Josh Thole, Catcher


Date of Birth: 10/28/1986
Birthplace: Breese, Illinois

Josh Thole, catcher, was first drafted in 2005 by the New York Mets. He played in the minors from 2005 through 2009, when he was called up to the Mets to play in 17 games with them. In 2010, he played in 73 games with the Mets and he spent the rest of the season in the minor leagues.

Thole played in 114 games with the Mets in 2011. That season, he batted .268 with 91 hits and 17 doubles. The Mets traded him, along with R.A. Dickey, to the Toronto Blue Jays in December, 2012.

Thole signed a two-year, $2.5 million contract with the Blue Jays in January, 2013. The contract includes a third year club option. In 2013, he played in just 45 games with the Blue Jays. He finished the 2014 season with 33 hits and a .248 batting average in 57 games.

Thole spent part of the 2015 season in the minors, joining the Blue Jays for just 18 games. On December 4, 2015, he signed a new one-year, $800,000 contract with the Blue Jays.

Thole played in just 50 games with the Blue Jays in 2016. He batted .169.

Thole became a free agent on November 18, 2016. He signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on January 24, 2017. He spent the entire 2017 season on the DL.

The Diamondbacks released Thole on March 18, 2018. He signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers on June 22nd. He played only in the minor leagues in 2018.

Thole became a free agent on November 2, 2018. He signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on January 17, 2019. He was traded to the Los Angeles Angels on July 12, 2019. He spent the 2019 season in the minors.

Thole became a free agent on November 4, 2019. He signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees on February 3, 2020. He didn't play professional baseball in 2020.

Thole elected free agency on November 2, 2020. He didn’t play professional baseball in 2021.

Career batting statistics for Thole through 2018 include:

  • 478 games played
  • 323 hits
  • 111 RBIs
  • 214 strikeouts to 135 walks
  • .242 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Thole as a catcher through 2018 include:

  • 439 games played
  • 171 assists
  • 2,687 putouts
  • 17 errors
  • .238 caught stealing percentage
  • .994 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Josh Thole
ESPN - Josh Thole