Matt Sauer #35

Matt Sauer (like ‘sour’) was selected by Kansas City from the Yankees with the second pick in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft...resides in Santa Maria, Calif., with his wife, Reagan...Graduated from Ernest Righetti HS (Calif.) in 2017, when as a senior he won the PAC-8 League Most Valuable Player Award after going 9-1 with a 0.98 ERA (11 ER in 78.1 IP) with 142 strikeouts in 14 outings (13 starts) while also playing shortstop...Was committed to the University of Arizona before signing with the Yankees in 2017...Was a member of the 2015 USA 17U National Team Development Program.

2024

Selected by Kansas City in the Rule 5 Draft…made 14 appearances in relief, going 0-0 with a 7.71 ERA (14 ER/16.1 IP) with nine strikeouts against 11 walks... Made his Major League debut on March 31 vs. MIN, tossing 1.0 inning of relief, giving up one hit... Returned to the Yankees organization on May 26 and assigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Double-A Somerset on July 5…combined to go 3-2 with one save and a 6.12 ERA (22 ER/32.1 IP) in 27 games (one start) with 30 strikeouts.

2023

Was limited to 17 appearances (16 starts) in 2023 due to injury and did not pitch in a game until beginning a rehab assignment in June...In 14 outings (13 starts) with Double-A Somerset, he had a 3.42 ERA (26 ER in 68.1 IP), 83 strikeouts (10.9 K/9) and a .196 opponents’ average...Allowed one earned run or fewer in nine of his 14 outings with Double-A Somerset, including his 11-strikeout game in 6.2 innings on Sept. 1 at Portland...Recorded 18 strikeouts in 10.2 innings (15.2 K/9) over nine relief appearances with Mesa in the Arizona Fall League.

2022

He ranked third among Yankees minor leaguers with 134 strikeouts in 2022, including a 17-strikeout game in 8.0 innings on Aug. 25 with Double-A Somerset, which earned him Eastern League Pitcher of the Week honors...Named Florida State League Pitcher of the Week from May 30-June 5, 2022 after allowing one hit over 7.0 scoreless innings with Hudson Valley on June 1.

2021

Earned Low-A Southeast League Pitcher of the Week honors for June 28-July 4, 2021 after allowing one hit with 10 strikeouts over 6.0 scoreless innings with Tampa on July 1.

2019-20

Limited to two starts in 2019 due to injury and did not pitch in 2020 due to the pandemic.