Matt Waldron

Matthew Lawrence Waldron (born September 26, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2023.

Amateur
Waldron attended Westside High School in Omaha, Nebraska, where he played on their baseball team and went 9–0 with a 1.29 ERA, 82 strikeouts, and seven walks over 65 innings as a senior in 2015. He threw a no-hitter in the Class A Baseball State Championship, helping lead Westside to their third straight title. He went unselected in the 2015 Major League Baseball draft, and enrolled at the University of Nebraska where he played college baseball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers for four years. As a senior in 2019, he made 14 starts and went 6–4 with a 3.05 ERA and 93 strikeouts over $100 1⁄3$ innings.

Cleveland Indians
Following the season's end, he was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 18th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.

Waldron signed with the Indians and made his professional debut with the rookie–level Arizona League Indians before he was promoted to the Low–A Mahoning Valley Scrappers. Over $45 2⁄3$ innings between the two teams, he went 4–0 with a 2.96 ERA. He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

San Diego Padres
On August 31, 2020, the Indians traded Waldron, Mike Clevinger, and Greg Allen to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Austin Hedges, Josh Naylor, Cal Quantrill, Gabriel Arias, Owen Miller, and Joey Cantillo. Prior to the 2021 season, Waldron began throwing knuckleballs. He opened the 2021 season with the High–A Fort Wayne TinCaps and was promoted to the Double–A San Antonio Missions in July. He finished the season starting twenty games going 3–8 with a 4.25 ERA and 103 strikeouts over $103 2⁄3$ innings.

Waldron returned to San Antonio to begin 2022 and was promoted to the Triple–A El Paso Chihuahuas in late June. Over 25 starts between the two teams, he went 5–10 with a 6.26 ERA and 96 strikeouts over $113 2⁄3$ innings. To open the 2023 season, he was assigned to El Paso. In 14 games (12 starts), Waldron struggled to a 1–6 record and 7.02 ERA with 75 strikeouts in $66 2⁄3$ innings pitched.

On June 23, 2023, the Padres announced they would be promoting Waldron to make his major league debut the next day as the team's starting pitcher. He made his debut at Petco Park against the Washington Nationals. Waldron pitched $4 2⁄3$ innings, allowing four hits and two runs (both earned), while striking out two Nationals batters in a 2–0 loss. He was the first pitcher to throw a knuckleball in a major league game since Baltimore Orioles’ pitcher Mickey Jannis in June 2021. He was optioned back to El Paso the next day.

Waldron was recalled to the majors several times throughout the remainder of the 2023 season, making eight appearances (six starts) going 1–3 with a 4.35 ERA and 31 strikeouts over $41 1⁄3$ innings.

Pitching style
Unlike other recent knuckleball pitchers like R. A. Dickey and Tim Wakefield—both of whom relied heavily on throwing knuckleballs—Waldron's primary pitch is a four-seam fastball. His off-speed pitches are a slider and a knuckleball.

Personal life
Waldron's twin brother, Mike, also played on the Nebraska baseball team.