As a two-time NFL MVP and three-time Super Bowl champion, Patrick Mahomes II already has an impressive résumé at 28 years old, but that doesn't mean he's done adding to his repertoire.
A video surfaced on Wednesday of Mahomes at the Kansas City Chiefs’ three-day minicamp, where the quarterback was messing around with his pitching mechanics and throwing a football with the undeniable spin -- or lack thereof -- of a knuckleball. Sure enough, that’s the pitch Mahomes was going for, looking to Padres’ right-handed knuckleballer Matt Waldron for inspiration.
“I’m trying to learn the knuckleball the Waldron dude from the Padres throws,” Mahomes wrote in a post on X.
Waldron is the only true knuckleballer in the Majors right now and is responsible for all but two of the 439 knucklers thrown this season (Yankees catcher Jose Trevino threw the other two). Throwing knuckleballs at a 37.6 percent clip (his most-utilized pitch), Waldron has been a pleasant surprise and integral part of the Padres rotation with a 3.76 ERA in 13 starts.
The 27-year-old Waldron also happens to be a huge Chiefs fan, and the Nebraska native was thrilled to learn about Mahomes' interest in his offering, saying, "It's kind of crazy. Like I'm living in a different universe.”
"... I love it. You know how I love this game. It really isn't about me. [My knuckleball] is just unique. So I'm just embracing it."
Waldron would hardly be the only baseball player Mahomes has looked to for inspiration. His father, Pat Mahomes, was an 11-year big-leaguer who pitched with six teams from 1992-2003. Mahomes has also used Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter as inspiration for the sidearm throws that the Chiefs quarterback has become so famous for.
Brent Maguire is a reporter for MLB.com.