Strahm is the 155th former Northwoods League player to debut in MLB
Rochester, Minn. – Former Rochester Honker, Matt Strahm, made his Major League debut for the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, July 31, 2016. Strahm is the 155th former Northwoods League player to reach the Major League level.
Strahm, who played collegiately at Neosha County Community College in Kansas, played for the Rochester Honkers in 2011. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 21st round of the 2012 MLB Draft.
In 2011 with the Honkers, Strahm was 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA in four games. He also struck out 22 batters in 24.2 innings pitched.
Strahm started his Minor League career in 2012 with the Idaho Falls Chukars of the Rookie Pioneer League. He went 1-3 with a 5.64 ERA over 19 games and struck out 42 batters in 30.1 innings pitched.
After the 2012 season his arm began to hurt and team doctors discovered that the ulnar collateral ligament in his left arm was stretched out. Strahm underwent Tommy John surgery during the second half of the 2013 season and missed nearly all of 2014.
The 2014 season saw Strahm return to Idaho Falls. Over 10 appearances with the Chukars he went 1-0 with a 2.33 ERA and struck out 27 batters in 19.1 innings.
Strahm spent the 2015 season with two teams. He began the year with the Lexington Legends in the Lo-A South Atlantic League before a promotion, after 14 games, to the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the Hi-A Carolina League. Between the two clubs he went a combined 3-7 with a 2.59 ERA while continuing his high strikeout rate with 121 in 94.0 innings pitched.
Prior to his call up to the Royals, Strahm was 3-8 with a 3.43 ERA over 22 appearances with the AA Northwest Arkansas Naturals of the AA Texas League. He had also struck out 107 batters in 102.1 innings pitched.
In his Major League debut against the Texas Rangers, Strahm entered in relief of Royals starter and former Brainerd Blue Thunder pitcher Dillon Gee in the top of the 7th inning. Strahm gave up a single to Mitch Moreland before striking out Ryan Rua and walking Robinson Chirinos. Strahm was then replaced by Peter Moylan.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 22-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 150 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store and on Google Play
