James Alan Hoover Jr. (born August 13, 1987) is an American former 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, ...

and

pitching coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decision ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

, and

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

Early life

James Alan Hoover Jr. was born on August 13, 1987, in

Elizabeth, Pennsylvania Elizabeth is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, on the east bank of the Monongahela River, where Pennsylvania Route 51 crosses, upstream (south) of Pittsburgh and close to the county line. The population was 1,398 at th ...

, to Jim and Carol Hoover. He graduated from

Elizabeth Forward High School Elizabeth Forward High School is a midsized suburban, four-year comprehensive public high school located in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, as part of the Elizabeth Forward School District. Fire On February 12, 2023, the school caught on fire, causing ...

in 2006, and attended

Calhoun Community College Calhoun Community College is a public community college in Decatur, Alabama. It is the largest of the 24 two-year institutions that make up the Alabama Community College System. History The college was founded in 1946 and named after John C. ...

. In 2008, 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

Harwich Mariners The Harwich Mariners are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Harwich, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Mariners play their home games at Whitehouse Fiel ...

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 ...

and was named a league all-star.

Professional career

Atlanta Braves

Hoover was drafted by the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

in the 10th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft out of

. He made his professional debut with the rookie ball

Danville Braves The Danville Braves were a Minor League Baseball team in Danville, Virginia. They were an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have played home games at American Legion Post 3 ...

, posting 4.2 scoreless innings of work. The next year, Hoover split the season between the Single-A

Rome Braves The Rome Emperors are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They are located in Rome, Georgia, and play their home games at AdventHealth Stadium. From 2003 to 2023, the team wa ...

and the High-A

Myrtle Beach Pelicans The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a Minor League Baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs of the National League in Major League Baseball. The Pelicans compete in the Carolina League. Home games a ...

, recording a 7–6 record and 3.47 ERA in 26 appearances between the two teams. In 2010, Hoover split the year between the Double-A

Mississippi Braves The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they were referred to locally, were a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson, from 2005 to 2024. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and competed in ...

and Myrtle Beach, accumulating a 14–7 record and 3.29 ERA with 152 strikeouts in 153.1 innings pitched. In 2011, he split the season between Mississippi and the Triple-A

Gwinnett Braves The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevi ...

, logging a 3–6 record and 2.34 ERA with 117 strikeouts in 105.2 innings of work. He was added to the Braves' 40-man roster on November 16, 2011, a move meant to protect him from the

Rule 5 Draft The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor lea ...

. ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...

'' ranked him the twelfth-best Braves prospect prior to the 2012 season. JJ Hoover 20130625

Cincinnati Reds

On April 1, 2012, Hoover was traded to the

for

Juan Francisco Juan Ramón Francisco González (born June 24, 1987) is a Dominican professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays. He also played ...

. Hoover started the 2012 season with the Triple A

Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, wi ...

. On April 24, Hoover was called to the major leagues for the first time. He made his debut the next day against the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

, and retired the side. He earned his first career Major League save on September 12, 2012, against 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

. Hoover ended the season with 26 appearances and a 2.05 ERA. He was placed on the Reds' Opening Day roster in 2013. During the 2013 season, Hoover set a team record for right-handed pitchers at innings pitched without an earned run. That year, he pitched in 69 games, and had a 2.86 ERA. Hoover opened the 2014 season with the Reds, and was optioned back to the AAA

on August 21, 2014. At the time, he was 1–10 with a 5.27 ERA in 46 appearances that season. Hoover was recalled to the majors in September and finished the season with a 4.88 ERA. Hoover made the Reds Opening Day roster in 2015, and finished the season with an 8–2 record and 2.94 ERA. Eligible for arbitration for the first time in the 2015–16 offseason, he was awarded $1.4 million. Hoover became the first player to take the Reds to a hearing since

Chris Reitsma Christopher Michael Reitsma (born December 31, 1977) is a Canadian American former right-handed professional baseball pitcher. He played seven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from until , with the Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, and Se ...

in 2004. Shortly after spring training began in February 2016, manager

Bryan Price Bryan Roberts Price (born June 22, 1962) is an American professional baseball coach and manager. Price was the manager of the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB), from 2014 through 2018. He most recently served as the pitching c ...

named Hoover the Reds closer. On June 28, Hoover gave up his 6th career grand slam, the most in Cincinnati Reds history. He was outrighted off the Reds roster on August 4, 2016, after struggling to a 13.50 ERA in 18 appearances. On October 12, 2016, he elected free agency.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On January 10, 2017, Hoover signed a minor league contract with the

that included an invitation to spring training. After a strong spring, Hoover won a bullpen job for the D'Backs. In 52 appearances with Arizona in 2017, Hoover posted a 3–1 record and 3.92 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 41.1 innings of work. He was non-tendered by Arizona on December 1, 2017, and became a free agent.

Milwaukee Brewers

On January 10, 2018, Hoover signed a minor league deal with the

organization. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Colorado Springs Sky Sox The Colorado Springs Sky Sox were a Minor League Baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and was the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers (2015–2018), Colorado R ...

to begin the 2018 season. He had his contract purchased to the active roster on April 7, 2018. He was designated for assignment on April 11 after posting a 20.25 ERA in 2 appearances. He was outrighted to Triple-A on April 15, and elected free agency a day later.

Washington Nationals

On February 1, 2019, Hoover signed a minor league contract with the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

organization. He spent the season with the Triple-A

Fresno Grizzlies The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno, California, and play their home games at Chukchansi Park, which was opened in 2002 in ...

, logging a 6–6 record and 8.47 ERA in 30 appearances with the team. Hoover elected free agency following the season on November 4.

Canberra Cavalry

On November 6, 2019, Hoover signed with the

Canberra Cavalry The Canberra Cavalry (nicknamed Cavs) were a professional baseball team from Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia. Established in 2010, the team was a founding member of the Australian Baseball League (ABL). The Cavs home ground was Narrabundah B ...

of the

Australian Baseball League The Australian Baseball League (ABL) is a professional baseball league in Australia. The league is governed by the Australian Baseball Federation (ABF). It uses the same name as a now-defunct competition held during the 1990s, and though it s ...

. In 9 appearances with Canberra, Hoover pitched to a 4–2 record and 3.81 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 52.0 innings of work.

Lexington Legends

On June 14, 2021, Hoover signed with the

Kansas City Monarchs The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri, and owned by J. L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 193 ...

of the

American Association of Independent Professional Baseball The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor lea ...

. Hoover did not appear in a game with the Monarchs before being traded to the

Lexington Legends The Lexington Legends are an American professional baseball team based in Lexington, Kentucky. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball. The Legends have ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...

in exchange for cash considerations on June 16. In 20 starts for the club, he posted a 7–1 record and 6.06 ERA with 95 strikeouts across innings pitched. In 2022, Hoover started 11 games for Lexington, struggling to a 2–6 record and 6.34 ERA with 50 strikeouts across 61 innings of work. He became a free agent following the season.

Pitching style

Hoover throws three pitches: a

four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch (baseball), pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the fastest ball thrown by a pitcher. It is s ...

at 91–94 mph, a

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

(76–79), and a developing

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball, but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced spee ...

to left-handed hitters (85–88).

Personal life

Hoover is married to Megan-Kate Hoover. Hoover is a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

. In 2025, Hoover opened a

trading card A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing (fictional or real) and a short description of the picture, along with other t ...

shop in

Alexandria, Kentucky Alexandria is a home rule-class city in Campbell County, Kentucky, in the United States. Along with Newport, it is one of the dual seats of the county. The population was 10,341 at the 2020 census. History It is believed that the area that ...

called "Hoovs Hangout".

References

External links

* *
Hoovs Hangout Card Shop website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoover, J. J. 1987 births Living people People from Elizabeth, Pennsylvania Baseball players from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Major League Baseball pitchers Cincinnati Reds players Arizona Diamondbacks players Milwaukee Brewers players Calhoun Warhawks baseball players Danville Braves players Rome Braves players Myrtle Beach Pelicans players Mississippi Braves players Gwinnett Braves players Surprise Saguaros players Lexington Legends players Louisville Bats players Arizona League Diamondbacks players Kane County Cougars players Reno Aces players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Fresno Grizzlies players Harwich Mariners players American expatriate baseball players in Australia