Matt Waldron

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #24 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 40/Medium
  
  Track Record: Waldron spent four years in Nebraska’s rotation and signed with the Guardians for just $5,000 after they made him an 18th-round pick in 2019. The Padres acquired him the following year in the deal that brought Mike Clevinger to San Diego. Waldron began to set himself apart by toying with a knuckleball the following spring and became a full-fledged knuckleballer during the season. His confidence in the pitch wavered in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but he overcame it to make his big league debut in 2023 and finished the year in the Padres rotation.
  
  Scouting Report: Waldron’s repertoire is rather nondescript aside from his knuckleball. His fringy fastball sits 91-93 mph with sink, his soft slider is a fringy offering at 79-81 mph and his mid-80s cutter doesn’t fool big leaguers. Waldron’s knuckleball, however, gives him a chance to stand out. He throws it harder than most traditional knuckleballs at 75-78 mph and it consistently fools hitters. He had his most success in the majors when he increased his usage of the pitch and is particularly effective against younger hitters, many of whom have never seen a knuckleball. He is still working to control his knuckler but throws enough strikes with fringe-average control.
  
  The Future: Waldron projects to be a long reliever or spot starter used to mess with hitters’ timing. He’ll head into 2024 in contention for an Opening Day roster spot.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 45 | Slider: 45 | Knuckleball: 55 | Cutter: 40 | Control: 45
• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #30 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Cleveland drafted Waldron in the 18th round in 2019 and signed him for $5,000 before trading him to the Padres in the 2020 deal that sent Mike Clevinger to San Diego. Waldron started toying with a knuckleball during 2021 spring training and the low-spin floater intrigued the Padres, who convinced him to feature the weapon. Waldron rode the knuckler to a solid early showing at High-A Fort Wayne and a promotion to Double-A San Antonio before shoulder soreness sidelined him in August. He returned in the Arizona Fall League.
  
  Scouting Report: Previously, Waldron’s repertoire was rather nondescript for a minor league righthander: a 92-94 mph fastball with a fringy slider and a fringy changeup. The introduction of his knuckleball, however, gives Waldron a chance to stand out. He throws two varieties of the floater, a low-80s one and a low-70s version. He moved to throwing his knuckleball 80% of the time as the season progressed. His control of his knuckleball is fringy, and the pitch tends to get hit as it flattens out late in games.
  
  The Future: Waldron should return to Double-A to start 2022.

• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Cleveland drafted Waldron in the 18th round in 2019 and signed him for $5,000 before trading him to the Padres in the 2020 deal that sent Mike Clevinger to San Diego. Waldron started toying with a knuckleball during 2021 spring training and the low-spin floater intrigued the Padres, who convinced him to feature the weapon. Waldron rode the knuckler to a solid early showing at High-A Fort Wayne and a promotion to Double-A San Antonio before shoulder soreness sidelined him in August. He returned in the Arizona Fall League.
  
  Scouting Report: Previously, Waldron&#39s repertoire was rather nondescript for a minor league righthander: a 92-94 mph fastball with a fringy slider and a fringy changeup. The introduction of his knuckleball, however, gives Waldron a chance to stand out. He throws two varieties of the floater, a low-80s one and a low-70s version. He moved to throwing his knuckleball 80% of the time as the season progressed. His control of his knuckleball is fringy, and the pitch tends to get hit as it flattens out late in games.
  
  The Future: Waldron should return to Double-A to start 2022.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Cleveland drafted Waldron in the 18th round in 2019 and signed him for $5,000 before trading him to the Padres in the 2020 deal that sent Mike Clevinger to San Diego. Waldron started toying with a knuckleball during 2021 spring training and the low-spin floater intrigued the Padres, who convinced him to feature the weapon. Waldron rode the knuckler to a solid early showing at High-A Fort Wayne and a promotion to Double-A San Antonio before shoulder soreness sidelined him in August. He returned in the Arizona Fall League.
  
  Scouting Report: Previously, Waldron’s repertoire was rather nondescript for a minor league righthander: a 92-94 mph fastball with a fringy slider and a fringy changeup. The introduction of his knuckleball, however, gives Waldron a chance to stand out. He throws two varieties of the floater, a low-80s one and a low-70s version. He moved to throwing his knuckleball 80% of the time as the season progressed. His control of his knuckleball is fringy, and the pitch tends to get hit as it flattens out late in games.
  
  The Future: Waldron should return to Double-A to start 2022.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  A throwback the Padres' way in the Mike Clevinger trade, the former 18th-rounder's addition of an 80-84 mph knuckleball, which he throws more than 80% of the time, has reimagined what was rather a vanilla pitch mix for the righthander—an 89-93 mph fastball, a slider and a changeup.