Matt Carpenter, Third Base, San Diego Padres

Date of Birth: 11/26/1985
Birthplace: Galveston, Texas
College: Texas Christian University

Matt Carpenter, third baseman for the San Diego Padres, was drafted in 2009 by the St. Louis Cardinals. He made his first appearance with them in 2011, playing in 7 games.

In 2012, Carpenter played in 114 games with the Cardinals. He batted .294 with 87 hits and 22 doubles. That season, he was a utility defensive player, playing at various times at first base, second base, third base, left field, and right field.

Carpenter had an outstanding year in 2013. He won a Silver Slugger award as a second baseman and he was the MLB leader in hits and doubles. He batted .318 with 199 hits, 55 doubles, 11 home runs, and 78 RBIs in 157 games. Carpenter was primarily a second baseman in 2013, playing that position in 132 games.

Carpenter finished the 2014 season with 162 hits, 33 doubles, 59 RBIs, and a .272 batting average in 158 games. In the postseason, he had 10 hits, 4 doubles, 4 home runs, 8 RBIs, and a .278 batting average in 36 at-bats in 9 games.

Carpenter had a strong 2015 season, finishing with career highs in home runs (28) and RBIs (84). He batted .272 with 156 hits and 44 doubles in 154 games. As the Cardinals' third baseman, he made 234 assists, 25 double plays, 77 putouts, and 14 errors. In 17 at-bats in 4 games in the postseason, he batted .235 with 4 hits, 1 home run, and 1 RBI.

In 2016, Carpenter batted .271 in 129 games. He finished the season with 128 hits, 36 doubles, 21 home runs, and 68 RBIs. Defensively, he played 45 games at first base, 40 games at second base, and 54 games at third base.

Carpenter batted .241 in 145 games with the Cardinals in 2017. He finished the season with 120 hits, 31 doubles, 23 home runs, 69 RBIs, and 125 strikeouts to 109 walks. Defensively, as the Cardinals' first baseman in 120 games, he made 74 assists, 103 double plays, 895 putouts, and 7 errors.

Carpenter finished the 2018 season with 145 hits, 42 doubles, 36 home runs, 81 RBIs, 158 strikeouts to 102 walks, and a .257 batting average in 156 games. Defensively, he played 95 games at first base, 11 games at second base, and 76 games at third base.

Carpenter spent time on the DL in 2019 with with lower back strain and with a foot injury. He finished the season with 94 hits, 20 doubles, 15 home runs, 46 RBIs, 129 strikeouts to 63 walks, and a .226 batting average in 129 games. In the postseason, he had 1 hit and 3 RBIs in 13 at-bats in 8 games.

Carpenter played in 50 games in 2020. He finished the season with 26 hits, 6 doubles, 4 home runs, 24 RBIs, 48 strikeouts to 23 walks, and a .186 batting average. Defensively, he played 6 games at first base and 30 games at third base. He was the Cardinals' DH in 14 games. In the postseason, he batted .222 with 2 hits in 9 at-bats in 3 games.

Carpenter finished the 2021 season with 35 hits and a .169 batting average in 130 games. He didn't play in the postseason.

Carpenter became a free agent on November 4, 2021. He signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers on March 20, 2022. He was released two months later on May 19th. He signed with the New York Yankees on May 26th.

Carpenter became a free agent on November 6, 2022. He signed with the Padres on December 20th.

Career batting statistics for Carpenter through 2021 include:

• 1,329 games played
• 1,153 hits
• 301 doubles
• 155 home runs
• 576 RBIs
• 1,072 strikeouts to 699 walks
• .262 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Carpenter at third base through 2021 include:

• 671 games played
• 1,108 assists
• 111 double plays
• 344 putouts
• 65 errors
• .957 fielding percentage

Personal Life

Carpenter and his wife Mackenzie were married on December 10, 2011.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Matt Carpenter
ESPN - Matt Carpenter