Lincoln, Nebraska- The American Association of Professional Baseball has announced that Lincoln Saltdogs Athletic Trainer Matt Honerman has been named the 2026 AAPB Athletic Trainer of the Year. Honerman, who just concluded his tenth season as the Lincoln Saltdogs Athletic Trainer, was selected via a vote of the Association’s executives, managers and media personnel.
“I’m very excited, proud, and humbled to win this award”, Honerman stated. “To me, this sums up everything I have given during my ten seasons with the Saltdogs. I have put in a lot of hours and hard work to make this a place where our athletes can feel like they are well taken care of, can get the care they need to get back after injury, and can focus on doing what they love. None of this happens without the athletes, coaches, all of the athletic training student interns and other athletic trainers that I have had the privilege of working with. I can’t thank them all enough. To the Saltdogs organization; thank you for continuing to trust me and my abilities. I hope I have and continue to represent the Lincoln Saltdogs team in the best way possible.”
Honerman’s work with the Saltdogs is in conjunction with the Nebraska Orthopedic Center, who are the official team doctors of the Lincoln Saltdogs. Honerman was raised in North Platte, NE and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, where he also played 4 years of college baseball. He received his Master of Science degree in Applied Health and Sport Science from Northwest Missouri State University, where he completed a two-year athletic training graduate assistantship in Maryville, Missouri. Honerman is the athletic trainer for the Lincoln Saltdogs and Lincoln Junior Stars Hockey team.