Former Lindenwood standout pitcher Josh Newell has agreed to terms with the New York Yankees as an undrafted free agent. He becomes the Lions' first Major League signing since 2017. 

Newell finished his career in St. Charles with 21 wins, which is second most for a Lindenwood player during the NCAA era, with a 3.97 ERA through a program record 297.1 innings pitched.

During the 2026 season, he posted a 6-5 record with a 2.65 ERA, registering 63 strikeouts through a league-leading 102.0 innings pitched during the regular season. In conference play, he had the lowest ERA among starting pitchers with a mark of 2.53 and was named First Team All-OVC.

Newell was Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2025 after posting a record of 10-2 with a 3.15 ERA and 58 strikeouts.  He recorded 12 starts of six innings or more during the year – including a pair of complete game shutouts – and led the team with 97 innings pitched.

He is the first Lindenwood player to ink a deal with a Major League club since Brendan Feldmann signed a free agent contract with the Houston Astros following the 2017 draft. Newell is the fifth Lindenwood player overall to agree to terms with an MLB team since 2015, also joining Connor Law (2017), Geoff Hartlieb (2015), and Matt Meier (2015).