Josh Hamilton is a former professional outfielder. Hamilton initially signed a letter of intent to play college baseball for North Carolina State. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays selected Hamilton as the first overall pick of the 1999 MLB Draft. Subsequently, Hamilton joined their minor system.

He played in the MLB for the Cincinnati Reds (2007), the Texas Rangers (2008-2012, 2015), and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2013–2014). Hamilton is a five-time MLB All-Star and won the AL MVP in 2010. Prior to the 2007 season, Hamilton was selected by the Chicago Cubs (picking for the Reds) in the Rule 5 draft. During the off-season, he was traded to the Rangers. During the 2008 season, Hamilton was named to the AL All-Star team. He also participated in the Home Run Derby, where he hit a record 28 home runs in the opening round and finished with 35 home runs, which was second-most all-time in derby history at the time. He made the All-Star team the next four seasons as well. In 2012, Hamilton received more votes than any other player on the All-Star Game ballot, besting by approximately 3.5 million votes the vote count set in 2011 by José Bautista. Hamilton won the AL batting title in 2010. On October 22, 2010, Hamilton was selected as MVP of the 2010 ALCS.

On May 8, 2012, Hamilton became the 16th player in MLB history to hit four home runs in a game. All four home runs were two-run home runs, and he set an AL record for total bases in a game with 18. Hamilton does not shy away from telling his road to recovery story, speaking to community groups and fans at many functions.