| Matt Sauer | |
| Team: | Free agent |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Birth Date: | 21 January 1999 |
| Birth Place: | Santa Maria, California, U.S. |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | March 31 |
| Debutyear: | 2024 |
| Debutteam: | Kansas City Royals |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Statyear: | 2024 season |
| Stat1label: | Win–loss record |
| Stat1value: | 0-0 |
| Stat2label: | Earned run average |
| Stat2value: | 7.71 |
| Stat3label: | Strikeouts |
| Stat3value: | 9 |
| Teams: | |
Matthew David Sauer (born January 21, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in MLB for the Kansas City Royals.
Sauer attended Righetti High School in Santa Maria, California.[1] [2] [3] As a senior, he went 9–1 with a 0.98 earned run average (ERA) and 142 strikeouts.[4] He committed to the University of Arizona to play college baseball.[5]
The New York Yankees selected Sauer in the second round, with the 54th overall selection, of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[6] [7] Sauer officially signed with the Yankees on June 24.[8] and was assigned to the rookie–level Gulf Coast League Yankees, where he spent the whole 2017 season, posting an 0–2 record with a 5.40 ERA in innings pitched.[9] In 2018, he pitched with the Low–A Staten Island Yankees where he went 3–6 with a 3.90 ERA in 13 starts and 67 innings.[10]
Sauer spent 2019 with the Single–A Charleston RiverDogs, but pitched only innings due to injury.[11] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] Sauer split the 2021 season between the Single–A Tampa Tarpons and the High–A Hudson Valley Renegades, appearing in 23 games (21 starts) and going 5–6 with a 4.69 ERA and 127 strikeouts over innings.[13]
Sauer began the 2022 season with Hudson Valley and was promoted to the Double–A Somerset Patriots in August.[14] He struck out 17 batters in a game on August 25.[15] Sauer finished the year making 22 starts and logging a 4.54 ERA with 134 strikeouts across 109 innings pitched.[16] He spent the 2023 season with Somerset also briefly appearing for Hudson Valley, and the rookie–level Florida Complex League Yankees. In 14 games (13 starts) for Somerset, Sauer registered a 6–5 record and 3.41 ERA with 93 strikeouts across 74 innings pitched.[17] After the 2023 season, Sauer pitched for the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League.[18]
On December 6, 2023, the Kansas City Royals selected Sauer from the Yankees in the Rule 5 draft.[19] On March 23, 2024, manager Matt Quatraro announced that Sauer had made Kansas City's Opening Day roster[20] as a relief pitcher who can pitch multiple innings.[21] In 14 appearances for the Royals, he struggled to a 7.71 ERA with 9 strikeouts across innings pitched. On May 20, Sauer was designated for assignment following the promotion of Sam Long.[22]
On May 26, 2024, the Royals returned Sauer to the New York Yankees organization. He was subsequently assigned to the Triple–A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.[23] On November 6, he elected free agency.[24]