Josh Smoker

Joshua Michael Smoker (born November 26, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the York Revolution of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He previously played for the New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Early life

Smoker was born in Calhoun, Georgia to Mike, an engineer, and Debbie Smoker. As a child, he was an Atlanta Braves fan and dirt track racer.

In 2007, Smoker was rated the eleventh best draft-eligible pitching prospect by Baseball America. As a high school senior, he was named Gatorade Player of the Year for Georgia after finishing with a 1.24 ERA and 152 strikeouts over 73 innings pitched. He initially committed to play college baseball for Clemson.

Professional career

Washington Nationals

Smoker was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the first round of the 2007 Major League Baseball draft out of Calhoun High School in Calhoun, Georgia. In 2008, he underwent surgery on a bone spur in his shoulder. In 2013, Dr. James Andrews performed surgery on Smoker to repair a torn rotator cuff and labrum. With his fastball velocity declining, the Nationals organization released him without him ever having played higher than Class A-Advanced.

Rockford Aviators

After sitting out 2013 while recovering from surgery, Smoker played for the Rockford Aviators of the Frontier League in 2014.

New York Mets

In 2015, he signed with the New York Mets.

Smoker was promoted to the Major Leagues on August 19, 2016 and made his debut that day. He picked up his first Major League win on August 29 after pitching a scoreless tenth inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. In 2017, Smoker was named to his first ever Opening Day roster. He was designated for assignment on January 26, 2018.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On January 31, Smoker was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Daniel Zamora and cash considerations. Smoker was designated for assignment on July 23, 2018.

Detroit Tigers

On July 28, 2018, Smoker was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Tigers. He was assigned to the Tigers' Triple-A affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens. On August 26, 2018, the Tigers called up Smoker and he made his Tigers debut. On September 6, 2018, the Tigers released Smoker.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On October 10, 2018, Smoker signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was assigned to Triple-A Oklahoma City to start the 2019 season. He was released on May 7, 2019.

York Revolution

August 9, 2019, Smoker signed with the York Revolution of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He became a free agent following the 2019 season. On April 6, 2020, he re-signed with the Revolution for the 2020 season.

Personal life

Smoker married his high school sweetheart, Nicole, in December 2014.