John Evan William Justice (born July 7, 1998) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

in the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

organization. He played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

for the

NC State Wolfpack The NC State Wolfpack is the nickname of the athletic teams representing North Carolina State University. The Wolfpack competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I (NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subd ...

Amateur career

Justice attended Collegiate School for high school. As a senior in 2017, he was Virginia Player of the Year. He played

NC State North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina sy ...

. In 2018, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Charlottesville Tom Sox The Charlottesville Tom Sox are a collegiate summer baseball team in Charlottesville, Virginia. They play in the southern division of the Valley Baseball League. The Tom Sox are the 2017, 2019 and 2022 Valley Baseball League Champions. They fini ...

. The following summer, he pitched for the

Cotuit Kettleers The Cotuit Kettleers are a collegiate summer baseball team based in the village of Cotuit, Massachusetts, which is in the southwest corner of the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, Barnstable. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

. He was drafted by the

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...

in the 39th round of the

2019 MLB draft The 2019 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 3 to 5, 2019. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order was set based on the reverse order of the 2018 MLB season standings. In addition, compensation picks ...

but did not sign with the team. In 2021, Justice was NC State's closer, saving 13 games. In four years with the Wolfpack, Justice was 11–2 with 13 saves and a 4.71 ERA.

Professional career

Justice was drafted by the

in the fifth round, with the 140th overall selection, of the

2021 MLB draft The 2021 Major League Baseball draft took place on July 11–13, 2021. In conjunction with the 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the draft was held in Denver. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order was s ...

. He made his professional debut with the rookie-level

Arizona Complex League Rockies The Arizona Complex League Rockies are a professional baseball team competing as a Rookie-level affiliate of the Colorado Rockies in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Salt River Fields at Talkin ...

. In 3 games, he logged a 3.00 ERA with 4 strikeouts in 3 innings of work. Justice missed the entirety of the 2022 season due to a shoulder strain injury. Justice started the 2023 season in the low minors but ended the season in the major leagues. His year began in with the High-A

Spokane Indians The Spokane Indians are a Minor League Baseball team located in Spokane Valley, the city immediately east of Spokane, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest. The Indians are members of the High-A Northwest League (NWL) as an affiliate of the Co ...

, and he was promoted to the Double-A

Hartford Yard Goats The Hartford Yard Goats are a Minor League Baseball team based in Hartford, Connecticut. The Yard Goats, which play in the Eastern League, are the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. The team was founded in 2016 when the New Britain Ro ...

in May, then the Triple-A

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an ...

in July. In 38 combined games between the three affiliates, he posted a 3.49 ERA with 63 strikeouts, holding opposing batters to a .131 average. On August 25, Justice was selected to the

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his debut the next day, allowing a run in one inning against the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

. In 9 games during his rookie campaign, he struggled to an 8.59 ERA with 7 strikeouts across innings pitched. Justice was optioned to Triple-A to begin the 2024 season. He went on the injured list on April 16, not returning to Triple-A until June. He was called up to the Rockies on September 1 and made his only MLB appearance of the season that day. Facing the Orioles, he walked

Gunnar Henderson Gunnar Randal Henderson (born June 29, 2001) is an American professional baseball shortstop and third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022 and won the American League Rookie of the Yea ...

then struck out

Eloy Jiménez Eloy Arturo Jiménez Solano (born November 27, 1996) is a Dominican professional baseball designated hitter and outfielder in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Jiménez signed with the Chicago Cubs in 2013 as an international free agent. He made ...

. Colorado sent Justice back to the minors on September 5. In 32 games with Albuquerque, he had an 8.76 ERA. After the season, Justice played for the

Salt River Rafters The Salt River Rafters are a baseball team that plays in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community near Scottsdale, Arizona. ...

in the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...

. He earned the save in the Fall League Championship game for Salt River. Justice was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque to begin the 2025 season. He was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

following the promotion of

Zach Agnos Zachary George Agnos (born August 15, 2000) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the East Carolina Pirates as a two-way player. The Rockies selected A ...

on April 20, 2025. Justice cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A on April 23.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Justice, Evan 1998 births Living people Albuquerque Isotopes players 21st-century American sportsmen Arizona Complex League Rockies players Baseball players from Richmond, Virginia Colorado Rockies players Cotuit Kettleers players Fresno Grizzlies players Hartford Yard Goats players Major League Baseball pitchers NC State Wolfpack baseball players Spokane Indians players