Matthew Scott Strahm (; born November 12, 1991) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

for the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

and

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

. As of the 2024 MLB season, Strahm is one of only two active MLB players born in

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

, with the other being

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who pitches in the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher has been removed from the game due to fatigue (medical), fatigue, injury, ineffectiveness, ejection ...

Erik Swanson Erik Donald Swanson (born September 4, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2019 with the Seattle Mariners. Swanson is one of only two active MLB pl ...

of the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

Career

Amateur career

Strahm attended

West Fargo High School West Fargo High School is a public high school located in West Fargo, North Dakota. It serves about 1,500 students, and is a part of the West Fargo Public Schools system. The school colors are green and white and the athletic teams are known as ...

in West Fargo,

. He played for the school's baseball team as a

, considering himself to be the third-best pitcher on his team. Attending a tryout at the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...

, Strahm caught the attention of a coach from the

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

team of

Neosho County Community College Neosho County Community College (NCCC) is a public community college in Chanute, Kansas. It has a secondary campus in Ottawa, Kansas. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. History In 1936, it was established as Chanute Junior Colle ...

. In 2012, he pitched to a 9–3

win–loss record Win–loss may refer to: * Win–loss analytics, analysis of the reasons why a visitor to a website was or wasn't persuaded to engage in a desired action * Win–loss record, also winning percentage * Win–loss record (pitching), the number of ...

and a 1.48

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA), helping the Neosho County Panthers reach the 2012

National Junior College Athletic Association The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions across 24 states ...

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...

. After two seasons with Neosho, Strahm committed to transfer to the

University of Nebraska–Lincoln The University of Nebraska–Lincoln (Nebraska, NU, or UNL) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. Chartered in 1869 by the Nebraska Legislature as part of the M ...

Kansas City Royals

The

selected Strahm in the 21st round, with the 643rd overall selection, of the

2012 MLB draft The 2012 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 4 through June 6, 2012, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Houston Astros, with the first overall pick, selected Carlos Correa from the Puerto Rico Baseball Ac ...

. He signed with the Royals, receiving a $100,000

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

, rather than transfer to Nebraska. Strahm made his professional debut with the

Idaho Falls Chukars The Idaho Falls Chukars are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and play their home games at Melaleu ...

of the

Rookie-level Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National L ...

Pioneer League. Strahm required

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's body, ...

during the 2013 season to repair damage to the

ulnar collateral ligament Ulnar collateral ligament (or UCL) may refer to: * Ulnar carpal collateral ligament * Ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or internal lateral ligament is a thick triangular ligament at the medial aspec ...

in his left elbow. He missed most of the 2014 season, throwing only innings for Idaho Falls. In 2015, Strahm pitched for the

Lexington Legends The Lexington Legends are an American professional baseball team based in Lexington, Kentucky. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball. The Legends have ...

of the Class A

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its h ...

(SAL) and

Wilmington Blue Rocks The Wilmington Blue Rocks are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Wilmington, Delaware, and play their home games at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium. Fra ...

of the

Class A-Advanced High-A, officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing, is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A and D ...

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

. He was named a SAL

All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...

. Between the two teams, Strahm recorded 121

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

s in 94 innings pitched. The Royals added him to their 40-man roster after the 2015 season to protect him from the

Rule 5 draft The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor lea ...

. Strahm began the 2016 season with the

Northwest Arkansas Naturals The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springdale, Arkansas, Springdale, Arkansas. The team is a member of the Texas League, and serves as the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. T ...

of the

Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League B ...

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

. He had a 3.43 ERA and 107 strikeouts in innings pitched through the end of July. When Wade Davis went on the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...

, the Royals promoted Strahm to the major leagues on July 31, 2016. He made his MLB debut that day. Though most of his minor league experience was as a

starting pitcher In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...

, the Royals deployed Strahm as a

for the remainder of the 2016 season in order to not increase the number of innings thrown from the 2015 season by too many. At the end of the 2016 season, the Royals indicated that Strahm would compete for a spot in their

starting rotation This is an alphabetical list of selected unofficial and specialized terms, phrases, and other jargon used in baseball, along with their definitions, including illustrative examples for many entries. 0–9 0 :"Oh and ..." See count. 1 ...

during spring training in 2017. However, after acquiring

Nate Karns Nathan Alan Karns (born November 25, 1987) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals, Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, and Baltimore Orioles. C ...

, Travis Wood, and Jason Hammel,

Ned Yost Edgar Frederick Yost III (; born August 19, 1954) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher and manager of the Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals. He played for the Brewers, Texas Rangers, and Montreal Expos. Since 2025, he has ...

, the Royals'

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...

, announced at the start of spring training that Strahm would be a reliever in 2017. Strahm made 24 appearances, including three starts for the Royals in 2017 before being shut down for the season with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. Overall during parts of two seasons with the Royals, Strahm compiled a 4–7 record in 45 games (3 starts) with a 3.81 ERA while striking out 67 batters in innings.

San Diego Padres

On July 24, 2017, the Royals traded Strahm, Travis Wood, and

Esteury Ruiz Esteury Ruiz Reyes (born February 15, 1999) is a Dominican professional baseball center fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022 with the San Diego Padres and also played for the Milwaukee ...

to the

for

Trevor Cahill Trevor John Cahill (born March 1, 1988) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Kansas City Roy ...

Ryan Buchter Ryan James Buchter (born February 13, 1987) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and the current pitching coach for the Philadelphia Phillies' High-A affiliate, the Jersey Shore Blue Claws. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB ...

, and

Brandon Maurer Brandon Eugene Maurer (born July 3, 1990) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals. From Costa Mesa, California, Maurer pitche ...

. In 2018, he posted an ERA of 2.05 in 41 games (5 starts). He had 69 strikeouts in innings. Strahm began the 2019 season as a starter, he started 16 games before being moved to the bullpen. Overall, Strahm finished with a record of 6-11 in 46 games, he struck out 118 in innings. The following season, Strahm pitched mainly out of the bullpen, appearing in 19 games in innings. On April 17, 2021, Strahm was placed on the 60-day

injured list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

as he continued to recover from patellar tendon surgery on his right knee that he underwent in October 2020. On November 30, Strahm was non-tendered by the Padres, making him a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

. Overall during parts of four seasons with the Padres, Strahm compiled a 9–17 record in 112 games (22 starts) with a 3.81 ERA while striking out 206 batters in innings.

Boston Red Sox

On March 15, 2022, Strahm signed a one-year contract with the

. He began the season as a member of Boston's bullpen. Strahm was placed on the COVID-related list on May 30, and reactivated on June 1. He was placed on the injured list on July 15, due to a left wrist contusion suffered in a game against the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

on July 12. He rejoined the team on August 19. In 50 relief appearances with Boston during 2022, Strahm posted a 4–4 record with four saves and a 3.83 ERA while striking out 52 batters in innings. In early November 2022, Strahm elected to become a free agent.

Philadelphia Phillies

On December 9, 2022, Strahm signed a two-year contract worth $15 million with the

. On May 6, 2023, Strahm was ejected from a game and fined for not leaving the field after the conclusion of the

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...

despite an umpire's warning.

pitcher

Kutter Crawford Kutter Martin Crawford (born April 1, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021. Listed at and , he throws and bats right-handed. Early life Crawford ...

was also ejected. Both Strahm and Crawford were taking part in an "anthem standoff" where players compete to leave the field last. The ejection and subsequent fine was largely due to the introduction of the

pitch clock A pitch clock (also known as a pitch timer) is used in various baseball leagues to limit the amount of time a pitcher takes before throwing the ball to the Batting (baseball), hitter and/or limit the amount of time the hitter uses before he is s ...

, intended to speed up the game and prevent unnecessary delays. After the game, Strahm told reporters that the standoff was "embarrassing" and "...probably not the wisest decision I’ve made in my big-league career." In 56 games for the Phillies in 2023, he went 9–5 with a 3.29 ERA and 108 strikeouts across innings pitched. On March 24, 2024, Strahm and the Phillies agreed to a one–year contract extension that includes a vesting option for the 2026 season.

Personal life

Strahm grew up a

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

fan. He and his wife, Megan, who also attended Neosho County Community College, were married in

Chanute, Kansas Chanute () is a city in Neosho County, Kansas, Neosho County, Kansas, United States. Founded on January 1, 1873, it was named after railroad engineer and aviation pioneer Octave Chanute. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the po ...

, in September 2015. His brother, Ben, played college baseball at

Cowley Community College Cowley College is a public community college in Arkansas City, Kansas. It also operates locations in nearby Wellington, Winfield, Mulvane, and Wichita. In addition to an online presence the college offers on-site courses at nine area high sch ...

and was signed by the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

in 2018. He also has a sister, Britta. Strahm has his own

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

channel, depicting his baseball life and featuring him opening packs of

baseball cards A baseball card is a type of trading card relating to baseball, usually printed on cardboard, silk, or plastic. In the 1950s, they came with a stick of gum and a limited number of cards. These cards feature one or more baseball players, teams, s ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Strahm, Matt 1991 births Living people People from West Fargo, North Dakota Baseball players from North Dakota Major League Baseball pitchers Kansas City Royals players San Diego Padres players Boston Red Sox players Philadelphia Phillies players Neosho County Panthers baseball players Idaho Falls Chukars players Lexington Legends players Wilmington Blue Rocks players Northwest Arkansas Naturals players Omaha Storm Chasers players San Antonio Missions players Rochester Honkers players