Matthew Reid Harrison (born September 16, 1985) is an American former

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 ...

. He 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 Texas Rangers from 2008 through 2015. He was an

MLB All-Star The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...

in 2012.

Early life and high school

Harrison was born in Durham, North Carolina, on September 16, 1985. He attended

South Granville High School South Granville High is a high school in Creedmoor, North Carolina, Creedmoor, North Carolina and is part of the Granville County Schools system. History South Granville High School was built in 1962 as a replacement high school for the already e ...

Creedmoor, North Carolina Creedmoor is a city in Granville County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,124 at the 2010 census. History In 1885, a group of 25 taxpayers of Granville County, including Civil War Confederate veteran Robert Fleming, appeare ...

. He had signed a

letter of intent A letter of intent (LOI or LoI, or Letter of Intent) is a document outlining the understanding between two or more parties which they intend to formalize in a contract, legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a Heads of agreement ( ...

to play baseball at

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...

, but was drafted by the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

in the third round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft and subsequently signed a professional contract.

Professional career

Minor Leagues

Harrison made his professional debut with the

Gulf Coast League The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the lo ...

Gulf Coast Braves The Florida Complex League Braves are the Rookie-level affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Braves. The team plays at CoolTod ...

in . He played in with the

Danville Braves The Danville Braves were a Minor League Baseball team in Danville, Virginia. They were an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have played home games at American Legion Post 3 ...

of the

Appalachian League The Appalachian League is a collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wood bats, its season runs from ...

and in with the

Rome Braves The Rome Braves are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They are located in Rome, Georgia, and play their home games at AdventHealth Stadium. From 2003 to 2020, the team served ...

of the Single-A

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...

. saw Harrison split time between the Single-A

Myrtle Beach Pelicans The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a Minor League Baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Pelicans compete in the Carolina League. Home games are played at TicketReturn.com Field, which open ...

of the

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

and the Double-A

Mississippi Braves The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and plays in the Southern League. T ...

of the Southern League. He was named the Braves' Minor League Player of the Year, the Pelicans' Pitcher of the Year and was a Carolina League All-Star that season. Entering , Harrison was rated by ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...

'' as the third-best prospect in the Braves organization and the seventh-best prospect in the Carolina League. He began 2007 with Double-A Mississippi, starting 20 games for the team, compiling a 5–9 record with a 3.39 ERA and 78

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

s. On July 30, 2007, Harrison, along with catcher

Jarrod Saltalamacchia Jarrod Scott Saltalamacchia (; born May 2, 1985) is an American former professional baseball catcher. Between 2007 and 2018, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Miami Marlins, Arizona ...

, minor league pitchers

Neftalí Feliz Neftalí Feliz Antonio (; born May 2, 1988) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh ...

and Beau Jones, and shortstop prospect

Elvis Andrus Elvis Augusto Andrus Torres (born August 26, 1988) is a Venezuelan-American professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox. Ente ...

, were traded by the Braves to the Texas Rangers for

Mark Teixeira Mark Charles Teixeira ( ; born April 11, 1980), nicknamed "Tex", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels of Anahei ...

and

Ron Mahay Ronald Matthew Mahay (; born June 28, 1971) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals, and Minne ...

Texas Rangers (2008–2015)

2008

Harrison missed the end of the 2007 minor league regular season due to shoulder inflammation. He made his first appearance for the Rangers organization with the Surprise Rafters during the 2007

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 ...

season, where he accounted for a perfect 5–0 record. At the start of the season, Harrison was assigned to the Double-A

Frisco RoughRiders The Frisco RoughRiders (often shortened to 'Riders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. They are located in Frisco, Texas, and are nam ...

of the

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

. On May 18, he threw a

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

against the

San Antonio Missions The San Antonio Missions are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in San Antonio, Texas, and are named for the Spanish missions around which the city was founded. ...

, only the second no-hitter in RoughRiders' history. After only nine appearances with Frisco, Harrison earned a promotion to the Triple-A

Oklahoma RedHawks Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New M ...

in June. While in Oklahoma, he went 3–1, with a 3.55

ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Comp ...

in six appearances. As the middle of the season wore on, the Rangers pitching staff suffered a number of injuries, and the team made the decision to call up Harrison from Frisco on July 8. He made his major league debut with the Rangers that day, defeating the

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 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 ...

, 3–2, outdueling All-Star

Joe Saunders Joseph Francis Saunders (born June 16, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Saunders pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners and ...

in the process. On September 12, Harrison threw a complete game shutout in a 7–0 road victory against the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

. This was the first shutout by a Rangers rookie left-hander in two decades. Harrison—one of 12 Rangers rookies to make their major league debuts in 2008—finished out the season in the majors, ending up with a 9–3 record and a 5.49 ERA.

2009

In 2009, Harrison was limited to 11 starts going 4-5 with a 6.11 ERA.

2010

In 2010, he was 3–2 with a 4.71 ERA, pitching in 37 games (6 of which he started). With the Rangers finishing 90-72, the team made the postseason but lost to the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

in the

2010 World Series The 2010 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2010 season. The 106th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Texas Rangers and the Nati ...

2011

Harrison was 14–9, with a 3.39 ERA in 2011. He started the game the Rangers won to clinch the AL West (Pitched 6 innings, gave up a run). Harrison won Game 4 Of the ALDS versus the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

. With that win Texas won the series and advanced to the ALCS. The Rangers lost to the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

in the 2011 World Series.

2012

2012 was a good year for Harrison as he earned his first career All-Star selection. He went 18-11 with a 3.29 ERA in 32 starts.

2013

2013 became a short-lived season for Harrison as he experienced back soreness. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to back stiffness on April 10, 2013. On April 20, 2013, Harrison underwent back surgery to repair a herniated disc. He underwent a second back surgery on May 2, 2013, which prematurely ended his season. In only 2 starts of the 2013 season, Harrison went 0-2 with an 8.44 ERA.

2014

During the 2014 season, Harrison made only 4 starts going 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA. On May 13, 2014, Harrison left the game with an apparent back injury, which landed him on the disabled list the following day. On June 3, 2014, Harrison underwent lumbar spinal disc fusion surgery, effectively ending his 2014 season. Most news affiliates projected that this surgery could end Harrison’s career playing any professional sport.

2015

Harrison started the 2015 season on the 60-day disabled list in an effort to continue recovery from his spinal fusion surgery. Sources projected that he would return by July or after the All-Star break. On July 27, during Harrison’s third appearance of the season (a start against the Yankees), he experienced more back pain, after which the Rangers elected to end his season.

Philadelphia Phillies

On July 31, 2015, Harrison was traded to the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

along with Nick Williams,

Jorge Alfaro Jorge Mario Alfaro Buelvas (born June 11, 1993) is a Colombian professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. Alfaro signed with the Texas Rangers as a free agent in 2010, and was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2015. He made his ML ...

Jake Thompson Jacob Keith Thompson (born January 31, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies and for the Lotte Giant ...

Alec Asher Alec Edward Asher (born October 4, 1991) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, and Milwaukee Brewers and the Uni-President Lions of the Chine ...

, and

Jerad Eickhoff Jerad Joseph Eickhoff ( ; born July 2, 1990), is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in MLB for the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates. Eickhoff was drafted by ...

in exchange for

Cole Hamels Colbert Michael Hamels (born December 27, 1983), nicknamed "Hollywood", is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (2006–2015), Texas Rangers ( ...

and Jake Diekman. Harrison was released by the Phillies on November 15, 2016, having not thrown a single pitch for the organization. He retired during the offseason as a result of his recurring back injuries.

Pitching style

Harrison threw a sinkerballer, although he used five pitches regularly. The 89–94 mph sinker was complemented by a

four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is ca ...

(90–94), a cutter (85–88), a

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

(77–80), and a

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...

(80–83). The changeup was rarely used against left-handed hitters, as was the cutter against right-handed hitters. His changeup garnered a very effective 37% whiff rate in the first half of 2012.

Personal life

Matt met his wife Meghan in 2002 while attending

. They were married on December 13, 2008. On December 14, 2011, the couple welcomed their first child Addie Grace Harrison.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, Matt 1985 births Living people Texas Rangers players Baseball players from North Carolina Major League Baseball pitchers Gulf Coast Braves players Danville Braves players Rome Braves players Myrtle Beach Pelicans players Mississippi Braves players Frisco RoughRiders players Oklahoma RedHawks players Oklahoma City RedHawks players American League All-Stars Round Rock Express players Surprise Rafters players