Matt Kimbrel

Matthew Dean "Matt" Kimbrel was a right-handed pitcher from Huntsville, Alabama, who spent three seasons in the Atlanta Braves minor-league system after being drafted in 2012. He was also known publicly as the younger brother of Craig Kimbrel, one of the most successful closers in Major League Baseball history. He died on Saturday, September 19, 2026, after a motorcycle crash in Huntsville. He was 36.

Kimbrel was born on March 13, 1990, in Huntsville and grew up in a baseball family. Local reporting after his death recalled hours spent at ballparks with his brothers and parents. He attended Buckhorn High School in nearby New Market, Alabama, then pitched at Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa and at Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, Georgia. The Braves selected him in the 32nd round of the 2011 draft and again in the 31st round (959th overall) in 2012; he signed after the second selection.

From 2012 to 2014 he pitched in the Braves organization for the Gulf Coast League Braves, the Appalachian League Danville Braves and the Class A Rome Braves. Across 43 minor-league appearances he went 7-6 with a 7.04 ERA, 49 strikeouts and two saves in 70.1 innings, working almost entirely as a reliever. He never reached the majors. On January 28, 2015, the Braves placed him on the voluntarily retired list.

After baseball he largely stepped out of the public eye, remaining a familiar name in Huntsville sports circles through his family's ties to the game and his brother's long major-league career. On the morning of September 19, 2026, Huntsville police said Kimbrel was riding north on U.S. Highway 431 near Cove Commons Drive and Old Big Cove Road when a dump truck began turning and he could not stop in time. Investigators said he lost control and slid into the truck. He was taken to Huntsville Hospital and died of his injuries. Authorities said they did not expect criminal charges.

His former little-league coach, Mike Brown, told WAFF that Matt was determined and good with other kids, calling his death a great loss. National sports outlets carried the news because of both his own Braves career and his relation to Craig Kimbrel. As of the first reports, funeral arrangements had not been announced.