Matt Wallner

Matthew John Wallner, born December 12, 1997, is an American professional baseball outfielder who plays for the Minnesota Twins in Major League Baseball (MLB). Raised in Forest Lake, Minnesota, he carved out an impressive sporting career from his high school days, dotting his path to MLB with numerous accolades.

Wallner’s acumen for baseball was evident when he played high school baseball at Forest Lake Area High School. In his senior year, he amassed a compelling record, which earned him the title of Minnesota’s Mr. Baseball. Notable among his record were 7-1 pitching with a mean 0.95 Earned Run Average (ERA) and a batting average of .382 with ten home runs. His impressive performances initially saw him committed to play college baseball for the University of North Dakota, but a twist in events led him to sign with the University of Southern Mississippi when his originally intended school dropped their baseball program in 2016.

In his first year at Southern Mississippi in 2017, he put up blistering performances, hitting .336 with 19 home runs and 63 RBIs in 66 games. His additional bullpen appearances saw him compile a 1.84 ERA. This freshman year saw him take home various awards including conference Freshman of the Year by Conference USA (C-USA), Baseball America, and D1Baseball.com.

Wallner followed the first year’s success with another impeccable season in 2018, hitting .351 with 16 home runs and 67 RBIs in 62 games. Consequently, he was named to the C-USA First Team and an All-American by various bodies. He also represented USA Baseball on the Collegiate National Team.

Before the start of the 2019 season, Wallner was named a preseason All-American by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, D1Baseball.com and Perfect Game. His year turned out to be historic as he hit his 54th career home run, making him Southern Mississippi University’s all-time record holder; he ended the season batting .323 with 23 home runs and sixty RBIs.

In the 2019 MLB draft, the Minnesota Twins scooped Wallner with the 39th overall pick. The new recruit was signed for $1.8 million and was dispatched to the Elizabethton Twins of the Rookie-level Appalachian League. He played in the minor league for four years, showing consistent performance until making his MLB debut in 2022.

His 2021 season was slightly disrupted due to a right wrist sprain and later a broken hamate bone that needed surgery. Despite this setback, he returned to a strong performance later in the year, making appearances in 68 games and contributing 15 home runs and 47 RBIs.

In 2022, Wallner represented the Twins at the All-Star Futures Game and later got promoted to the Triple-A International League, playing for the St. Paul Saints. Over the course of the season, he slashed .277/.412/.541 in 458 at bats with 27 home runs, 95 RBIs, and 32 doubles. He also stood out as third in the minor leagues with 97 walks.

The Twins selected Wallner’s contract and promoted him to the major leagues on 17 September 2022. In his debut game, Wallner made a big splash, hitting a solo home run off Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians, marking his first MLB hit.

Wallner started the 2023 season optioned to Triple-A St. Paul. His call-up to the majors happened in early April of the same year, where he featured in six games from April 8–15. He was recalled again from Triple-A on May 23 after Trevor Larnach contracted pneumonia. Wallner’s career so far is a testament to his attributes, powerful right-hand swings, and overall, his love for baseball.