Matt Carson

Matthew Reese Carson

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 200 lb.
• School Brigham Young University
• High School Yucaipa High School
• Debut September 18, 2009
• Final Game September 29, 2013
• Born July 1, 1981 in Newport Beach, CA USA

BR page

Biographical information

Matt Carson was drafted by the New York Yankees in the fifth round of the 2002 amateur draft. His brother, Clayton, was a college coach. His mother is a cousin of Bill, Jim and Bob Buckner. Matt began his career in 2002 with the Staten Island Yankees, hitting .203 in 48 games. He spent the next season with the Battle Creek Yankees, hitting .259 with 11 home runs and 100 strikeouts in 119 games. In 2004, he played for the Battle Creek Yankees and Tampa Yankees, hitting a combined .271 with 15 home runs and 111 strikeouts in 132. He split 2005 between Tampa and the Trenton Thunder, batting .238 with nine home runs in 112 games. In 2006, he played with those teams again, hitting .248 with ten home runs in 69 games. He spent all of 2007 with Trenton, hitting .248 with 16 home runs, and in 2008 he played for Trenton and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, hitting .285 with 15 home runs in 111 games.

For 2009, he signed as a seven-year minor league free agent with the Oakland Athletics and found himself with the Sacramento RiverCats. He had a career year, hitting .264 with 25 home runs and 77 RBI, and was subsequently called up to the majors, replacing pitcher Vin Mazzaro, who was placed on the 60-day disabled list. Carson made his debut on September 18, 2009, against the Cleveland Indians. In his first game, he struck out twice in three at-bats. He collected hits in his next three games, including his first home run against Eddie Guardado of the Texas Rangers, after he came into the game as a defensive replacement on September 21. He hit .286 in 10 games that first year. He was back with the A's for 36 games in 2010, but things did not go as well; he hit only .177, although he did slug 2 doubles and 4 homers in 79 at-bats. He saw brief action with the Minnesota Twins in 2012, then hit 7-for-11 (.636) with a home run and 5 runs scored in 20 games for the Cleveland Indians in 2013, his last big league action.

Related Sites

• Matt Carson on mlb.com