Isaac Gerald Mattson (born July 14, 1995) is an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

in the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

organization. He has previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

Amateur career

Mattson attended Harbor Creek High School in

Harborcreek, Pennsylvania Harborcreek is an unincorporated community in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. The community is located along U.S. Route 20, east-northeast of Erie. Harborcreek has a post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer ...

, where he played both baseball and basketball. In 2014, his senior year, he went 6–0 with a 0.67 ERA along with batting .531. He was not drafted out of high school in the

2014 Major League Baseball draft The 2014 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June ...

and enrolled at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

where he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

. In 2015, as a freshman at Pitt, Mattson appeared in 22 games, going 1–1 with a 3.82 ERA, and in 2016, his sophomore season, he pitched 34 innings in relief, compiling a 2–0 record with a 3.71 ERA. After his sophomore year, he played for the

Chatham Anglers The Chatham Anglers, more commonly referred to as the Chatham A's and formerly the Chatham Athletics, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Chatham, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in t ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...

and was named an all-star. In 2017, as a junior, he pitched 31 innings out of the bullpen, going 1–0 with a 2.87 ERA, striking out 41.

Professional career

Los Angeles Angels

After the season, Mattson was drafted by the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

in the 19th round of the

2017 Major League Baseball draft The 2017 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft began on June 12, 2017. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first 36 picks, including the first round and compensatory picks, were broadcast on MLB Network on J ...

. After signing, Mattson made his professional debut with the

Arizona League Angels The Arizona Complex League Angels are a professional baseball team competing as a Rookie-level affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Temp ...

before being promoted to the

Orem Owlz The Orem Owlz were a Minor League Baseball team located in Orem, Utah, United States, from 2001 to 2020. The team competed in the Pioneer League as a Rookie League affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. The Owlz played their home games at Home o ...

, where he was named an All-Star. In innings between the two clubs, he went 1–0 with a 1.44 ERA. In 2018, he played for the

Burlington Bees The Burlington Bees are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. They are located in Burlington, Iowa, and have played their home games at Community Field since 1947. Founded in 1889, the Bees played in Minor League Basebal ...

and the

Inland Empire 66ers The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. The 66ers are based in San Bernardino, California, and play at San Manuel Stadium. Franchise ...

, going 7–4 with a 3.82 ERA in 25 games (11 starts), and in 2019, he began the year with the 66ers before being promoted to the

Mobile BayBears The Mobile BayBears were a Minor League Baseball team based in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The team, which played in the Southern League, served as the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres (1997–2006), Arizona Diamondbacks (2007–2 ...

in May. In August, he was promoted to the

Salt Lake Bees The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. They are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and play their home games at Smith's Ballpark. The ballpark op ...

. Over 37 relief appearances between the three clubs, Mattson pitched to a 6–3 record with a 2.33 ERA, striking out 110 over innings. He was selected to play in the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fill ...

for the

Mesa Solar Sox The Mesa Solar Sox are a baseball team that plays in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games in Mesa, Arizona, at Sloan Park, which is also the spring training facility of the Chicago Cubs. The team was established ...

following the season.

Baltimore Orioles

On December 4, 2019, Mattson (alongside

Zach Peek Below are select minor league players and the rosters of the minor league affiliates of the Baltimore Orioles: Players Justin Armbruester Justin David Armbruester (born October 21, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Balti ...

Kyle Bradish Kyle Edward Bradish (born September 12, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022. Amateur career Bradish attended Millennium High School (Arizona), ...

, and

Kyle Brnovich Below are select minor league players and the rosters of the minor league affiliates of the Baltimore Orioles: Players Justin Armbruester Justin David Armbruester (born October 21, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Balti ...

) was traded to the

in exchange for

Dylan Bundy Dylan Matthew Bundy (born November 15, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB)for the Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Angels and Minnesota Twins. The Orioles selected Bu ...

. He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. On November 20, 2020, Mattson was added to the 40-man roster. On May 3, 2021, Mattson was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. Mattson made his major league debut on May 7, pitching 2/3 of an inning and allowing one run on a

Marwin González Marwin Javier González (born March 14, 1989) is a Venezuelan professional baseball utility player for the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). González was signed as an international free agent by the Chicago Cubs in 2005. ...

RBI double. He was optioned to the Triple-A

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapea ...

the following day. On June 30, Mattson was recalled by the Orioles. He recorded his first career strikeout on July 3, striking out

infielder David Fletcher. Over 4 appearances for the Orioles in 2021, Matson posted a 6.23 ERA with 3 strikeouts. On April 8, 2022, Mattson was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. On July 18, the Orioles released Mattson from the organization.

Washington Wild Things

On August 6, 2022, Mattson signed with the

Washington Wild Things The Washington Wild Things are a professional baseball team based in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The Wild Things are a member of the Frontier League, an independent baseball league which, as of 2020, is an official Partner Le ...

of the

Frontier League The Frontier League is a professional independent baseball league with teams in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada. Formed in 1993, it is the oldest currently running independent league in the United States. The le ...

. He made 12 appearances for Washington, recording a 2.40 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 15.0 innings pitched. On December 5, Mattson was released by the Wild Things after having his contract option declined.

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

On March 31, 2023, Mattson signed with the

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs are an American professional baseball team based in Waldorf, Maryland. They are members of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent "partner league" of Major League Baseba ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...

. In 18 appearances for the Blue Crabs, Mattson logged a 3.32 ERA with 24 strikeouts and 3 saves in 19.0 innings pitched.

Minnesota Twins

On June 22, 2023, Mattson signed a minor league contract with the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

organization. In 21 appearances for the Double–A

Wichita Wind Surge The Wichita Wind Surge are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Wichita, Kansas, and began play in 2021 at Riverfront Stadium. The Wind Surge were supposed to b ...

, he registered a 3.62 ERA with 42 strikeouts across innings of work. Mattson elected free agency following the season on November 6.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On December 11, 2023, Mattson signed a minor league contract with the

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mattson, Isaac 1995 births Living people Arizona League Angels players Baltimore Orioles players Baseball players from Erie, Pennsylvania Burlington Bees players Chatham Anglers players Inland Empire 66ers players Major League Baseball pitchers Mesa Solar Sox players Mobile BayBears players Orem Owlz players Pittsburgh Panthers baseball players Salt Lake Bees players Southern Maryland Blue Crabs players Norfolk Tides players Washington Wild Things players