Josh VanMeter Debuts with Reds
May 10, 2019
Selected by the Reds earlier in the day from the Louisville Bats of the Class AAA International League, former Norwell High School standout Josh VanMeter made his major league debut on Sunday, May 5.
The versatile left-handed hitter batted for Cincinnati starter Luis Castillo in the seventh. VanMeter drew a walk off Giants reliever Reyes Moronta and then stole second.
Primarily a second baseman, Joshua Michael VanMeter has played in the minors since 2013. The San Diego Padres took him in the fifth round of that year’s MLB Draft. He came to the Reds in a December 2016 trade. He also saw action at third, short, first and the outfield in the minors.
A Fort Wayne native, VanMeter pitched Ossian’s Norwell Knights to the IHSAA Class 3A title in 2013 at Victory Field in Indianapolis. Batting leadoff in that contest, he drew a pair of walks and scored both runs in Norwell’s 2-1 victory over Jasper.
Josh was back at Victory Field on Sunday when the call came from the Reds. Louisville had come to Indianapolis on Thursday, May 2, for a four-game series. In a 7-5 loss on Friday, Van Meter hammered two home runs – his 12th and 13th of the year, tops in the IL.
While the 5-foot-11, 165-pound VanMeter wasn’t on Cincinnati’s 40-man roster, his power surge and a .336 average in 30 games caught the big club’s attention. He arrived at Riverfront Stadium in time for Sunday’s afternoon game with San Francisco.
Friends and relatives made the drive from Ossian to Cincinnati for the game, including Greg and Amy VanMeter, Josh’s parents. “It’s a great day, man,” Greg VanMeter told Dylan Sinn of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. “I have a lot of pride in him for the accomplishment. Lot of pride for his work, perseverance, everything he put in to this point.”
VanMeter’s hot start this season earned him more recognition on Tuesday, May 7. That’s when he was named International League Player of the Month for April.
The 24-year-old VanMeter is the 377th Indiana-born big leaguer and the first Hoosier native to debut this season.
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VanMeter is one of 11 Indiana natives currently on big-league rosters. Here’s a look at all Hoosier-born players currently in action in the major and minor leagues as of May 9.
Not included are players whose teams begin play later this year, including short-season, rookie advanced or rookie-league clubs, or players with independent or foreign leagues. An asterisk (*) indicates minor league players, coaches and coordinators with major league experience.
Major Leagues (11 players, 2 managers, 3 coaches)
Tim Bogar (Indianapolis), first base coach, Washington Nationals.
Craig Counsell (South Bend), manager, Milwaukee Brewers.
Tommy Hunter (Indianapolis), RHP, Philadelphia Phillies (60-day injured list).
Kevin Kiermaier (Fort Wayne), OF, Tampa Bay Rays.
Lance Lynn (Indianapolis), RHP, Texas Rangers.
Sean Manaea (Valparaiso), LHP, Oakland Athletics (60-day injured list).
Don Mattingly (Evansville), manager, Miami Marlins.
Lloyd McClendon (Gary), batting coach, Detroit Tigers.
Josh Phegley (Terre Haute), C, Oakland Athletics.
Clayton Richard (Lafayette), LHP, Toronto Blue Jays (60-day injured list).
Jeff Samardzija (Merrillville), RHP, San Francisco Giants.
Triple-A (6 players)
*Dillon Peters (Indianapolis), LHP, Salt Lake Bees, Pacific Coast (Angels).
*A.J. Reed (Terre Haute), 1B, Round Rock Express, Pacific Coast (Astros).
*Josh Rogers (New Albany), LHP, Norfolk Tides, International (Orioles).
Double-A (12 players)
*Aaron Barrett (Evansville), RHP, Harrisburg Senators, Eastern (Nationals).
*Brandon Beachy (Kokomo), RHP, Richmond Flying Squirrels, Eastern (Giants).
Troy Montgomery (Indianapolis), OF, Erie Seawolves, Eastern (Tigers).
Hunter Owen (Evansville), OF, Altoona Curve, Eastern (Pirates).
Zach Plesac (Crown Point), RHP, Akron RubberDucks, Eastern (Indians).
Mitch Roman (Fishers), SS, Birmingham Barons, Southern (White Sox).
Tanner Tully (Elkhart), LHP, Akron RubberDucks, Eastern (Indians).
Cole Bartlett (Richmond), RHP, Visalia Rawhide, California (Diamondbacks).
Craig Dedelow (Munster), OF, Winston-Salem Dash, Carolina (White Sox).
Mitch Ghelfi (Elkhart), C, St. Lucie Mets, Florida State (Mets).
Devin Mann (Columbus), 2B, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, California (Dodgers).
Jeremy McKinney (Franklin), RHP, Potomac Nationals, Carolina (Nationals).
Evan Miller (LaPorte), RHP, Lake Elsinore Storm, California (Padres).
Aaron Bond (South Bend), OF. Augusta GreenJackets, South Atlantic (Giants).
Nick Podkul (Munster), 2B, Lansing Lugnuts, Midwest (Blue Jays).
*Brian Reith (Fort Wayne), pitching coach, Bowling Green Hot Rods, Midwest (Rays).
Caleb Sampen (Indianapolis), RHP, Bowling Green Hot Rods, Midwest (Rays).
Chad Whitmer (South Bend), RHP, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Midwest (Brewers).
Peter Lannoo (Muncie), RHP, Giants.
*Alex Meyer (Greensburg), RHP, Angels.
Justin O’Conner (Indianapolis), C, White Sox.
*Drew Storen (Indianapolis), RHP, Royals.
Minor League Coordinators (4)
*Jim Eppard (South Bend), minor league hitting instructor (Athletics).
Pete Cava is the author of “Tales From the Cubs Dugout” and “Indiana-Born Major League Baseball Players: A Biographical Dictionary, 1871-2014.”