Phil Maton Bio
Phillip Louis Maton III, born on March 25, 1993, in Chatham, Illinois, is an American professional baseball pitcher who currently plays for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). A right-handed reliever, he has built a steady career across multiple organizations since his MLB debut in 2017 and is recognized for his durability out of the bullpen. Maton is also a member of the 2022 World Series champion Houston Astros, a milestone that remains the defining championship moment of his career.
Standing 6-foot-2 and known for a heavy sinker-style approach, Maton has spent the majority of his Major League tenure in middle relief and setup roles. He signed a two-year contract with the Cubs in November 2025, signaling a fresh chapter after a 2025 season that included stops with three different National League clubs.
Early Life and Background
Phillip Louis Maton III grew up in Chatham, Illinois, where he attended Glenwood High School and developed into a promising young pitcher. Growing up in the central Midwest, he was raised in a baseball family, with two younger brothers, Nick and Jacob, who also pursued the sport at a high level. His early life in Illinois provided a traditional small-town foundation that supported his steady progression through amateur baseball.
After high school, Maton continued his playing career at Louisiana Tech University, where he joined the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs baseball program. His time in Ruston, Louisiana, helped him transition from a prep prospect to a draft-eligible college arm, and he refined his mechanics and pitch repertoire under the Bulldogs coaching staff.
Path to Baseball
Maton’s path to professional baseball reached its first major milestone when the San Diego Padres selected him in the 20th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft, with the 597th overall pick. The selection was modest by draft standards, but Maton used his first professional summer to validate the Padres’ scouting. He debuted with the Low-A Tri-City Dust Devils in 2015, pitching to a 4–2 record with a 1.38 earned run average (ERA) and 58 strikeouts across 23 relief appearances, an immediate sign of his strikeout ability and poise on the mound.
The following year, Maton advanced through the Padres’ system, splitting time with the Single-A Fort Wayne TinCaps, the High-A Lake Elsinore Storm, and the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas. Across 38 total appearances in 2016, he posted a 5–3 record with a 1.74 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings. He capped the year with a stint in the Arizona Fall League for the Peoria Javelinas, gaining experience against top prospects from other organizations. By the start of 2017, he had reached Triple-A El Paso, putting him on the doorstep of the Major Leagues.
Phil Maton Career
Early Career (2017–2018)
Maton made his MLB debut on June 11, 2017, after the Padres called him up from Triple-A El Paso when Jake Esch was designated for assignment. He remained in the big league bullpen for the rest of the season and served in a middle relief role, finishing his rookie year with a 4.19 ERA and 46 strikeouts over 46 games and 43 innings. The performance gave the Padres a glimpse of a reliable arm that could handle high-leverage innings.
In 2018, Maton shuttled between Triple-A El Paso and the majors. He was recalled in early April when Wil Myers went to the disabled list and pitched effectively before a lat strain sent him to the DL in May. After a rehab assignment, he returned in June, was briefly optioned, and was recalled again in July after a dominant Triple-A stretch. He finished 2018 with a 4.37 ERA and 55 strikeouts across 47 1/3 innings, continuing to operate as a middle reliever in San Diego.
Cleveland Indians Era (2019–2021)
On July 12, 2019, the Padres traded Maton to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for international bonus pool allotments, beginning a new chapter in the American League. In his first nine appearances with Cleveland, he posted a 2.92 ERA in 12 1/3 innings, showing the same strike-throwing consistency that defined his early work. He spent the bulk of his Indians tenure working in a multi-inning relief role, contributing to a Cleveland bullpen that routinely ranked among the league’s deepest.
Houston Astros Era (2021–2023)
On July 30, 2021, Cleveland sent Maton to the Houston Astros in a package that included catcher Yainer Díaz in exchange for outfielder Myles Straw. With Houston down the stretch, he went 4–0 with a 4.97 ERA across 27 games, settling into a late-inning relief role on a contending club. The move positioned him for the most memorable stretch of his career.
Maton’s most iconic moment came on June 15, 2022, when he threw an immaculate inning in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field, striking out Nathaniel Lowe, Ezequiel Durán, and Brad Miller on nine pitches. The feat was historic: in the second inning, teammate Luis García had also struck out the same three batters in order on nine pitches, making it the first time in Major League history that two immaculate innings were thrown in the same game. The Astros ultimately won the 2022 World Series, giving Maton his first championship ring. He missed the playoffs after fracturing his right hand in a postgame moment on October 5, but his regular-season contributions helped Houston reach the Fall Classic.
In 2023, Maton continued in a setup role before a right elbow contusion from a line drive comebacker off the bat of Eduardo Escobar landed him on the 15-day injured list in August. He returned to pitch in the late stages of the season, finishing his Astros tenure as a trusted reliever for one of the American League’s most consistent contenders.
Tampa Bay Rays and New York Mets Era (2024)
Maton signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays in February 2024 and pitched in 40 relief outings, compiling a 4.58 ERA with 30 strikeouts and two saves across 35 1/3 innings. In July, the Rays dealt him to the New York Mets, where he found his best form of the season: in 31 appearances, he posted a 2.51 ERA with 30 strikeouts over 28 2/3 innings. The Mets declined his 2025 option in November, sending him into free agency once again.
St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers Era (2025)
On March 13, 2025, Maton signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, returning to the National League. He appeared in 40 relief outings for St. Louis, logging a 1–3 record with a 2.35 ERA, 48 strikeouts, and two saves across 38 1/3 innings, providing veteran stability in the Cardinals’ bullpen. In late July, the Cardinals traded him to the Texas Rangers, where he pitched in 23 games and recorded a 3–2 record with a 3.52 ERA, 33 strikeouts, and three saves over 23 innings. Despite the busy travel year, he maintained the consistency that has defined his career.
Chicago Cubs Era (2025–Present)
On November 25, 2025, Maton signed a two-year, $14.5 million contract with the Chicago Cubs, securing his spot in the team’s bullpen through the 2026 season and giving Chicago a veteran middle reliever with extensive postseason experience. The deal represented the largest multi-year commitment of his career and a return to the National League Central. Wearing uniform number 88, Maton joined a Cubs team looking to blend developing arms with proven late-inning options.
Notable Events and Milestones
The signature moment of Maton’s career remains the June 15, 2022 immaculate inning, which paired with Luis García’s earlier frame to produce the first two immaculate innings in the same game in Major League history. He is also a 2022 World Series champion with the Houston Astros and has now pitched for eight Major League organizations, a testament to his longevity as a middle reliever.
Phil Maton Career Wins
Across his Major League career, Phil Maton has accumulated more than 20 regular-season wins as a relief pitcher, with double-digit win seasons in 2021 and 2025. He has been a dependable setup option in multiple cities, and his 2022 World Series ring remains the centerpiece of his professional résumé. While he has not finished a season as a primary closer, he has earned multiple saves in each of his last three seasons.
Phil Maton Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Phil Maton comes from a baseball family. His two younger brothers, Nick and Jacob, also play the sport. Nick has played in the Major Leagues, while Jacob is a pitcher who was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 2018 MLB draft and later played college baseball at Coastal Carolina. A memorable milestone came on October 5, 2022, when Phil faced Nick in the Major Leagues for the first time, yielding a single in their lone head-to-head at-bat.
Personal Life
Maton is married to Katelynn Cook, a former four-year player for the Louisiana Tech softball team who graduated in 2016. The couple met during his college years in Ruston, and she has remained a regular presence throughout his professional career. Despite playing for multiple organizations, Maton has long cited the St. Louis Cardinals as his favorite team growing up, a connection that made his 2025 stint in St. Louis especially meaningful.
2025 Season Performance
Phil Maton’s 2025 campaign was one of the most unusual of his career, as he appeared for three different teams across the regular season. He opened the year with the St. Louis Cardinals after signing a one-year deal in March, posting a 1–3 record with a 2.35 ERA, 48 strikeouts, and two saves across 38 1/3 innings in 40 relief outings. The work reaffirmed his value as a dependable middle reliever in the National League Central.
At the trade deadline on July 31, the Cardinals sent him to the Texas Rangers, where he continued to produce. In 23 appearances for Texas, Maton compiled a 3–2 record and 3.52 ERA with 33 strikeouts and three saves over 23 innings, offering veteran stability in a Rangers bullpen looking to make a postseason push. The split-season results gave him his second consecutive double-digit win year and showed that he could adapt quickly to new environments.
After the season ended, Maton hit free agency and quickly found a long-term home, signing a two-year, $14.5 million contract with the Chicago Cubs on November 25, 2025. The deal keeps him under team control through 2026 and provides the Cubs with an experienced setup arm alongside their younger relievers. Heading into 2026, Maton is positioned to serve as a key piece of the Cubs’ late-inning plans.
