Joshua S. Whitesell (born April 14, 1982) is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and Chiba Lotte Marines.
In the minor leagues, Whitesell was a Carolina League mid-season All Star in 2005, and an Eastern League mid-season All-Star team in 2007. In 2008, Whitesell was voted the Diamondbacks' 2008 Minor League Player of the Year, a Baseball America Triple-A All Star, and the Pacific Coast League Rookie of the Year. Baseball America also ranked him the best power hitter in the organization, and as having the best strike zone discipline in the organization.
Whitesell played for the Arizona Diamondbacks in Major League Baseball for parts of 2008 and 2009. He played in the Washington Nationals organization for part of 2010, and played in the Japanese League for four years from 2010 to 2013.
Heritage and early life
Whitesell is Jewish. He attended Rialto High School in Rialto, California, and pitched and played first base for the school's Rialto Knights, with teammate Ricky Nolasco who now pitches for the Los Angeles Angels. He was chosen to the first team All-Citrus Belt League and All-San Bernardino County in his sophomore and junior years.
In his senior year he had an 8–2 record, 1.74 ERA, and a .520 batting average. He was named 1st-team All-CIF Division I and 1st-team All-Citrus Belt League, and to the San Bernardino County North and CBCA (California Baseball Coaches' Association) Southern California All-Star teams. He played for US Team in the Goodwill Games against Japan, and was named by the San Bernardino Sun as San Bernardino County Player of the Year. He graduated in 2000 with a 4.2 grade point average (2nd in his class of 685), and was class salutatorian.
Baseball career
College (2001–03) Whitesell played baseball for the Loyola Marymount University Lions (after having been recruited by California, UCLA, San Diego, Nevada, and Pepperdine), initially as a pitcher, from 2001 to 2003. While in his freshman year, he tore his shoulder while running bases, requiring surgery. Before that he had thrown 90–91 mph, but after surgery he threw about 84 mph.
Whitesell was named to the second team All-West Coast Conference in 2003, his junior (and final) year. In 162 at bats, he batted .340 with 41 runs scored, 19 doubles, 15 home runs and 47 RBIs. He had a .471 on-base percentage and .736 slugging percentage. He earned the league's Player of the Month award for February.
Whitesell, an engineering major, consistently earned a 4.0 GPA, and won the Principal's Award for achievement in scholarship and service and Superintendent's Award for academic excellence.
Minor leagues
Whitesell was drafted out of college in the 6th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft by the Montreal Expos.
Whitesell was voted a Carolina League mid-season All Star while playing for the Potomac Nationals in 2005, for whom he batted .293/.416/.524, and was voted the Eastern League player-of-the-week on July 23, 2006.
2007
In , Whitesell played for the Harrisburg Senators, the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. He hit .284/.425/.512 with 78 runs, 23 doubles, 21 homers, and 74 RBIs in 119 games. He was named to the Eastern League mid-season All-Star team, and the Nationals signed him to a contract.
2008
On March 15, , Whitesell was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks, and assigned to Triple-A Tucson.
Whitesell had hitting streaks of 16 games (July 23 – August 9) and 19 games (June 27 – July 18) in his 2008 season with Tucson. He had a season-high 7 RBIs on May 23 vs. Sacramento.
In 2008 his 110 RBIs broke Lyle Overbay's team record from 2002, and was the fourth-most in the minors. He batted .328, with a .425 on-base percentage and 26 home runs. He had 86 runs scored and 36 doubles in 127 games. He finished the PCL season ranked 2nd in RBIs, tied for 4th in hits, and 7th in batting average. Whitesell had the most home runs and RBIs in the Diamondbacks system, was 2nd in on-base percentage and slugging percentage (.568), and was 3rd in batting average, OPS (.993), runs scored, hits (156), and doubles.
Whitesell was voted the Diamondbacks' 2008 Minor League Player of the Year, the MLB.com pick as the Diamondbacks' player of the year, a Baseball America Triple-A All Star, and the Pacific Coast League Rookie of the Year. Baseball America also ranked him the best power hitter in the organization, and as having the best strike zone discipline in the organization.