James ‘Big Maple’ Paxton Set to Retire After 2024 Campaign

The province of British Columbia has produced many talented baseball players – Jeff Francis (Vancouver, B.C.), Justin Morneau (New Westminster, B.C.), and Hall of Famer Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.) – amongst many others who have called the rocky mountains or the ocean playground.

This includes James Paxton, who hails from the most autocorrected city name within the province (Ladner, not Lander). Across 11 seasons, Paxton has seen the highs and lows of what being a professional baseball player has to offer – injuries, milestones, playing in front of family and friends, and even getting drafted by the only Canadian big league team (although didn’t sign – more on that later).

With this in mind, on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast with Rob Bradford, Paxton announced that this would be his final year in the big leagues.

Canadian Lefty James Paxton Intends to Retire

“I’m hoping that we can squeak into the postseason, and I can get the opportunity to pitch again… But I think after this season, I’m gonna be retiring and moving onto the next chapter. It’s tough. Obviously, I can still do it. I can still go out there and compete and help the team win, I just think with where my family is at and what they need right now, they need me home. I feel the duty and responsibility to being at home with my family, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with them.”

At 35 years old, Paxton entered the 2024 season with a new team – the Los Angeles Dodgers – and was entering the twilight years of his career. After making his debut in 2013 with the Seattle Mariners, a popular team amongst British Columbians given the proximity to the border, the southpaw entrenched himself as a go-to member of the rotation when healthy – an issue that would dog him for most of his career.

Before he even stepped on a big league diamond, Paxton’s career was a rollercoaster of emotions right from the get-go.

Pitching for the University of Kentucky, Paxton put himself into draft contention in his Junior year and the Toronto Blue Jays used a first-round pick (37th-overall) on the Canuck – a match made in heaven for the Jays fan looking for a Canadian connection.

However, the two sides could not agree to a signing bonus before the deadline and Paxton was destined to return to Kentucky. Things got even more complicated when it was found that the Blue Jays had been negotiating with agent Scott Boras, which is a violation of NCAA rules and made the pitcher ineligible to return to the program. A subsequent lawsuit against the NCAA would not rule in his favour and he instead went to the American Association and pitched for the Grande Prairie AirHogs – later becoming a fourth-round selection of the Seattle Mariners in the 2010 MLB Draft.

Across those 11 seasons, Paxton has made 177 starts, with a career-high 29 appearances coming in 2019 when he pitched for the Yankees. He broke the 20-game mark just five times in his career and surpassed the 150-innings pitched mark just twice as the left-hander battled numerous injuries throughout his career.

The 6-foot-4 starter made his debut for the Mariners in 2013 and spent the next six seasons in the AL West, compiling a 3.42 ERA through 102 starts with 617 strikeouts and a 1.187 WHIP.

His best season with the Mariners came in 2018 when he posted a 3.76 ERA through 28 starts and amassed two complete games (one shutout), both of which led the major leagues. Through 160 1/3 innings, he posted a 108 ERA+ and a 1.098 WHIP to a single-season career-high 11.7 K/9.

No-no Against Toronto

He also pitched a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays that season, exacting revenge that was over eight years in the making from the MLB Draft signing fiasco.

Paxton became the first Canadian pitcher to accomplish the feat North of the border and the second Canuck to toss a no-hitter, joining Dick Fowler who accomplished the feat back in 1945. He became the fifth Mariners pitcher to throw a solo no-hitter in franchise history.

During the 2018/2019 offseason, Paxton was dealt to the New York Yankees for a trio of prospects and spent two seasons in the Bronx – posting a 4.16 ERA through just 34 starts as he only made five starts during the shortened 2020 campaign.

For the 2021 campaign, Paxton returned to the Seattle Mariners as a free agent on a one-year deal. During his first start back with the club, he felt discomfort in his left elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after. While injured, Paxton would sign with the Boston Red Sox while he continued to rehab, expecting to debut sometime later in the season. His rehab process was delayed due to a LAT tear suffered during a rehab appearance and while he didn’t pitch for the Red Sox in 2022, he made 19 starts for the AL East team to the tune of a 4.50 ERA and a 1.313 WHIP with a 9.5 K/9.

For the 2024 season, Paxton signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers but would be designated for assignment midway through the campaign. He would land back with the Red Sox, making three starts before landing back on the IL with a tear in his right calf muscle.

Ailments and injuries plagued Paxton for most of his career, one of the reasons he is stepping away from the game.

The list of injuries the 35-year-old has incurred over the years (outside of the ones already discussed) includes a LAT strain, strained tendons on his left hand, strain to his left forearm, strained left pectoral muscle, strain of his left flexor tendon, a LAT tear, and a right hamstring strain. Paxton also underwent spinal surgery before the 2020 COVID season to repair a herniated disk and to remove a peridiscal cyst. Paxton is currently on the IL with a tear in his right calf and unless the Boston Red Sox make a deep playoff run, his season and career are likely over.

Amongst the Seattle Mariners leaderboards, Paxton ranks tied with Félix Hernández, Hisashi Iwakuma, and Randy Johnson for ERA (3.42), first in FIP (3.13) and ranks third with his 1.186 WHIP. The left-hander also ranks second in K/9 (9.55) and seventh in BB/9 (2.61). Because of his injury stints, you won’t see Paxton’s name on the innings pitched or games started stat lists but when healthy, he was dominant.

When compared to other Canadian-born pitchers, Paxton sits 17th with his 11 years in the big leagues and 14th in innings pitched, falling just short of the 1000 IP mark with his 951 tally due to his injury history. His 13.89 bWAR has him sitting ninth amongst the group – ahead of pitchers like Francis, Nick Pivetta, and Éric Gagné – and sixth in terms of strikeouts, just passing the century mark with 1005 Ks.

While his career has been marked with injuries, when Paxton was healthy, he was an unstoppable force on the mound. Another product from British Columbia to don a Major League uniform, he also represented Canada at the 2006 World Junior Baseball Championship, earning a bronze medal. He retires with a no-hitter, more than 1000 strikeouts, and was a top Canadian pitcher to play in the Majors within the past decade.