James Paxton (baseball)

North Delta Blue Jays

Paxton attended Delta Secondary School in Ladner, British Columbia. He played for the North Delta Blue Jays of the British Columbia Premier Baseball League (PBL) and for Team Canada at the Junior National level. In his junior year, Paxton won 10 games and had a 1.51 earned run average (ERA) to go along with 100 strikeouts in 78 innings pitched. This led to him being named the top pitcher of the PBL and a first-team All-Star. After starting his senior year injured, Paxton finished the year with a 7–1 win–loss record and 65 strikeouts and 32 walks in 50 innings pitched. Both years Paxton and the Blue Jays won the league title and the prestigious B.C.'s Best Tournament.

University of Kentucky

After graduating high school in 2006, Paxton attended the University of Kentucky, where he played college baseball for the Kentucky Wildcats baseball team in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). As a true freshman, he led the Wildcats in appearances with 25 and had a 2–0 record in relief with one save.

In 2008 as a sophomore, Paxton worked his way into the starting rotation midway through the season and earned 11 starts while making 17 appearances. He finished the year 4–2 with a 2.92 ERA. That same year Paxton pitched a complete-game shutout over Ole Miss to win the SEC Tournament earning him SEC Pitcher of the Week. Due to injury, he did not participate in the NCAA Tournament. That summer Paxton was invited to play collegiate summer baseball in the Alaska Baseball League where he pitched in four games with three starts, finishing with a 1–0 record and a 2.25 ERA in 16 innings. He struck out 12 batters and allowed opponents to hit just .179 against him.

Paxton started 13 games in 2009, finishing 5–3 with 115 strikeouts (5th best in school history) in  78 ¹⁄₃ innings. He drew the attention of Major League Baseball scouts as he was considered a possible first round draft pick. Paxton was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round (37th overall) of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. However, he did not sign with the Blue Jays opting to return to Kentucky for his senior season. However, the NCAA ruled him ineligible stemming from his contact with agent Scott Boras.

Paxton was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll every year he was at Kentucky. He held a 3.3 GPA heading into his senior year as an Accounting Major.

Professional career

After being ineligible to return to Kentucky, Paxton signed with the Grand Prairie AirHogs in the independent American Association in 2010. There, he went 1–2 with a 4.08 ERA and striking out 18 batters in  17 ²⁄₃ innings.

Seattle Mariners

In June 2010, Paxton was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the fourth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft. He signed with the Mariners on March 4, 2011. In the 2011 season, Paxton played for Single A Clinton LumberKings and the Double A Jackson Generals of the Southern League. He finished with a 6–3 win–loss record, 2.37 ERA, 131 strikeouts, and 43 walks in 95 innings pitched, while allowing an opposing batting average of .215. Paxton, along with Alex Liddi, represented the Mariners at the 2011 All-Star Futures Game. Paxton was invited to attend the Mariners' main spring training camp in 2012, but did not make the opening day roster. He was sent to the Jackson Generals.

In 2013, Paxton played for the Tacoma Rainiers of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. With the Mariners' coaching staff, he worked to change his pitching mechanics to mirror that of Clayton Kershaw, resulting in an improvement in his performance. On September 3, 2013, Paxton was promoted to the major leagues. His first major league appearance came on September 7 when he started against the Tampa Bay Rays. He earned the win as the Mariners won 6–2. Paxton finished with a 3-0 record in 4 starts.

Paxton began the 2014 season in the Mariners rotation, but after his first start of the season, he was placed on the disabled list. He would finish the season appearing in only 13 starts due to an extended stint on the disabled list. His injury woes would continue into the 2015 season as he would appear in only 13 starts for the second consecutive season. In 2016, Paxton was in competition for a rotation spot in spring training, but after posting an ERA of over 9, he was optioned to AAA. He was recalled a few months later after Félix Hernández landed on the disabled list.

Paxton started the 2017 season for the Mariners with 0.00 ERA over his first three starts. He won the American League Player of the Week Award for April 10-16 after pitching a combined 15 scoreless innings in two wins. On May 5, 2017, Paxton was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a left forearm strain. Paxton pitched exceedingly well in July, going 6-0. He and Adrián Beltré were the co-winners of the American League Player of the Week Award for July 24-30. However, on August 10, Paxton strained his left pectoral muscle pitching against the LA Angels, putting him on the disabled list once again.