Patrick Mahomes Roars at “Nasty” Matt Waldron Comparison After Flaunting Knuckleball Skills

“I’m trying to learn the knuckleball the Waldron dude from the Padres throws,” Patrick Mahomes, the NFL’s two-time MVP, recently sparked a conversation in X with his playful imitation of knuckleball pitcher Matt Waldron.

In a video that went viral, Mahomes was seen at the Kansas City Chiefs’ minicamp, throwing a football with a knuckleball-like spin. This move has showcased Mahomes’ versatility and his admiration for the only true knuckleballer rocking in the big leagues today.

Sometime later today, a fan-edited footage, which juxtaposes Mahomes’ football throw with Matt Waldron’s knuckleball pitch made its round on X through Rob Friedman. The video highlights the similarities in their mechanics despite the vastly different sports. Mahomes’ retweet of the video with a simple “Nasty!!!” followed by laughing emojis has only added to the buzz, as fans and athletes alike marvel at the crossover between baseball and football.

For the Padres righty, having the GOAT quarterback take pointers was a surreal moment. “It’s kind of crazy. Like I’m living in a different universe,” Waldron gushed as reported by MLB. The Nebraska native is firmly in Mahomes’ corner though, adding “I love it. You know how I love this game. It really isn’t about me.”

Waldron, known for being the only true knuckleballer in the majors, has been making waves with his 37.6% pitch usage, boasting a 3.76 ERA in 13 starts this season. His success has caught the attention of Mahomes, who is no stranger to baseball himself, having been inspired by his father Pat Mahomes’ MLB career.

Patrick Mahomes could-a would-a have been a diamond court phenom!

His baseball bloodlines run deep too – Mahomes was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2014, following in the footsteps of his father Pat, an 11-year MLB hurler. Scouts raved about the younger Mahomes’ “impressive” size and 95 mph heat off the mound. “He was an unbelievable shortstop, he always led his team in hitting, and he threw 97 mph,” Pat Mahomes told the LA Times. “So I always thought he was gonna be a baseball player.”

While he ultimately chose pigskin over cowhide, Patrick has never lost that baseball player mentality. Many of his signature side-armed darts and shovel passes were born from his infield days.

“I’m a baseball player at heart,” he explained to Chiefs.com in 2022. “That’s just who I am. I’m playing shortstop back there.”

Mahomes credits the hours of tee work and fundamentals drilled into him as a pitcher for his insane discipline and dedication, even after becoming a gridiron legend.

“It taught me that even whenever I get to where I want to get to, I can’t let the fundamentals slip,” he told Time Magazine. “I can’t stop working and doing the little things. That’s what makes people great.”

So while most assume Mahomes is just killing time this offseason, make no mistake – the man is still putting in that work, Rockford Peaches-style. Maybe he’ll revive the knuckleball as his next big frontier after the three-peat he’s gunning for in 2024.

Stranger things have happened when you’re talking about this All-World talent. Pat Mahomes saw his son’s triple-threat abilities up close, saying “You can tell…he took pieces of his basketball, the jump throws and no-look passes, and pieces of his baseball, the different arm angles, and he put it all together.”

If Mahomes can bend the laws of physics on a football field, why can’t he bend a baseball’s path too? This offseason clip was just a taste of the QB’s straight nasty knuckler. Maybe we’ll see him taking the bump at the Royals’ Kauffman Stadium next.

Hey batters…?velocidad coming for you!