Joe Blanton is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for multiple teams during his career. He was born on December 11, 1980, in Nashville, Tennessee, and attended the University of Kentucky before being drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the first round of the 2002 MLB draft.
Blanton made his MLB debut in 2004 with the Athletics and quickly established himself as a reliable starting pitcher. He helped lead the team to the American League Championship Series in 2006 and was named the Most Valuable Player of the series. Blanton continued to pitch for the Athletics until he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008.
With the Phillies, Blanton played a key role in the team's World Series championship in 2008. He started two games in the series and earned a win in Game 4. Blanton also hit a home run in Game 4, becoming the first pitcher to hit a home run in a World Series game since 1974.
After his time with the Phillies, Blanton played for several other teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, and Washington Nationals. He primarily served as a starting pitcher but also pitched out of the bullpen at times.
Throughout his career, Blanton was known for his durability and consistency on the mound. He pitched over 1,900 innings in the major leagues and recorded 1,571 strikeouts. He also had a career record of 101-97 with a 4.39 earned run average.
Blanton retired from baseball in 2017 after spending the season with the Nationals. He currently resides in Kentucky with his family and has expressed interest in coaching or working in player development in the future.
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