Among many others who have called the rocky mountains or the coastal playground home, the province of British Columbia has produced numerous outstanding baseball players, including Hall of Famer Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.), Jeff Francis (Vancouver, B.C.), and Justin Morneau (New Westminster, B.C.).
Among them is James Paxton, who is from the province’s most autocorrected city (Lander, not Lander). Paxton has experienced the highs and lows of playing professional baseball over the course of 11 seasons, including injuries, accomplishments, playing in front of loved ones, and even being drafted by the only big league team in Canada (though he chose not to sign; more on that later).
Among many others who have called the rocky mountains or the coastal playground home, the province of British Columbia has produced numerous outstanding baseball players, including Hall of Famer Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.), Jeff Francis (Vancouver, B.C.), and Justin Morneau (New Westminster, B.C.).
Among them is James Paxton, who is from the province’s most autocorrected city (Lander, not Lander). Paxton has experienced the highs and lows of playing professional baseball over the course of 11 seasons, including injuries, accomplishments, playing in front of loved ones, and even being drafted by the only big league team in Canada (though he chose not to sign; more on that later).
Canadian Leftist James Paxton Plans to Step Down
“I’m hoping that we can squeak into the postseason, and I can get the opportunity to pitch again… However, I believe that I will be retiring at the end of this season and starting a new chapter. It’s difficult. Of course, I’m still capable. I just believe that my family needs me home right now, given where they are and what they need. I can still compete and help the team win. I look forward to spending more time with my family since I feel obligated and responsible to stay at home with them.
Paxton, who was 35 years old, was starting his twilight years of a career when he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024. The southpaw established himself as a reliable member of the rotation when healthy after making his debut in 2013 with the Seattle Mariners, a team that is well-liked by British Columbians because to its closeness to the border. However, he developed a persistent injury that would plague him for the most of his career.
Paxton experienced a rollercoaster of emotions from the beginning of his career, even before he set foot on a big league diamond.
Pitching for the University of Kentucky, Paxton created a name for himself in the junior draft. The Toronto Blue Jays selected the Canuck with their first-round pick (37th overall), which was a match made in heaven for the Jays fan hoping to make a link to Canada.
Paxton was doomed to return to Kentucky, though, since the two parties were unable to reach a signing bonus agreement in time for the deadline. The situation became much more problematic when it was discovered that the pitcher was not allowed to return to the program because the Blue Jays had been in negotiations with agent Scott Boras, which is against NCAA regulations. After his complaint against the NCAA was unsuccessful, he moved to the American Association and pitched for the Grande Prairie AirHogs. In the 2010 MLB Draft, the Seattle Mariners selected him in the fourth round.
Paxton has made 177 starts in his 11 seasons, including a career-high 29 appearances while pitching for the Yankees in 2019. The left-hander struggled with ailments throughout his career, breaking the 20-game mark just five times and surpassing the 150 innings pitched mark just twice.
The 6-foot-4 starter made his Mariners debut in 2013 and played in the AL West for the following six seasons, earning a 3.42 ERA with 617 strikeouts and a 1.187 WHIP in 102 starts.
In 2018, he had his greatest season yet with the Mariners, leading the big leagues in complete games (two shutouts) and posting a 3.76 ERA through 28 starts. He had a 108 ERA+ and 1.098 WHIP through 160 1/3 innings, enough for a single-season career-high 11.7 K/9.
CANADIAN PRIDE: #Mariners lefty James Paxton of Ladner, BC becomes the second Canadian to throw a no-hitter as he shuts down #BlueJays 5-0. It's the 5th time Toronto has been no-hit, and first since May 7, 2011 (Verlander). #MLB https://t.co/9dG63hGXAF pic.twitter.com/xBrUmb3gKU
— SportsCentre (@SportsCentre) May 9, 2018
Never-mind about Toronto
That season, he also delivered a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays, avenging the MLB Draft signing debacle that had been brewing for more than eight years.
In addition to being the second Canadian pitcher to throw a no-hitter (after Dick Fowler in 1945), Paxton became the first pitcher to do so north of the border. In the history of the Mariners, he became the fifth pitcher to record a solo no-hitter.
Paxton was traded to the New York Yankees in the 2018–19 offseason in exchange for three prospects. He spent two seasons in the Bronx, where he made just 34 starts with a 4.16 ERA and only five starts in the truncated 2020 season.
Paxton signed a one-year contract to return as a free agent to the Seattle Mariners for the 2021 season. He experienced left elbow trouble during his first game back with the team, and he soon had Tommy John surgery. While still hurt, Paxton signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox with the intention of making his debut later in the season. A LAT tear sustained during a rehab appearance caused his rehabilitation process to be delayed. Although he did not pitch for the Red Sox in 2022, he made 19 starts for the AL East team, going on to record a 4.50 ERA, 1.313 WHIP, and 9.5 K/9.
Paxton agreed to a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 2024 season, but he would be designated for assignment halfway through the season. Re-signed by the Red Sox, he would make three starts before returning to the IL due to a right calf muscle tear.
Paxton spent the majority of his career dealing with illnesses and injuries, which is one of the reasons he is retiring from the game.
Aside from the ones already mentioned, the 35-year-old has sustained a number of injuries over the years, including a strained left flexor tendon, a LAT tear, strained tendons on his left hand, strain to his left forearm, strained left pectoral muscle, and strain to his right hamstring. Prior to the 2020 COVID season, Paxton also had spinal surgery to remove a peridiscal cyst and repair a herniated disk. With a tear in his right calf, Paxton is currently on the injured list. His career and season are probably done unless the Boston Red Sox go far in the postseason.
Paxton is tied for first place in FIP (3.13), third in WHIP (1.186), and tied with Félix Hernández, Hisashi Iwakuma, and Randy Johnson in the Seattle Mariners’ ERA (3.42) leaderboard. In addition, the left-hander is ranked eighth in BB/9 (2.61) and second in K/9 (9.55). Paxton’s name isn’t on the lists of games started or innings pitched due to injury spells, but when he was well, he was quite effective.
With his 11 years in the major leagues and 14 innings pitched, Paxton ranks 17th among pitchers who were born in Canada. Because of his history of injuries, he comes up just short of the 1000 IP threshold with his 951 total. He is sixth in the group in terms of strikeouts, having just passed the century mark with 1005 Ks, and ranks ninth in terms of bWAR, ahead of pitchers like Francis, Nick Pivetta, and Éric Gagné.
Even though Paxton has had numerous injuries throughout his career, when he was well, he was a formidable force on the field. In addition to being a British Columbia native who played in Major League Baseball, he won a bronze medal for Canada in the 2006 World Junior Baseball Championship. He was one of the best Canadian pitchers to play in the Majors in the last ten years, and he retires with over a thousand strikeouts and a no-hitter.
