Matt Carpenter

Matthew Martin Lee Carpenter (born November 26, 1985) is an American professional baseball designated hitter and first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB).

He has also played in MLB for the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres.

A left-handed batter and right-handed thrower, Carpenter stands 6 ft and weighs 205 lb.

Carpenter was born in Galveston, Texas, on November 26, 1985, the son of Rick and Tammie Carpenter.

The elder Carpenter is a former college baseball player turned high school coach.

His mother played softball in her youth.

The Carpenter family spent seven years in La Marque, Texas, where Rick Carpenter taught and coached at La Marque High School before moving to Fort Bend Dulles High School and eventually at Fort Bend Lawrence E. Elkins High School.

There, Rick coached for another fifteen years.

The school's baseball team won numerous championships, including nine at the district level, six regional, three state, and one national.

He also coached three other major leaguers: James Loney, Kip Wells and Chad Huffman.

He helped lead the team to a 35–1 record and the USA Today National Prep Championship in 2002, and was named the District Sophomore of the Year that year.

His father, Rick Carpenter, was honored as the USA Today High School Baseball Coach of the Year.

Matt was named a 2004 TPX second-team High School All-American.

He holds the Elkins High School record for most career hits.

One of his high school teammates was James Loney.

Carpenter attended Texas Christian University (TCU) and majored in communications.

One of Carpenter's teammates at TCU was pitcher and fellow future major leaguer Jake Arrieta—who, after Carpenter became a St. Louis Cardinal, would later join the Chicago Cubs on the opposite end of the storied Cardinals–Cubs rivalry.

In his freshman year as an athlete, Carpenter played 50 games and batted .289, 27 runs batted in (RBI), eight doubles (2B) and one home run (HR) with 11 multi-hit games and eight multiple-RBI games.

The next season, he finished second on the team with a .349 average, one home run, and 36 RBIs in 62 games.

He hit safely in 47 games and reached base in 56.

However, Carpenter's junior season was cut short after eight games due to a tearing a ligament in his elbow while throwing from first base.

Tommy John surgery was necessary making him the first TCU position player to undergo a procedure much more common for pitchers to have.

As a result he was granted a two-year medical redshirt (RS).

Because his weight increased to 240 lb and he was rehabilitating his elbow at an age more advanced than most players who are drafted, doubt lingered about Carpenter's future as a professional baseball player.

While he was very disciplined as a player, his discipline off the field was poor, including his grades and physical conditioning.

This contributed to his weight being higher than average.

Carpenter attributes personal motivation and a speech from his head coach Jim Schlossnagle to getting him motivated to change his habits off the field.

Thus, he applied the same dedication off the field as he did on the field.

As a result Carpenter lost 40 lb.

While Carpenter was still rehabilitating during his junior year, major league outfielder Torii Hunter moved to Prosper, Texas, the same high school district where Rick Carpenter coached baseball.

Hunter introduced himself to Carpenter because his son, Torii, Jr., would attend and play baseball there.

The elder Hunter also met Matt Carpenter, who he eventually invited to train at the same gymnasium where he trained.

The Cardinals selected him in the 13th round of the 2009 MLB draft from Texas Christian University (TCU).

A three-time second-team All Mountain West Conference selectee, he broke TCU's school record for games played and at bats and is second in hits, doubles and walks.

He was the Cardinals' organization Player of the Year in 2010.

Since becoming a regular player in 2013, Carpenter has spent considerable time at first base, second base and third base.

A three-time MLB All-Star Game selection, he became the first Silver Slugger Award winner at second base in Cardinals franchise history after leading the major leagues in hits, runs scored and doubles in 2013.

Rick Carpenter also coached at Prosper High School near Dallas until he retired in 2019, winning a state championship in 2015.

Carpenter's brother, Tyler, was a minor league baseball player in the New York Mets organization.

At Elkins High School, Carpenter was a three-year first-team all-district performer and two-time all-state tournament team selection.