Veteran hitter Matt Carpenter will be playing for the San Diego Padres in the 2023 MLB season, but don't expect him to shave off his mustache just yet — at least not until the TCU Horned Frogs are done playing the Michigan Wolverines in the College Football Semifinal later this December at the Fiesta Bowl (via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com).

Matt Carpenter says, “I might have to keep it,” about whether he'll rock the mustache in SD. A TCU alum, he says the mustache stays for at least a couple weeks. “I'm for sure not shaving it until TCU's playoff bid here is over. … They've had a great year with the mustache.”

A win by TCU over the Wolverines would send the Horned Frogs to the program's first-ever CFP National Championship Game appearance.

Carpenter donned a mustache during his lone season with the New York Yankees in the 2022 MLB season and had some measure of success at the plate, partly thanks to his facial hair. In 47 games for the Yankees, Carpenter slashed .305/.412/.727 with 15 home runs and 37 RBI. He also posted a 217 OPS+ across 154 total plate appearances in 2022. The Padres hope to get the same boost on offense from Carpenter, who played his first 11 seasons in the big leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals before finding his way to the Bronx.

The Padres signed Carpenter, who is a three-time All-Star,  on a two-year deal worth $12 million. He is expected to serve a utility role for San Diego, where he also joins a stellar cast of hitters in the likes of Manny Machado, Juan Soto, and Fernando Tatis Jr.