Joshua Michael VanMeter (born March 10, 1995) is an American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professional ...
left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...
and
infielder in the
Milwaukee Brewers organization. He previously played in MLB for the
Cincinnati Reds,
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
and
Pittsburgh Pirates.
Career
San Diego Padres
VanMeter graduated from
Norwell High School and was selected by the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
in the 5th round of the
2013 Major League Baseball draft
The 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Each team received one selection per round, going in ...
. He signed with the Padres, forgoing his commitment to play
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...
at
Illinois State University
Illinois State University (ISU) is a public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of th ...
. He spent 2013 with the
Arizona League Padres
The Arizona Complex League Padres are a Rookie-level affiliate of the San Diego Padres, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona, which is also ...
where he
slashed .278/.378/.348 with ten RBIs in 44 games. In 2014, he played for the
Fort Wayne TinCaps
The Fort Wayne TinCaps are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and play their home games at Parkview Field. They won their lone Midwest Le ...
where he batted .254 with three home runs and 39 RBIs in 116 games, and in 2015, he returned to Fort Wayne but played in only 25 games due to injury. He spent 2016 with both the
Lake Elsinore Storm
The Lake Elsinore Storm are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The Storm plays their home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond (Pete Lehr Field), which opened in 1994; the park s ...
and
San Antonio Missions and compiled a combined .251 batting average with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs in 124 total games between the two teams.
Cincinnati Reds
On December 9, 2016, VanMeter was traded to the
Cincinnati Reds as the player to be named later for
Luis Torrens. The Reds assigned him to the
Pensacola Blue Wahoos
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are based in Pensacola, Florida, and play their home games at Admiral Fetterman Field. In 2012, the team rel ...
and he spent the whole 2017 season there, batting .255/.326/.352 with five home runs, 54 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in 132 games. VanMeter spent 2018 with both Pensacola and the
Louisville Bats, slashing a combined .260/.337/.454 with 12 home runs and 59 RBIs in 128 total games between both teams. He returned to Louisville to begin 2019.
On May 5, 2019, VanMeter was promoted to the major leagues for the first time, and made his major league debut against the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
. On July 20, against the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
, he hit his first major league home run.
Arizona Diamondbacks
On August 31, 2020, VanMeter was traded alongside
Stuart Fairchild in a deal with the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
for
Archie Bradley Archie Bradley may refer to:
* Archie Bradley (baseball) (born 1992), American baseball pitcher
*Archie Bradley (boxer)
Archie Bradley (4 January 1897 – 27 March 1969) was an Australian professional boxer of the 1920s. Also known as the ...
. In 12 games with the Diamondbacks, VanMeter slashed .194/.294/.333 with 1 home run and 5 RBI.
In 2021, VanMeter batted .212/.297/.354 with 6 home runs and 36 RBIs in 112 games. He was designated for assignment on March 27, 2022.
Pittsburgh Pirates
On March 31, 2022, VanMeter was traded to the
Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Listher Sosa. On May 7, in a game against the
Cincinnati Reds, VanMeter was used as an emergency catcher for the final inning of the 9-2 loss. He was forced into action after
Roberto Pérez suffered a season-ending hamstring injury and
Andrew Knapp was given his first career ejection after arguing a check swing call. On May 22, in a blowout loss against the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
, VanMeter pitched the ninth inning for the team, allowing four hits and five runs, including a pair of home runs.
On September 6, VanMeter was designated for assignment. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple–A
Indianapolis Indians on September 10. In 67 games for Pittsburgh, batted .187 with 3 home runs and 14 RBI. VanMeter elected free agency following the season on October 6.
Milwaukee Brewers
On January 9, 2023, VanMeter signed a minor league deal with the
Milwaukee Brewers.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:VanMeter, Josh
1995 births
Living people
Arizona Complex League Brewers players
Arizona Diamondbacks players
Arizona League Padres players
Baseball players from Indiana
Cincinnati Reds players
Fort Wayne TinCaps players
Lake Elsinore Storm players
Louisville Bats players
Major League Baseball infielders
Pensacola Blue Wahoos players
People from Wells County, Indiana
Peoria Javelinas players
Pittsburgh Pirates players
San Antonio Missions players