Matt Seelinger

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Matthew Thomas Seelinger

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Biographical Information[edit]

Pitcher Matt Seelinger was already 31 years old when he made his major league debut for the New York Mets on July 7, 2026. It was not the story book debut he had surely imagined, however. He was one of six pitchers to take the mound for the Mets against the Kansas City Royals that day in a game that turned into a slugfest. He came in in the 7th inning with the score tied at 9 and he proceeded to give up 7 runs in that inning, including a two-run homer by Nick Loftin, then came out to also pitch the 8th as the Mets did not want to burn another pitcher, and the score was too close to allow them to send in a position player. The Mets actually managed to score three runs over their last three turns at bat, but still lost the game, 16-12, with the loss being charged to Matt's record.

He was never really considered a top prospect, as he had to wait until the 28th round of the 2017 amateur draft to be picked by the Pittsburgh Pirates. It must be said that he came out of Farmingdale State College, a small school in Farmingdale, NY not known for producing minor leaguers. he was only in the Pirates' system in 2017 and 2018 and then started to move around, first being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for major league SS Adeiny Hechavarria on August 6, 2018. A year later he was sent to the San Francisco Giants for no known return, and on May 13, 2021, shortly after the minor leagues resumed play following the enforced break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, he was part of a combined no-hitter by the Richmond Flying Squirrels against the Harrisburg Senators in the AA Eastern League; he was one of four pitchers to take part in the 2-0 win that day. In December of 2021, he was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the minor league portion of the 2021 Rule V Draft and reached AAA for the first time in 2022 with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He spent all of 2023 in AA with the Reading Fightin Phils, then in 2024 started the season in the Independent Leagues with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League.

A great performance with the Ducks, when he had an ERA of 0.44 and saved 11 games in 21 outings opened the door for his return to organized baseball, as he signed with the Detroit Tigers on June 24th. He finished the year back in the Eastern League, with the Erie SeaWolves, going 1-1, 1.65 in 20 games. He split 2025 between Detroit's AA and AAA affiliates, Erie and the Toledo Mud Hens, and continued to pitch well, combining to go 8-2, 2.74 with 4 saves in 47 outings. He was back with Toledo at the start of 2026 and was 2-1, 3.89 in 27 games when the Mets purchased his contract from Detroit on July 6th and he was immediately added to the big league roster. He had got the Mets' attention in spring training when the Dominican Republic national team, featuring Mets superstar Juan Soto, had played the Tigers in an exhibition game before the 2026 World Baseball Classic; Seelinger had struck out Soto swinging in that game.

Further Reading[edit]

  • Brian Murphy: "Mets get Long Island-born RHP Seelinger in trade with Tigers", mlb.com, July 6, 2026. [1]

Related Sites[edit]

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