Who is Josh Donaldson? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Joshua Adam Donaldson

Age: 39 Years, 39 Year Old Males

Family:

father: Levon Donaldson

mother: Lisa French

Born Country: United States

Baseball Players American Men

U.S. State: Florida

City: Pensacola, Florida

More Facts

education: Auburn University

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1

What teams has Josh Donaldson played for in the MLB?

Josh Donaldson has played for the Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, and Minnesota Twins in the MLB.
2

Has Josh Donaldson ever won a Gold Glove award?

Yes, Josh Donaldson has won the Gold Glove award in 2015, for his exceptional defensive skills at third base.
3

How many times has Josh Donaldson been selected to the MLB All-Star Game?

Josh Donaldson has been selected to the MLB All-Star Game three times in his career, in 2014, 2015, and 2017.
4

What position does Josh Donaldson primarily play in baseball?

Josh Donaldson primarily plays as a third baseman in baseball, known for his strong defensive skills and powerful hitting.
5

Is Josh Donaldson known for any specific pre-game rituals or superstitions?

Josh Donaldson is known for his unique ritual of tapping his bat on home plate before every pitch as a way to mentally prepare himself for hitting.

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Childhood & Early Life

Josh Donaldson was born in Pensacola, Florida, on December 8, 1985, into a highly troubled family. His father was a construction worker and was mostly in jail, for various crimes while Josh was being raised by his mother.

His parents divorced even before he entered the grade school, and such circumstances led him to acquire a violent streak. He would get into fights in school almost every day, and this led to a lot of emotional and physical issues. His mother Lisa French did as much as she could, to help her son.

This had a positive impact on Josh and he slowly started becoming inclined toward sports, particularly toward baseball and golf. He started playing football at – ‘Pace High School’ in Florida and was later transferred to ‘Faith Academy’ in Alabama. This constant shift was due to the socializing issues Josh had been facing, which led to many instances of fighting and bullying.

During his senior year at ‘Faith Academy,’ he started playing basketball, football, and baseball. He helped his team in winning the state baseball title. Once school was over, he continued his stint with baseball during his college years at ‘Auburn University.’

During his three years at college, he won several honors and awards and proved his worth in the game as a catcher and a hitter. However, he viewed sports as a way to have some fun and was not very hopeful of making it to the big leagues. Nevertheless, as fate would have it, the 2007 ‘MLB’ draft had other plans for him.

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Career

In the first round of the 2007 ‘MLB’ draft, Josh was drafted by the ‘Chicago Cubs,’ as a catcher. During the next three years, he played more than 150 games and proved his worth as a hitter too. By the end of the 2009 season, he averaged a batting score of .270, which included nine home runs along with 91 RBIs.

His magnificent performance continued even when he made his debut with ‘Oakland Athletics,’ in April 2010. He debuted on the field as a pinch hitter and struck out, and in the very next match he hit a home run, which culminated in two runs for his team on the first pitch that he played.

By the end of the 2010 season, he emerged as a strong player and recorded five hits in his 34 plate appearances. In the minor leagues, he performed even better and ended with a whopping score of 18 home runs. His RBI tally stood at 67.

The 2011 season was equally great for Josh. Apart from improving his overall average, he made sure he was getting considered for the ‘All-Star’ games. He ended the season with an average of .261, 70 RBIs, and 17 home runs. On April 12, 2013, Josh had his career’s maiden walk-off home run, and on June 7, he hit his career’s first grand slam. By the month of September, -his performance improved furthermore. He was named the ‘American League Player of the Month.’ He ended the 2013 season with 24 home runs, 93 RBIs, and an average of .301, which earned him the fourth place in the ‘American League Most Valuable Player’ list.

In 2014, he made his first ‘All-Star’ appearance, and by the end of the season, he was considered as one of the best players, with 29 home runs, which was his career-best score so far. His batting average declined by a big margin, but he still made it to the eighth spot in the ‘AL MVP’ voting.

In late 2014, ‘Toronto Blue Jays’ acquired him and his performance earned him his second ‘Player of the Week,’ on June 1.Josh turned out to be a miracle worker for his team and 2015, turned out to be the best league year for ‘Blue Jays.’

He was such a huge phenomenon on the field, that his fans would start chanting ‘M-V-P, M-V-P,’ whenever he batted. By the end of the 2015 season, honors started pouring in. He earned numerous titles, such as the ‘MLB Player of the Year Award,’ the ‘Hank Aaron Award,’ the ‘Silver Slugger Award,’ the ‘Players Choice Award,’ and the ‘American League Outstanding Player Award.’

Following this success, Jay asked his team manager to raise his salary and he was signed on for two more years with a substantial hike in his pay. In the 2016 season, he won the ‘June 19 Player of the Week Award’. He hit three home runs in a match, for the first time in his career, when he played against the ‘Minnesota Twins.’

He ended the 2016 season with a batting average of .284, 37 home runs, and 99 RBI. In November 2016, he won the second consecutive ‘Silver Slugger Award.’

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Josh suffered a calf injury after the first few matches of the 2017 season, following which he was placed on a 10-day disabled list.

Personal Life

Josh Donaldson is an all-round sportsperson and plays football, basketball, and golf, when he is not playing professional baseball. His other interests include playing video games.

Josh never quite had a relationship with his father, who was released from prison in 2007, after serving a prison sentence for his numerous crimes. On September 13, 2013, when Josh played in a match against the ‘Texas Rangers,’ his father watched him play baseball for the first time. Josh performed magnificently, and his team won the match.

Josh is a well-known fan of the TV series ‘Vikings,’ which is aired on the ‘History Channel.’ Josh made a guest appearance in the fourth season of the show and played a character, named ‘Hoskuld.’.

Josh was in a relationship with Jillian Rose, but their relationship turned sour in 2016. He started dating Briana Miller in 2017. In 2021, they welcomed their daughter. In 2022, the couple got engaged.

Facts About Josh Donaldson

Josh Donaldson is known for his unique pre-game ritual of rubbing a small toy figurine of his favorite superhero, Thor, for good luck before each game.

Despite being a professional athlete, Josh Donaldson is an avid collector of comic books and enjoys attending comic conventions in his free time.

Josh Donaldson is a talented musician and plays the guitar in his spare time, often jamming with teammates during team bonding activities.

In addition to his baseball skills, Josh Donaldson is also a skilled amateur chef and enjoys cooking gourmet meals for his friends and family.

Josh Donaldson is passionate about giving back to the community and regularly volunteers at local children's hospitals to brighten the days of young patients.

Josh Donaldson Biography

You wanted to know

What teams has Josh Donaldson played for in the MLB?

Has Josh Donaldson ever won a Gold Glove award?

How many times has Josh Donaldson been selected to the MLB All-Star Game?

What position does Josh Donaldson primarily play in baseball?

Is Josh Donaldson known for any specific pre-game rituals or superstitions?