Joseph Anthony Musgrove (born December 4, 1992) 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 professiona ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or dr ...
for 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 ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
(MLB). He previously played within the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
,
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
, and
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
organizations.
Musgrove was born in
El Cajon, California
El Cajon ( , ; Spanish: El Cajón, meaning "the box") is a city in San Diego County, California, United States, east of downtown San Diego. The city takes its name from Rancho El Cajón, which was in turn named for the box-like shape of the v ...
, and began participating in baseball tournaments at the age of seven. He broke out as a star pitcher and batter during his junior season at
Grossmont High School, which he helped take to two state championship appearances. After being selected by the Blue Jays in the first round of the
2011 MLB Draft, Musgrove chose to forgo his previous 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 pl ...
for
San Diego State
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
, instead signing with the team. Partway through the 2012 season, Musgrove was traded to the Astros as part of a massive ten-player swap. There, his minor league career faltered due to a series of injuries, and he did not advance past the
Rookie League until 2014. He began to rise through the Astros'
farm system
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
in 2015, and made his major league debut the following year.
In 2017, Musgrove was part of the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...
-winning Astros team. That offseason, Musgrove was part of another massive trade between the Astros and the Pirates. He spent two years there before being traded to his hometown Padres. On April 9, 2021, Musgrove pitched the first
no-hitter
In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
in the Padres' 52-year franchise history.
Early life
Musgrove was born on December 4, 1992, in
El Cajon, California
El Cajon ( , ; Spanish: El Cajón, meaning "the box") is a city in San Diego County, California, United States, east of downtown San Diego. The city takes its name from Rancho El Cajón, which was in turn named for the box-like shape of the v ...
, to Mark and Diane Musgrove. He has one brother and two sisters. Mark, a lifelong baseball fan, originally supported 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 Yo ...
but became a
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 ...
fan after the team was created in 1969. He was frequently busy, working as a police officer and
private investigator
A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...
in
San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...
so Diane played catch with a young Musgrove in their front yard. Musgrove began participating in baseball tournaments at the age of seven, where he was often physically larger than his teammates. Additionally, Musgrove took pitching lessons with distant relative Dominick Johnson, the son of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
(MLB) pitcher
Deron Johnson. Johnson taught Musgrove a series of intense workouts designed in the 1970s by former
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
trainer Gus Hoefling.
Musgrove attended
Grossmont High School in El Cajon, where he emerged as a strong two-way player during his junior season. As a pitcher in 2010, Musgrove boasted an 11–1
win–loss record
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...
with five
saves, a 2.07
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the numb ...
(ERA), and 70
strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is den ...
s in
innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning ...
. As a batter, he also had a .430
batting average, with nine
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s and 35
runs batted in
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the b ...
(RBIs). The following year, his record fell to 7–5, but Musgrove recorded a 2.40 ERA and 100 strikeouts in innings, while hitting .350 with nine home runs and 32 RBIs.
Professional career
Draft and minor leagues
The
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
selected Musgrove out of high school in the first round, 46th overall, of the
2011 MLB Draft. At the time, he had committed 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 pl ...
for
San Diego State
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
but chose to forgo that commitment in order to sign with the Blue Jays. He played eight games with the
Rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
Gulf Coast League Blue Jays before being moved to the other Rookie affiliate, the
Bluefield Blue Jays
The Bluefield Blue Jays were a minor league baseball team of the Rookie Appalachian League representing the twin cities of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Bluefield, Virginia. The team played their home games at Bowen Field at Peters Park, a hist ...
, in late August. In a combined nine games and innings for the two teams, Musgrove posted a 1–1 record in 2011, with a 4.01 ERA and 18 strikeouts.
He began with Bluefield in 2012, recording a 1.13 ERA and nine strikeouts in eight innings.
On July 20, 2012, Musgrove was part of a massive 10-player trade between the Blue Jays and the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
. He was traded to Houston alongside major league players
Francisco Cordero
Francisco Javier Cordero (born May 11, 1975) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, and Housto ...
and
Ben Francisco
Louis Benjamin Francisco (born October 23, 1981), is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who is currently a major league scout for the Los Angeles Angels. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Philade ...
, minor league prospects
Asher Wojciechowski,
David Rollins, and
Carlos Pérez, and a
player to be named later
In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...
, in exchange for
J. A. Happ,
Brandon Lyon, and
David Carpenter
David Joseph Carpenter (born May 6, 1930), a.k.a. The Trailside Killer, is an American serial killer and serial rapist known for stalking and murdering a variety of individuals on hiking trails in state parks near San Francisco, California. He ...
. The player to be named later was eventually named as pitching prospect
Kevin Comer. Houston assigned Musgrove to the
Greeneville Astros
The Greeneville Astros were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Rookie-level Appalachian League from 2004 to 2017. They represented the town of Greeneville, Tennessee, though Pioneer Park, their home stadium, was located in nearby Tu ...
, where he went 0–1 with a 7.00 ERA in four games and nine innings.
He spent the entirety of the 2013 season with the
Gulf Coast League Astros
The Florida Complex League Astros are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Houston Astros, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to the 2021 season, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Astros. The team plays ...
, going 1–3 with a 4.41 ERA in innings and 11 games.
A series of injuries throughout his minor league career kept Musgrove from breaking out of the Rookie Leagues until 2014, when he was assigned to the
Class A Short Season
Class A Short Season (officially Short-Season A) was a level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States from 1965 through 2020. In the hierarchy of minor league classifications, it was below Triple-A, Double-A, Class A-Advanced (cre ...
Tri-City ValleyCats. He missed two months of the 2012 season due to a strained
rotator cuff, and spent the majority of the 2013 season on the sidelines with a sprained
ulnar collateral ligament. An injury to his
sternoclavicular joint
The sternoclavicular joint or sternoclavicular articulation is a synovial saddle joint between the manubrium of the sternum, and the clavicle, as well as the first rib. The joint possesses a joint capsule, and an articular disk, and is reinfo ...
continued to bother Musgrove during his time with the ValleyCats, and he made only a handful of appearances. In the 77 innings that he did pitch, Musgrove posted a 7–1 record with a 2.81 ERA and 67 strikeouts, as well as 0.96
walks plus hits per innings pitched (WHIP).
Musgrove started the 2015 season with the
Class A Quad Cities River Bandits
The Quad Cities River Bandits are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Their home games are played at Modern Woodmen Park (formerly John O'Donnell Stadium) in Davenport, Iowa, on ...
, with whom he posted a 4–1 record and a 0.70 ERA in five games. He received two promotions that season: first, in May, to the
High-A
High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...
Lancaster JetHawks
The Lancaster JetHawks were a baseball team located in Lancaster, California. They were named for the city's association with the aerospace industry and played their home games at The Hangar. From 1996 to 2020, they were members of Minor League ...
, and then again in June to the
Double A Corpus Christi Hooks.
Musgrove went 12–1 for the season across all three teams, with a 1.88 ERA and 99 strikeouts in innings.
He was named the Astros' 2015 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, and was added to the
40-man roster in November so that he could be protected from the
Rule 5 draft.
After beginning 2016 with Corpus Christi, Musgrove was promoted to the
Triple A Fresno Grizzlies on May 13, 2016. After a strong start to his time in Fresno, recording a 2.00 ERA with 19 strikeouts by mid-July, Musgrove was selected as the starting pitcher for the United States Team at the 2016
All-Star Futures Game
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National Leag ...
. He retired all three World Team batters he faced in only 11 pitches.
Musgrove went 5–3 for the season in Fresno, with a 3.81 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 59 innings.
Houston Astros (2016–2017)
Musgrove was recalled by the Astros from Fresno on August 1, 2016. In 16 games between Corpus Christi and Fresno prior to his promotion, he was 7–4 with a 2.74 ERA. He made his major league debut on August 2 versus the Toronto Blue Jays, striking out eight over 4.1 innings while only allowing one hit. His first Major League strikeout victim was
Edwin Encarnación
Edwin Elpidio Encarnación (born January 7, 1983) is a Dominican former professional baseball designated hitter, third baseman and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, Clevela ...
. He spent the remainder of the season with the Astros, going 4–4 with a 4.06 ERA over 11 games (ten starts). Musgrove began 2017 with Houston, and spent the majority of the season there, pitching only one game with Fresno. In 38 games (15 starts) for the Astros in 2017, he was 7–8 with a 4.77 ERA.
In the postseason, he appeared in seven games, including four
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...
games. In four innings pitched, he allowed three hits and three runs, but threw a scoreless top of the 10th inning of Game 5 against the Dodgers where he was the winning pitcher. The series concluded after 7 games with the Astros winning the title. Three years later, it was revealed in the
Houston Astros sign stealing scandal that the Astros had cheated during the 2017 season. Musgrove subsequently said he thought the team's championship was "tainted" because of this.
Pittsburgh Pirates (2018–2020)
On January 13, 2018, the Astros traded Musgrove, along with
Michael Feliz
Michael Feliz (born June 28, 1993) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red ...
,
Colin Moran and
Jason Martin, to the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
for
Gerrit Cole. He began the season on the disabled list and was activated on May 25, joining the
starting rotation. Pitching against the St. Louis Cardinals on August 30, 2018, Musgrove began the game by throwing 21 consecutive
strikes, the most by a major league pitcher to start a game since 1988. This included eight swinging strikes, six called strikes, two
foul ball
In baseball, a foul ball is a batted ball that:
* Settles on foul territory between home and first base or between home and third base, or
* Bounces and then goes past first or third base on or over foul territory, or
* Has its first bounce occu ...
s and five balls in play where the batter was put out by the Pirates fielders. In 19 starts, he finished with a record of 6–9 in innings.
In 2019, his left-on-base percentage of 63.2% was the worst in the majors. In 2020 for the Pirates, Musgrove recorded a 1–5 record and 3.86 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 39.2 innings pitched.
San Diego Padres (2021–present)
On January 19, 2021, the Pirates traded Musgrove to his hometown
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 a three team trade that sent
David Bednar,
Omar Cruz
Below are the rosters of the minor league affiliates of the Pittsburgh Pirates:
Players Carter Bins
Carter Bins (born October 7, 1998) is an American professional baseball catcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Bins attended Angelo Ro ...
,
Drake Fellows
Below are the rosters of the minor league affiliates of the Pittsburgh Pirates:
Players Carter Bins
Carter Bins (born October 7, 1998) is an American professional baseball catcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Bins attended Angelo Ro ...
,
Hudson Head
Below are the rosters of the minor league affiliates of the Pittsburgh Pirates:
Players Carter Bins
Carter Bins (born October 7, 1998) is an American professional baseball catcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Bins attended Angelo Ro ...
, and
Endy Rodríguez to the Pirates and
Joey Lucchesi to the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...
.
The 2021 season proved to be a breakout campaign for Musgrove, as he posted career bests in several categories, including ERA, WHIP, batting average against, strikeouts, innings pitched, and win/loss record. On April 9, 2021, Musgrove threw a
no-hitter
In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
against the
Texas Rangers at
Globe Life Field
Globe Life Field is a retractable roof stadium in Arlington, Texas. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers. It is located just south of Choctaw Stadium, the Rangers' former home ballpark.
History Background
On M ...
, the first no-hitter in the Padres' 52-year history. He threw 77 of 112 pitches for strikes and struck out 10 batters; a fourth-inning
hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is an event in which a batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is awarded first base, provided ...
to
Joey Gallo
Joseph Nicholas Gallo (born November 19, 1993) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, and Los Angele ...
prevented Musgrove from achieving a
perfect game. In 2021, Musgrove posted an 11–9 record with a 3.18 ERA and 203 strikeouts in innings. He led the Padres' starting rotation in wins, ERA and strikeouts.
On August 1, 2022, the Padres announced they signed Musgrove to a five-year contract extension, worth $100 million.
Musgrove followed up his 2021 campaign with a strong season in 2022, recording a career low 2.93 ERA over 181 innings pitched, the lowest ERA among the Padres starting rotation that season.
21 of Musgrove's 30 starts in 2022 were
Quality starts
In baseball, a quality start is a statistic for a starting pitcher defined as a game in which the pitcher completes at least six innings and permits no more than three earned runs. The quality start has effectively replaced the 'complete game' as ...
, and Musgrove had the 9th lowest ERA among qualified NL starting pitchers.
[ Musgrove pitched the third game of the 2022 NL Wild Card Series against the ]New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...
, holding the Mets scoreless over seven innings while allowing only two baserunners. Musgrove pitched the fourth game of the NLDS
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
against the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...
and earned the win in the series-clinching game, holding the Dodgers to two runs over six innings despite allowing nine baserunners.
See also
* List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
Below is a list of Major League Baseball no-hitters, enumerating every no-hitter pitched in Major League Baseball history. In addition, all no-hitters that were broken up in extra innings or were in shortened games are listed, although they are no ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Musgrove, Joe
1992 births
Living people
Sportspeople from El Cajon, California
Baseball players from California
Major League Baseball pitchers
Houston Astros players
Pittsburgh Pirates players
San Diego Padres players
National League All-Stars
Bluefield Blue Jays players
Gulf Coast Blue Jays players
Greeneville Astros players
Gulf Coast Astros players
Tri-City ValleyCats players
Quad Cities River Bandits players
Lancaster JetHawks players
Corpus Christi Hooks players
Fresno Grizzlies players
Bradenton Marauders players
Altoona Curve players
Indianapolis Indians players
American sportspeople of Italian descent
People of Sicilian descent