Matt Kroon

Matt Kroon
Free agent
Infielder
Born: (1996-12-05) December 5, 1996
Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right

Matthew James Kroon (born December 5, 1996) is an American professional baseball infielder who is a free agent.

Early life

The son of MLB player Marc Kroon, Matt grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, and attended Horizon High School.[1][2] He received two all-state selections there and batted .412 as a senior; Kroon was selected in the 38th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft by the Cincinnati Reds.[1][3] Rather than sign with the Reds, Kroon played college baseball with the Oregon Ducks, batting .184 in 35 games with the team in his first year.[4] He transferred to Central Arizona College as a sophomore and posted 20 runs batted in (RBI) and two home runs while batting .266 in 46 games for the school.[4]

Kroon was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 30th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft, but remained in school, transferring a second time to the Oklahoma State Cowboys.[4] He played 57 games with the Cowboys and batted .300 with 11 home runs and 39 RBI.[5]

Professional career

Kroon was drafted in the 18th round, with the 527th overall selection, of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft by the Philadelphia Phillies.[6] He split his first professional season between the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Phillies and Low-A Williamsport Crosscutters, hitting .287 in 42 games. Kroon made 106 appearances split between the Single-A Lakewood BlueClaws and High-A Clearwater Threshers in 2019, slashing .242/.313/.361 with five home runs, 36 RBI, and 18 stolen bases.[7]

Kroon did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[8] Kroon promoted to the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils for the 2021 season.[9] In 45 appearances for Reading, he batted .301/.361/.466 with five home runs and 22 RBI. Kroon tore his ACL while playing for Reading early on in the 2022 season, resulting in him missing all but two games.[10]

Kroon returned to action in 2023 and played with the High-A Jersey Shore BlueClaws, Reading, and the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. In 97 appearances split between the three affiliates, he batted a combined .326/.399/.526 with career-highs in home runs (11), RBI (58), and stolen bases (26).[11] Kroon began the 2024 season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley,[12] where he hit .251/.325/.441 with 11 home runs, 38 RBI, and 15 stolen bases across 80 contests.

In 2025, Kroon played in 26 games for Jersey Shore and Lehigh Valley, hitting .217/.327/.337 with two home runs, 10 RBI, and nine stolen bases. Kroon was released by the Phillies organization on August 4, 2025.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b "Matt Kroon". Oklahoma State Cowboys.
  2. ^ Mayo, Jonathan (November 4, 2023). "Fall League runs in the family for Phillies prospect". Major League Baseball.
  3. ^ Alger, Tyson (June 10, 2015). "MLB Draft 2015: Oregon recruit Matt Kroon selected by Cincinnati Reds in 38th round". OregonLive.com.
  4. ^ a b c Gillispie, Jimmy (April 19, 2018). "Leap of faith: Kroon blossoming as Cowboy after never visiting OSU". Stillwater News Press.
  5. ^ "Matt Kroon Minor League Stats". Baseball-Reference.com.
  6. ^ Ruiz, Nathan (June 2, 2018). "Five Cowboys selected on final day of MLB Draft". The Oklahoman.
  7. ^ "Matt Kroon - Baseball Statistics". thebaseballcube.com. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
  8. ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball season cancelled". mlb.com. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
  9. ^ Housenick, Tom (September 20, 2023). "Lehigh Valley IronPigs' Matt Kroon playing his way into possible shot at the big leagues". The Morning Call.
  10. ^ Montalto, Jared (July 31, 2023). "Fightin Phils' Matt Kroon has returned better than ever after last year's season-ending injury". Reading Eagle.
  11. ^ Zolecki, Todd (March 23, 2024). "These 5 prospects could debut for Phillies in 2024". Major League Baseball.
  12. ^ "Bulls Announce 2023 Opening Day Roster". March 31, 2023.
  13. ^ https://www.milb.com/transactions/2025-08-04
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