, 81 RBIs, and 31 doubles.[27]
Foscue spent the 2023 season with the Round Rock Express of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, hitting .266/.394/.468/.862 with 18 home runs, 14 stolen bases, and 84 RBI.[28] On November 14, 2023, Texas added Foscue to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.[29]
Foscue was optioned to Triple–A Round Rock to begin the 2024 season.[30] On April 2, 2024, Foscue was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[31] He made his debut on April 5, and collected his first hit on April 7.[32] [33] However, Foscue was placed on the injured list on April 8 with an oblique strain.[34] He was transferred to the 60–day injured list on April 13.[35] Foscue was activated from the injured list on June 26 and stayed in the minors.[36] Foscue got called up for the second time in his career on July 20.[37] He played that day and recorded a hit and a run.