Mets call up Long Island native Matt Seelinger from Ducks

Matt Seelinger got the call to Queens and turned his Long Island return into a big-league debut. The Mets selected the right-hander’s contract on July 7 before their game against the Kansas City Royals at Citi Field, then listed him as making his MLB debut that same day before designating him for assignment after the brief stint.

The move carried clear local weight. Seelinger is a Westbury native and a Farmingdale State College alumnus, and the call-up made him the 34th former Long Island Ducks player to reach the majors. Ducks manager Lew Ford has long pointed to that kind of path as proof that the Atlantic League can still shape real big-league careers, and Seelinger’s rise gave the franchise another name to add to the list.

His Ducks season in 2024 is the reason the story has staying power. Seelinger pitched in 21 games for Long Island, saved 11, and posted a 0.44 ERA while allowing only two runs, one earned, across 20.2 innings. He struck out 31 batters, gave up just nine hits, and walked eight, the kind of short-burst dominance that gets attention from pro scouts and front offices. That performance helped put him back on the radar after a college career at Farmingdale State and a 2017 draft selection by Pittsburgh in the 28th round, 838th overall.

The Tigers took the next step on his route north. Detroit had acquired Seelinger from the Pirates organization, and he eventually moved through Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo, where he built a 11-4 record with a 2.86 ERA, seven saves, and 170 strikeouts in 132.1 innings. This season with Toledo, he logged a 3.89 ERA over 39.1 innings in 27 appearances before the Mets landed him for cash considerations on July 6.

MLB.com lists Seelinger as a 31-year-old right-handed pitcher born April 19, 1995, in Westbury. The transaction brought him back within reach of home, and it also made him the second member of the Ducks’ 2024 club to reach the majors, joining Tyler Zuber. For Long Island, it was another reminder that the Atlantic League still works as a launch point when a pitcher can miss bats, limit damage, and force another look.