Joe Carter is a former professional baseball player. He attended Wichita State University, leaving after his junior year. He was named The Sporting News Magazine's College Player of the Year in 1981. In the 1981 MLB draft, the Chicago Cubs chose him with the second overall pick.

He played in MLB as an outfielder and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, and San Francisco Giants. Carter is best known for hitting a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays, winning them their second consecutive championship. As of 2020, Carter is one of only two players to end a World Series with a home run. Carter continued to play for the Blue Jays until 1997, and led the Blue Jays in home runs and RBIs in 1994 and 1995. 

Carter was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003. In September 2006, Carter was awarded the Major League Baseball Hometown Heroes Award, as the former or current player who best represents the legacy of his franchise's history, as voted by fans.