The Padres' 2025 season was a rollercoaster for right-handed pitcher Matt Waldron. With a minus-0.1 fWAR and a 6.48 ERA in the minors, Waldron's performance was a stark contrast to his career minor league ERA of 5.67. The key stats tell a story of struggle: 0 wins, 7.71 ERA, 3 strikeouts, 6 walks, and a WHIP of 2.57. But the real controversy lies in his knuckleball experiment. Initially, Waldron's knuckleball was a hit in the majors, yielding a .210 expected batting average and 26.7% usage in 2023. However, in 2024, he leaned into it more, throwing it 38.2% of the time and posting a 2.63 ERA in 13 starts. The love-hate relationship with the knuckleball intensified, leading to a wall hitting late in the summer and an oblique injury in spring training. This injury set him back, and he struggled to regain his form, making just one poor spot start in Philadelphia before returning to Triple-A El Paso. With a poor 2025 season, Waldron is now firmly behind Randy Vásquez and JP Sears in the Padres' rotation depth chart. In 2026, he'll need a strong spring to force his way into the team's plans without being exposed to waivers. The question remains: can Waldron turn things around and secure his spot in the Padres' rotation?
