Matthew James Foster (born January 27, 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 leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professional ...
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 ...
for the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
of
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). He made his MLB debut in 2020.
Amateur career
Foster attended Valley High School in
Valley, Alabama
Valley is a city in Chambers County, Alabama, United States. Valley was incorporated in 1980 combining the four textile mill villages of Fairfax, Langdale, River View, and Shawmut. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 9,524. The city li ...
.
[ He was drafted by the ]Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
in the 29th round of the 2013 MLB draft
The 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Each team received one selection per round, going in ...
, but did not sign. He attended Gulf Coast State College
Gulf Coast State College is a public college in Panama City, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System and offers the Associate of Arts degree, Associate of Science degree, certificates, and as of 2011, bachelor's degrees.
History
The ...
for two years (2014-2015). He then transferred to the University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the publi ...
, and played for the Crimson Tide for the 2016 season. Foster was drafted by the Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
in the 20th round of the 2016 MLB draft.[
]
Professional career
Foster split the 2016 season between the Arizona League White Sox
The Arizona Complex League White Sox are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Camelback Ranch in Phoenix, Arizona. The team is compos ...
and the Great Falls Voyagers
The Great Falls Voyagers are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Great Falls, Montana, and play their home games at Cente ...
, going a combined 0–0 with a 0.61 ERA over innings.[ He split the 2017 season between the ]Kannapolis Intimidators
Kannapolis () is a city in Cabarrus and Rowan counties, in the U.S. state of North Carolina, northwest of Concord and northeast of Charlotte and is a suburb in the Charlotte metropolitan area. The city of Kannapolis was incorporated in 1984. The ...
and the Winston-Salem Dash
The Winston-Salem Dash are a Minor League Baseball team in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They are a High-A team in the South Atlantic League and have been a farm team of the Chicago White Sox since 1997. The Dash began playing their home games a ...
, going a combined 0–2 with a 1.30 ERA over innings.[ He played for the ]Glendale Desert Dogs
The Glendale Desert Dogs are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. The ballpark is also the spring training facility of the Chicago White ...
of 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 fille ...
following the 2017 season.[ He split the 2018 season between Winston-Salem and the Birmingham Barons, going a combined 2–5 with a 3.30 ERA over 60 innings.] He split the 2019 season between Birmingham and the Charlotte Knights
The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field, which opened in 20 ...
, going a combined 4–1 with a 3.20 ERA over innings.
Foster was added to the White Sox 40–man roster following the 2019 season.
On July 29, 2020, Foster was called up to the major leagues. He made his MLB debut on August 1, pitching a scoreless inning of relief and earning a win in the process. With the 2020 Chicago White Sox, Foster appeared in 23 games, compiling a 6-1 record with 2.20 ERA and 31 strikeouts in innings pitched. Foster struggled in 2021 as he was in and out of Triple-A in that season. Foster appeared in just 37 games in the Major Leagues compiling a 2–1 record with a 6.00 ERA in 39 innings while striking out 40 batters.
References
External links
Alabama Crimson Tide bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Matt
1995 births
Living people
People from Valley, Alabama
Baseball players from Alabama
Major League Baseball pitchers
Chicago White Sox players
Alabama Crimson Tide baseball players
Arizona League White Sox players
Great Falls Voyagers players
Kannapolis Intimidators players
Winston-Salem Dash players
Birmingham Barons players
Charlotte Knights players
Glendale Desert Dogs players