Josh Harris Smith…he and wife, Claire, were married on 1/8/21…Claire produces lifestyle-based content on both Instagram (75K+ followers) and TikTok (210K+ followers), with several of her posts featuring her husband… Josh was originally selected by New York-AL in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft and signed by scout Mike Leuzinger…was also selected by Detroit in the 38th round out of high school in 2016, but chose to attend LSU...majored in finance…frequently attended LSU baseball games as a youngster…has an older sister, Brett, and younger sister, Carsyn…enjoys watching movies in his downtime...has made a number of community and caravan appearances for the Rangers during the last three offseasons (2022-24)...part of fulfilling a special wish for Make-A-Wish kid James and his family at the Rangers game on 9/3/24, which included batting practice, touring the clubhouse and taking part in a Rangers Captain ride.
2025
Displayed versatility and ruggedness in his fourth MLB season, starting at seven different positions and appearing in a team-high 144 games…was on the Rangers’ active roster for the entire year until he was placed on the MLB Paternity List for the final series of the year on 9/26...hit .251/.335/.366/.701 (124-for-495) with 10 HR, two 3B, 23 2B, 35 RBI, 55 BB, 12 SB and 70 R, establishing career marks in BB, SB and R…club ranks: hits (first), hit by pitch (first, eight), runs (second), triples (T-second), multi-hit games (T-second, 30), walks (third), doubles (T-third), and stolen bases (T-fourth)…on 6/1 vs. STL, went 3-for-5 with HR, two 2B, career-high-tying four RBI, SB, becoming the second player in club history (beg. 1972) with 3+ XBH, 4+ RBI and 1+ SB in a game (also Ian Kinsler on 4/15/09 vs. BAL: HR, 3B, 2 2B, 4 RBI, SB)…selected A.L. Player of the Week for 6/9-15, his first career honor, after batting .423/.500/.796/1.269 (11-for-26) with two HR, three 2B, four RBI and more BB (4) than SO (2) over six games…led A.L. batters in TB (20), H (tied) and XBH (tied) during the week, while his 1.269 OPS was the second-highest qualified mark in the A.L. during the span to only teammate Evan Carter (1.434)…scored all three TEX runs on 6/13 vs. CWS, second time in club history for a player to have all 3+ R in team win (also M. McLemore, 6/24/98 at ARI)…reached base via H/BB/HBP in a season-high 15 consecutive games with a PA from 6/4-24 at .339/.409/.508/.917 (20-for-59) with two HR, four 2B and five RBI…that streak included a career-high 10-game hit streak from 6/8-22, the T-second-longest hit streak by a Ranger in ’25 (12-Semien, 10-Smith/Jung)…batted .263 with a .755 OPS against RHP and .206 with a .502 OPS against LHP…all 10 of his HR and 29 of his 35 RBI came against RHP…made 126 defensive starts at SS (46), 3B (28), 1B (23), LF (8), RF (6), 2B (3) and CF (2), as well as 10 GS as the club’s DH…each of Smith’s final 20 GS came at SS, serving as club’s primary SS while Corey Seager was on the IL…the Rangers went 63-63 in Smith’s starts, and 72-72 in his appearances (starter + sub).
2024
Enjoyed breakout campaign, spending the entire season on Texas’ active roster for the second straight year en route to being named Richard Durrett Hardest Working Ranger by the DFW chapter of the BBWAA…established career highs in all four slash categories (.258/.337/.394/.731), home runs (13), RBI (62), walks (46), runs (67), hits (135) and doubles (30) while appearing in a career-best 149 games/135 starts (76-3B, 41-SS, 13-DH, 4-LF, 1-RF)…was an A.L. Silver Slugger award recipient at the utility position…paced the Rangers in doubles and ranked among team leaders in hits (second), games (fourth), OPS (fourth) and RBI (sixth)…also drew 18 HBP, fifth most in A.L. and T3rd most by a Ranger in a single season (19-R. Chirinos in 2018/Carlos Gomez in 2017, 18-Smith in 2024/S. Choo in 2019)…15 HBP before All-Star break were a club record… majority of starts at 3B came during Josh Jung’s Injured List stint from 4/2-7/28, and Smith served as primary shortstop during Corey Seager’s season-ending spell on the IL beginning 9/4… hit .293/.392/.469/.861 (85-290) with 10 HR and 40 RBI in 90 games before All-Star break, but owned .215/.265/.300/.565 (50-233) slash line with 3 HR and 22 RBI in 59 second-half contests…was one of A.L.’s best bats w/ RISP, posting a .315 BA (13th) and .409 OBP (9th)…named Rangers June Co-Player of the Month (with Wyatt Langford), his first career Player of the Month honor, batting .313/.406/.518/.924 (26-83) in 25 June games…made over-the-shoulder, sliding grab on 7/19 vs. BAL to rob Adley Rutschman of bloop single…earned MLB’s ‘Electric Play of the Week’ award for his efforts, becoming first Ranger to claim the award since Eli White (week of June 5, 2022)… reached base via H/BB/HBP in 19 consecutive games from 4/12-5/2, the longest streak of his career and 4th-longest run by a Ranger in ’24 (30-Seager, 22-Seager, 20-Semien)…reached base career-high four times twice on 5/22 at PHI (2 1B, BB, HBP) and 6/5 vs. DET (HR, 2B, 1B, BB)…had 3+ TOB 19 times in ’24, 3rd most games on club (22-Lowe, 20 Semien)…reached base safely in 109 of his 135 starts (80.7%)…collected career high-tying three hits on four separate occasions on 6/5 vs. DET (HR, 2B, 1B), 7/9 at LAA (HR, 2 1B), 8/3 vs. BOS (3 1B) and 8/14 at BOS (2 2B, 1B).
2023
Spent the entire campaign with Texas, batting .185/.304/.328/.633 (36-195) with six HR, one 3B, eight 2B, 15 RBIs and one SB over 90 games/54 starts…made starts at third base (17), shortstop (15), left field (12) and designated hitter (six)…finished the season nine-for-his-last-73 (.123) beg. 8/3, dropping BA from .221 to .185…saw action in three postseason contests, all as a pinch-runner or defensive replacement, including appearances as a PR in Game 1 and 4 of the World Series vs. Arizona… did not have a plate appearance during the playoffs…was hit by pitch a team-high nine times, including seven times in April, which ranked T2nd in MLB (8-OAK’s Esteury Ruiz, 7-Smith/LAA’s Zach Neto)…fared far better vs. RHP (.194/.299/.324/.623) than vs. LHP (.120/.333/.360/.693)…scored walk-off run on wild pitch as PR in ninth inn. on 7/17 vs. TB, the club’s first walk-off win on a wild pitch since 3/31/19 vs. CHC (Joey Gallo scored)…exited game on 4/3 vs. BAL after getting hit by a 95.2 mph fastball from Danny Coulombe.
2022
Got his first taste of the Majors in 2022, batting .197 (42- 213) with two home runs and 16 RBI over 73 games spanning a pair of stints with Texas (5/30-8/20, 9/8-end of season)...opened season at Triple-A Round Rock, where he slashed .290/.395/.466/.861 (64-221) with six HR, 45 RBI and nine SB over 55 games...made 60 starts in the big leagues at third base (32), left field (21), shortstop (5), and designated hitter (2)...was on 10-day Injured List from 6/4-20 with a left shoulder sprain...went 3-for-4 (all singles) in MLB debut on 5/30 vs. SEA, tying club record for hits in a debut (6x, last Nomar Mazara on 4/10/16 at LAA)...reached via H/BB/HBP in 11 straight games to begin MLB career (5/30-6/28), tied with Nick Solak (11 G in 2019) for the longest career-opening on-base streak in Rangers history... reached base safely via H/BB/HBP in 20 of first 22 MLB games, slashing .261/.384/.348/.732 (18-69) with nearly as many walks (12) as strikeouts (13) over that span...drew walks in 28 of 253 PA (11.1%), the 4th-highest walk pct. among A.L. rookies with 250+ PA in 2022 (13.8-BAL’s Adley Rutschman, 12.4-KC’s MJ Melendez, and 11.7-KC’s Vinnie Pasquantino)...marked highest BB% by a Texas rookie (min. 250 PA) since Justin Smoak in 2010 (13.8%)...First career HR was inside-the-park HR on 7/11 vs. OAK; 3rd Ranger to hit an ITPHR for First career HR (also Craig Gentry 9/23/11 vs. SEA and Marc Sagmoen 4/17/97 at KC)…Second in MLB to do it since start of 2017 (LAD’s Zach McKinstry 4/3/21 at COL)…2nd ITPHR in Globe Life Field history (also ATL’s Travis Demeritte, 4/29/22)...returned to Triple-A for Major League injury rehab assignment (6/15-20) and on option from Texas (8/21-9/7)...overall, made 55 starts for the Express at 3B (20), SS (16), CF (14), LF (3) and DH (2).
2021
Combined for a .309/.429/.535/.963 slash line with 13 HR, 41 RBI, 20 2B, and 26 SB across 78 G in the NYY and TEX orgs.…was one of 24 minor league players to post a 10 HR/20 2B/25 SB season, along with fellow TEX farmhands Dustin Harris and Bubba Thompson...recorded the 9th-highest on-base pct. and 19th-highest OPS among minor league batters, and was one of 13 players in MiLB to post a .300+/.400+/.500+ triple slash line (min. 300 PA)…opened the campaign with Low-A Tampa (NYY) before receiving promotion on 6/8 to High-A Hudson Valley…acquired by Texas from the Yankees on 7/29 in 6-player trade involving OF Joey Gallo…played exclusively at shortstop after the trade and batted a combined .295 (43-146) in 39 G with Hickory (A+) and Frisco (AA)…promoted to Double-A on 8/11…tabbed as the 6th-best prospect in the Rangers farm system by both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America following the trade after opening the year ranked as the no. 24 prospect in the Yankees system according to BA…attended a player development seminar at Globe Life Field in January.
2020
Did not see official game action after Minor League season was canceled due to the pandemic…worked out on his own after he was not invited to New York-AL’s Alternate Training Site at PNC Field in Moosic, Penn…before the start of the season, was rated among the top prospects in the Yankees farm system by both MLB Pipeline (no. 17) and Baseball America (no. 25).
2019
Batted .324 (36-111) with three HR and 15 RBI in 33 G for Short-A Staten Island in his professional debut…posted the 2nd-highest on-base pct. (.450) and OPS (.927) in the league (min. 100 PA)...rated by Baseball America as the 16th-best prospect in the NYPL following the season.
