Matt Thornton
Born: 9/15/1976 in Three Rivers, MI, USA
MLB Debut: 2004-06-27 | Final Game: 2016-08-02
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'6" | Weight: 235 lbs
Full name: Matthew J. Thornton
Biography
Matt Thornton was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 2004 to 2016. Born in 1976, he established himself as a reliable left-handed reliever known for his strong fastball and effective slider, making significant contributions to several Major League Baseball teams. Over the course of his career, Thornton compiled a record of 36-46, with a commendable earned run average (ERA) of 3.41. He recorded a total of 642 strikeouts and secured 23 saves, showcasing his ability to close out games and manage high-pressure situations.
Thornton’s performance earned him an All-Star selection during his career, highlighting his status as one of the more prominent relief pitchers of his era. Competing in a time when specialized bullpen roles became increasingly important, he was often called upon to face tough left-handed hitters, which he did with notable success. His contributions to the game and consistent performances solidified his legacy within the sport, making him a respected figure among teammates and opponents alike.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 46 | 748 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 662.7 | 594 | 251 | 52 | 251 | 642 | 3.41 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | SEA | AL | 1 | 2 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32.7 | 30 | 15 | 25 | 30 | 4.13 | 131.8 |
| 2005 | SEA | AL | 0 | 4 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 57.0 | 54 | 33 | 42 | 57 | 5.21 | -2745.8 |
| 2006 | CHW | AL | 5 | 3 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 54.0 | 46 | 20 | 21 | 49 | 3.33 | - |
| 2007 | CHW | AL | 4 | 4 | 68 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 56.3 | 59 | 30 | 26 | 55 | 4.79 | - |
| 2008 | CHW | AL | 5 | 3 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 67.3 | 48 | 20 | 19 | 77 | 2.67 | - |
| 2009 | CHW | AL | 6 | 3 | 70 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 72.3 | 58 | 22 | 20 | 87 | 2.74 | - |
| 2010 | CHW | AL | 5 | 4 | 61 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 60.7 | 41 | 18 | 20 | 81 | 2.67 | - |
| 2011 | CHW | AL | 2 | 5 | 62 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 59.7 | 60 | 22 | 21 | 63 | 3.32 | - |
| 2012 | CHW | AL | 4 | 10 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 65.0 | 63 | 25 | 17 | 53 | 3.46 | - |
| 2013 | BOS | AL | 0 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15.3 | 22 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 3.52 | 389.6 |
| 2013 | CHW | AL | 0 | 3 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28.0 | 25 | 12 | 10 | 21 | 3.86 | - |
| 2014 | NYY | AL | 0 | 3 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24.7 | 23 | 7 | 6 | 20 | 2.55 | - |
| 2014 | WAS | NL | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.3 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0.00 | 348.2 |
| 2015 | WAS | NL | 2 | 1 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41.3 | 33 | 10 | 11 | 23 | 2.18 | 459.4 |
| 2016 | SDP | NL | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17.0 | 22 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 5.82 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 748 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | SEA | AL | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2005 | SEA | AL | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2006 | CHW | AL | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2007 | CHW | AL | 68 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 2008 | CHW | AL | 74 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2009 | CHW | AL | 70 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2010 | CHW | AL | 61 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2011 | CHW | AL | 62 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2012 | CHW | AL | 74 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2013 | BOS | AL | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2013 | CHW | AL | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2014 | NYY | AL | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2014 | WAS | NL | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2015 | WAS | NL | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2016 | SDP | NL | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | NLDS1 | WAS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 2008 | ALDS2 | CHA | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 5.7 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1.59 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | NLDS1 | WAS | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3.86 |
| 2008 | ALDS2 | CHA | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3.3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.00 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 748 | 1 | 27 | 90 | 4 | 10 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | SEA | P | 19 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 2005 | SEA | P | 55 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 2006 | CHA | P | 63 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 2007 | CHA | P | 68 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| 2008 | CHA | P | 74 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 2009 | CHA | P | 70 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 2 |
| 2010 | CHA | P | 61 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | CHA | P | 62 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | CHA | P | 74 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| 2013 | BOS | P | 20 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | CHA | P | 40 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| 2014 | NYA | P | 46 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | WAS | P | 18 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | WAS | P | 60 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 2016 | SDN | P | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 748 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | SDN | NL | $1,600,000 |
| 2015 | WAS | NL | $3,500,000 |
| 2014 | NYA | AL | $3,500,000 |
| 2013 | CHA | AL | $5,500,000 |
| 2012 | CHA | AL | $5,500,000 |
| 2011 | CHA | AL | $3,000,000 |
| 2010 | CHA | AL | $2,250,000 |
| 2009 | CHA | AL | $1,325,000 |
| 2008 | CHA | AL | $875,000 |
| 2007 | CHA | AL | $425,000 |
| 2006 | CHA | AL | $355,000 |
| 2005 | SEA | AL | $323,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $28,153,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Valley State University | Allendale | MI | 1998 |