| Justin Campbell | |
|---|---|
| Cleveland Guardians | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: February 14, 2001 West Hills, California | |
Bats: Left Throws: Right |
Justin Campbell (born February 14, 2001) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Cleveland Guardians organization.
Amateur career
Campbell attended Simi Valley High School in Simi Valley, California, where he played baseball. [1] [2] As a senior in 2019, he went 8-2 with a 1.17 ERA and 102 strikeouts over 65 innings alongside batting .409 with three home runs. [3] He was selected by the Houston Astros in the 18th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign. [4] Campbell originally committed to play college baseball at Tulane University, but due to changes in admission requirements, he was unable to attend, and instead enrolled at Oklahoma State University. [5]
As a freshman at Oklahoma State in 2020, Campbell was named to the team's starting rotation and made four starts before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [6] He returned to the starting rotation for the 2021 season, and on May 8, 2021, he threw the 11th no-hitter in school history in a 19-0 win over the Kansas Jayhawks, striking out 11 batters. [7] [8] He finished the 2021 season having started 13 games, going 7-2 with a 2.57 ERA and 102 strikeouts over 84 innings. [9] He also appeared in 42 games as a designated hitter, batting .269 with one home run, and was one of the five finalists for the John Olerud Award. [10] Following the season's end, he was named to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. [11] For the 2022 season, Campbell stopped playing as a two-way player, and began focusing only on pitching. Over 17 games (16 starts) for the season, he went 9-2 with a 3.82 ERA and 141 strikeouts over 101+1⁄3 innings. [12]
Professional career
Campbell was selected by the Cleveland Guardians with the 37th overall selection in the 2022 Major League Baseball draft. [13] He signed with the team for $1.70 million. [14]
Campbell did not play in 2022 after signing, and missed all of the 2023 season after undergoing elbow surgery. [15]
On March 20, 2024, the rookie–level Arizona Complex League Guardians placed Campbell on the full–season injured list. The transaction ended his season before it began, and further delayed his professional debut. [16]
References
- ^ Sondheimer, Eric (May 1, 2019). "High school baseball: Justin Campbell hits, pitches Simi Valley to playoff victory". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Simi Valley's Justin Campbell voted Southern California Boys Athlete of the Week". Orange County Register. April 19, 2019.
- ^ "The Star's All-County Baseball First Team". Ventura County Star. June 15, 2019.
- ^ Turley, Joe (June 5, 2019). "Simi Valley senior Campbell leads crop of locals picked in Major League Baseball draft". Ventura County Star.
- ^ Breeden, Ryan (April 15, 2021). "Just(in) time: OSU's timing was perfect for Campbell". The O'Colly.
- ^ Unruh, Jacob (March 24, 2022). "'This is the best he's ever been': How Oklahoma State's Justin Campbell improved after no-hitter". The Oklahoman.
- ^ "Oklahoma State's Justin Campbell tosses no-hitter with 11 strikeouts in 19-0 win over Kansas". ESPN. May 8, 2021.
- ^ "OSU's Justin Campbell throws no-hitter". KJRH-TV. May 8, 2021.
- ^ Chester, Michaela (February 17, 2022). "Here are the top college baseball pitchers to watch in 2022". NCAA.com.
- ^ "2021 John Olerud Award finalists announced". MLB.com. June 1, 2021.
- ^ "Cowboy Baseball's Campbell Named To USA Baseball Collegiate National Team". Oklahoma State University Athletics. June 18, 2021.
- ^ "Campbell says goodbye to OSU, shifts focus toward MLB draft". 8 June 2022.
- ^ "MLB Draft 2022: Cleveland selects RHP Justin Campbell with No. 37 pick". 17 July 2022.
- ^ "MLB Draft Tracker". MLB.com.
- ^ "Guardians' Justin Campbell: Could return this season". 27 June 2023.
- ^ "Guardians' Justin Campbell: Out for season". cbssports.com. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)