Background and career
Matthew Francis Szczur (; born July 20, 1989) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Chicago Cubs in 2014 and also played for the San Diego Padres. Prior to his pro baseball career, Szczur played football and baseball at Villanova University, winning MVP of the 2009 FCS National Championship Game.
Szczur was born in Cape May Court House, New Jersey, and grew up in the Erma section of Lower Township, New Jersey. He attended Lower Cape May Regional High School, where he earned varsity letters in football, baseball, and track and field. Szczur was drafted in the 2007 Major League Baseball draft out of high school by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 38th round, but decided to attend Villanova University instead.
Szczur played both football and baseball for the Villanova Wildcats.
In football, Szczur played wide receiver, running back, wildcat quarterback and was a return specialist on special teams. During his junior season, he was a consensus All-American and was named the CAA Offensive Player of the Year as Villanova went on to win its first-ever FCS National Championship. In the 2009 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game, he gained 270 all-purpose yards and was awarded MVP honors.
In baseball, Szczur served as an outfielder and catcher for the Wildcats. After sitting out his freshman year due to a football-related injury, he hit .392 (142-362) with 62 RBI and 28 stolen bases over the next two seasons. During his junior season, he was a First Team All-Big East selection and named the Philadelphia Big 5 player of the year for baseball.
Szczur signed a contract with the Chicago Cubs organization, who drafted him in the fifth-round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. He received a $100,000 signing bonus, with an additional $500,000 if he declined to attend the NFL Combine and made a written commitment to baseball before February 10, 2011. He was assigned to the club's short season Low–A affiliate, the Boise Hawks, and first appeared in uniform July 8, 2010. He was then promoted to the club's Single–A affiliate, the Peoria Chiefs on July 27, 2010. Szczur hit .347/.414/.465 10 RBI and two stolen bases across 25 total games in 2010. After the 2010 season, Szczur committed to baseball and signed a $1.5 million deal with the Cubs in January 2011. As he was released from his initial contract and signed a new contract to receive the bonus, he would have been eligible in the 2011 Rule 5 draft if not added to the Cubs' 40-man roster. On July 9, 2011, Szczur was assigned to the High–A Daytona Cubs. He finished the year batting .293 in 109 games between Peoria and Daytona. On July 27, 2012, he was promoted to the Double–A Tennessee Smokies. He slashed .267/.360/.390 in 113 games between Tennessee and Daytona in 2012. In 2013, Szczur returned to Tennessee where he hit .281/.350/.367 with three home runs and 44 RBI. He began the 2014 season with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs before being promoted to the Major League roster.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
