Joe Musgrove

Did You Know?

• On December 5, 2022, Musgrove threw an 86-mph fastball in Antarctica, setting a world record for the fastest pitch on that continent.
• The feat was done in support of the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Early life

Musgrove was born in El Cajon, California, to Mark and Diane Musgrove, and has one brother and two sisters. His father, a police officer and private investigator, originally supported the San Francisco Giants but became a Padres fan after the team's creation in 1969. Diane played catch with young Musgrove in their front yard. He began baseball tournaments at age seven, often being physically larger than teammates. Musgrove took pitching lessons from distant relative Dominick Johnson, son of MLB player Deron Johnson, who taught workouts from former Philadelphia Phillies trainer Gus Hoefling. At Grossmont High School, Musgrove emerged as a strong two-way player during his junior season, playing alongside future Pirates teammate Steven Brault. As a pitcher in 2010, he had an 11–1 record with a 2.07 ERA and 70 strikeouts; as a batter, he hit .430 with nine home runs.

Professional career

The Toronto Blue Jays selected Musgrove in the first round, 46th overall, of the 2011 MLB draft, and he forwent a commitment to San Diego State to sign. He played for two Rookie affiliates in 2011, posting a 4.01 ERA in 24 2/3 innings. On July 20, 2012, Musgrove was part of a 10-player trade to the Houston Astros. A series of injuries—including a strained rotator cuff, a sprained ulnar collateral ligament, and a sternoclavicular joint issue—kept him in the Rookie Leagues until 2014, when he was assigned to Low–A Tri-City.

In 77 innings there, he posted a 7–1 record with a 2.81 ERA. In 2015, Musgrove started with Single–A Quad Cities, then received promotions to High-A Lancaster and Double–A Corpus Christi. Across all three teams, he went 12–1 with a 1.88 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 100 2/3 innings, earning the Astros' Minor League Pitcher of the Year award. He made his MLB debut in 2016.

Musgrove was part of the 2017 World Series-winning Astros team. That offseason, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in another massive trade. After three years there, he was traded to his hometown Padres.