Matt Seelinger is back home. The Westbury, Long Island, native was called up by the Mets on Tuesday, joining the team after being traded from the Tigers for cash considerations.
Seelinger, 31, pitched 39 ¹/₃ innings for Triple-A Toledo this season, recording a 3.89 earned run average with 49 strikeouts and 19 walks. He is a career minor leaguer who has made stops with the Pirates, Rays, Giants, and Phillies organizations.
"It’s a whirlwind, it’s a dream scenario for me," Seelinger said pregame. "I grew up 20 minutes from here, so I used to come to games all the time as a kid."
This is not the first time Seelinger has played baseball in his home region. He appeared in 21 games for the Long Island Ducks in 2024 before pitching for Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo in the Tigers system. He anticipates having many familiar faces in the stands when he potentially pitches in the major leagues in relief.
Despite growing up a fan of another New York team, Seelinger is aware of Mets history. "Well, I hate to say it, but I was a Yankee fan growing up," he admitted. "But don’t get it twisted, I had the heartbreak of the ’06 Mets, I knew that. ’07, ’08, we don’t have to bring those years up but I know all about it, and ’15 obviously and all that."
He recalled watching the Mets in 2024, describing the city as "unbelievable" during the rivalry with the Yankees. Seelinger mentioned memorable moments like Pete Alonso's home run and Francisco Lindor's grand slam as an avid baseball fan.
One of Seelinger's career highlights occurred earlier this year during a World Baseball Classic exhibition game, where he struck out Juan Soto swinging. Now, he joins Soto as teammates with the Mets as Seelinger pursues his major league dream.