Matt Tabor (born July 14, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Seattle Mariners.

Matt Tabor
Seattle Mariners
Pitcher
Born: (1998-07-14) July 14, 1998 (age 25)
Milton, Massachusetts
Bats: Right
Throws: Right

Amateur career edit

Tabor attended Milton Academy in Milton, Massachusetts.[1][2] As a junior in 2016, he had a 1.07 ERA.[3] In 2017, his senior year, he struck out 75 batters over 42 innings and compiled a 0.67 ERA.[4] Following the season, he was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[5][6] He signed with Arizona for $1 million, forgoing his college commitment to play college baseball at Elon University.[7]

Professional career edit

After signing, Tabor made his professional debut with the Arizona League Diamondbacks, pitching 4+23 innings.[8] In 2018, he pitched for the Hillsboro Hops of the Low–A Northwest League, going 2–1 with a 3.26 ERA over 14 starts.[9][10] Following the season's end, he was named a Northwest League All-Star.[11] Tabor spent the 2019 season with the Kane County Cougars of the Single–A Midwest League in which he went 5–4 with a 2.93 ERA over 21 starts, striking out 101 batters over 95+13 innings.[12] Tabor did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[13]

To begin the 2021 season, Tabor returned to Hillsboro, now members of the High-A West.[14] In late May, after pitching to a 2–2 record with a 3.00 ERA over 24 innings, he was promoted to the Amarillo Sod Poodles of the Double-A Central.[15] On July 11, he threw the first no-hitter in Sod Poodles history, striking out three and walking two in a seven inning game as Amarillo defeated the San Antonio Missions by a score of 6–1.[16] After ten starts in which he compiled a 3–5 record with a 3.88 ERA and 47 strikeouts over 51 innings with Amarillo, he was promoted to the Reno Aces of the Triple-A West in late July.[17] Over eight starts with Reno, Tabor went 1-4 with an 11.13 ERA over 32+13 innings.[18] He returned to Amarillo to begin the 2022 season,[19] but pitched in only one game before a thoracic outlet/posterior circumflex humeral artery aneurysm injury forced him to miss the remainder of the season.[20]

During spring training in 2023, he felt tug in his elbow that resulted in requiring Tommy John surgery, ending his season before it began. On April 10, 2023, Tabor was released by the Diamondbacks organization with a medical settlement.[21]

In 2024, Tabor signed a minor-league deal with the Seattle Mariners.[22]

References edit

  1. ^ "Heady times for Milton Academy's Matt Tabor". The Boston Globe.
  2. ^ Ventura, Danny (April 27, 2017). "MLB prospect Matt Tabor has scouts' attention at Milton Academy". Boston Herald. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  3. ^ "Westford's Tabor drafted in MLB third round". Wicked Local. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  4. ^ "Milton Academy pitcher Matt Tabor waits for name to be called in MLB draft". Boston Herald. June 12, 2017. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  5. ^ "D-backs pick RHP Matt Tabor on Day 2 of Draft". Mlb.com. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  6. ^ Staff reports (2017-06-13). "Milton Academy's Tabor drafted by Diamondbacks". The Patriot Ledger. Quincy, MA. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  7. ^ Frongillo, Carmine (July 27, 2017). "Tabor's road to 'The Show' has begun". Lowell Sun. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  8. ^ Case, Taylor (2020-05-11). "Guys on the Rise – Matt Tabor". The Dynasty Guru. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  9. ^ "Keith Law's prospect rankings: Arizona Diamondbacks". The Athletic. 2020-03-05. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  10. ^ "Hillsboro Hops announce 2018 roster". Pamplin Media Group. 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  11. ^ "PK Playoff Nightmares Continue for Hops". OurSports Central. September 6, 2018.
  12. ^ Feld, Matt (2020-04-05). "Local minor league baseball players feel the pinch". Boston Herald. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  13. ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball season canceled". Mlb.com. 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
  14. ^ "Pamplin Media Group – Hillsboro Hops unveil 2021 roster, with returnees from past years". Pamplinmedia.com. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  15. ^ "Hillsboro Hops – Best of luck to Matt Tabor as he has..." 2021-06-01. Retrieved 2021-08-27 – via Facebook.
  16. ^ Nicholson, Austin (2021-07-12). "D-backs prospect Matt Tabor throws first no-hitter in Sod Poodles history". Arizonasports.com. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
  17. ^ Wilkens, Mark (2021-08-14). "El Paso Chihuahuas Split Doubleheader With Reno Aces". MadFriars.com. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
  18. ^ "Rule 5 draft eligible players in 2021". October 21, 2021.
  19. ^ "Amarillo Sod Poodles Opening Day Roster Revealed".
  20. ^ "Which Players Could the D-backs Protect From the Rule 5 Draft?". si.com. 14 November 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  21. ^ "Diamondbacks release Matt Tabor". azsnakepit.com. 22 April 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  22. ^ "Mariners' Matt Tabor: Joins Seattle on MiLB deal". April 2024.

External links edit