Matt Buschmann - Blue Jays Bullpen Coach

The Moonlight Graham Show

Every once in a while, a Moonlighter just falls into your lap. Matt Buschmann connected to the podcast on Twitter, and, as it turns out, he was just the kind of story we are looking for. Matt Buschmann is a 10-year minor league baseball veteran who made three appearances in the Majors. When his playing days were done, he became the bullpen coach for the Toronto Blue Jays. Buschmann has the kind of story diehard baseball fan loves to hear, and he came to the right place to tell it.

Matt Buschmann grew up in Missouri but headed east to play his college ball for Vanderbilt. Vandy is a premier SEC baseball program, and Buschmann was part of two SEC tournament runs in the early 2000s. After being drafted in the 15th round of the 2006 draft by the Padres, Buschmann had a lot of early success, earning various all-star awards in the California League and Texas League. Over the next several years, Buschmann moved between the upper levels of minor league ball and across organizations playing for the Padres, Rays, Athletics, Orioles, and Reds, before landing with the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was there that he finally earned his shot.

In April of 2016, Matt Buschmann was called up by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He made three appearances, throwing 4.1 innings, giving up one earned run, and recording three strikeouts. After his stint in the bigs, he was sent back down to Triple-A. He was signed by the Blue Jays for the 2017 season but made no appearances.

When his playing days were done, Matt Buschmann decided to stay in the game but in a new role. He spent a year with the Giants working in player development before returning to the Blue Jays in 2018. He has been serving as the bullpen coach for Toronto for the last few seasons.

This interview covers everything about Matt Buschmann’s career as a player and coach. From his time at Vandy to his new role as a big league coach, Buschmann has seen just about everything on the diamond.