Chicago Cubs reliever Phil Maton reached 500 career games pitched on June 3, 2026, becoming the latest pitcher to achieve the milestone. The right-hander accomplished the feat in his 10th major league season since debuting in 2017.
Maton's career path has taken him through seven organizations across his decade in the majors. He began with San Diego, appearing in 46 games in 2017 and 45 games in 2018. A mid-2019 trade sent him to Cleveland, where he pitched in 21 games with the Padres and 9 with the Guardians that season. He remained in Cleveland through 2021, appearing in 23 games in 2020 and 38 games before another mid-season trade to Houston in 2021. His most productive stretch came with the Astros, where he appeared in 27 games in 2021, 67 games in 2022, and 68 games in 2023. The 2024 season saw him split time between Tampa Bay and the New York Mets with 40 and 31 games respectively. In 2025, he appeared in 40 games with St. Louis and 23 games with Texas before joining the Chicago Cubs in 2026.
Across his MLB career as a whole, Maton has compiled a 23-21 record with a 4.11 ERA and 561 strikeouts over 491.0 innings pitched. He has recorded 10 saves during his career — figures that span seven organizations.
Maton could reach 1,500 career innings pitched this season, needing just 27 more outs to achieve that milestone. Through 21 appearances in 2026, he has posted an 0-1 record with a 7.23 ERA and 22 strikeouts over 18.7 innings.