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Joshua Isaiah Harrison (born July 8, 1987) is an American former professional baseball utility player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies. Harrison is a two-time MLB All-Star. Internationally, Harrison represents the United States. In the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC), he helped win Team USA's first gold medal in a WBC tournament.
Harrison played shortstop at Princeton High School in Sharonville, Ohio. Harrison enrolled at the University of Cincinnati, and played college baseball for the Cincinnati Bearcats as a second baseman. In 2006, he was a middle infielder for the Cincinnati Steam of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League. In 2007, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. In 2008, Harrison was named the Big East Conference's Co-Player of the Year, while batting .378.
In 2008 and 2009, Harrison made three stops in the Cubs’ Farm team: Low–A Boise Hawks, Single–A Peoria Chiefs, and High–A Daytona Cubs.
Harrison had his contract purchased by the Pirates on May 30, 2011. He made his MLB debut on May 31, 2011, and recorded his first MLB hit, off New York Mets pitcher R. A. Dickey. On May 18, 2012, Harrison broke up Justin Verlander's no-hitter in the ninth inning, which would have been the third no-hitter of Verlander's career.
Harrison was optioned to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians on April 14, 2013. He was recalled on May 7 when James McDonald was placed on the disabled list. Harrison was optioned back to Indianapolis on May 8 when Duke Welker was recalled. Harrison was optioned back to Indianapolis on May 31. On July 6, 2014, Harrison was selected to his first career All-Star Game, along with teammates Andrew McCutchen and Tony Watson. At the time of his selection, Harrison was hitting .298 through 72 games. He had played 5 different positions throughout the season, and was listed as a utility player for the All-Star Game.
Despite his role as a utility player throughout the 2014 season, Harrison played in 143 games and logged enough at bats to qualify for the National League (NL) batting title. Finishing the season with a .315 batting average, he came in second to Justin Morneau of the Colorado Rockies. Morneau won the title with a .319 average after sitting out the team's final two games, one of which lasted twelve innings.
Harrison continued to play multiple positions for the Pirates. He spent most of his time at third base following Pedro Álvarez's move to 1st Base. Harrison finished 2014 with the best statistics of his career with a .315 batting average (second in the NL), 13 home runs, 52 runs batted in, and finished ninth in voting for NL MVP.
Harrison began the 2015 season as the starting third baseman for the Pirates, agreeing to a four-year contract extension through 2018, with club options for 2019 and 2020, shortly after the season's start.
Following the 2015 season, the Pirates' regular starting Second baseman, Neil Walker, was traded to the New York Mets. Harrison then became the starting second baseman for the 2016 season.
Over the course of two games on April 16, 2017, against the Chicago Cubs and April 17, 2017, against the St. Louis Cardinals, Harrison was hit by a pitch in four consecutive plate appearances. He was the first batter with four consecutive hit by pitches since at least 1974.
On August 23, 2017, against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Harrison became the first player in MLB history to break up a no-hitter in extra innings with a walk-off home run. The home run was hit in the tenth inning, off of pitcher Rich Hill, to give the Pirates a 1–0 win. On September 3, 2017, Harrison went on the disabled list due to a fracture of the fifth metacarpal on his left hand.
On April 15, 2018, Harrison was hit by a pitch on the left hand and left the game. The next day, on April 16, he was ruled out for 6 weeks due to a fracture of the fifth metacarpal, a similar injury he suffered last September. The Pirates declined his 2019 contract option and made him a free agent on October 31, 2018.
On May 31, 2025, Harrison announced his retirement from professional baseball.
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Beginning in 2014, Harrison started a youth baseball camp for kids and teens in Cincinnati. Harrison's brother Vince also sponsors and helps with the event.
Harrison and his wife, Brittney, have two daughters; one born in 2014, and one born in 2017.
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