Steven Jakob Matz (born May 29, 1991) is an American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
for the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB). He has previously played for the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
and
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
. Matz was born and raised on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
and played baseball for
Ward Melville High School
Ward Melville High School is a public high school in the Three Village Central School District of Suffolk County, New York on Long Island, serving grades ten through twelve. It is fed by the two junior high schools in the district: Paul J. ...
in
East Setauket, New York East Setauket is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) on Long Island, in the town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York, United States. It was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census. Before that it was part of the Setauket-East S ...
. The Mets drafted him directly out of high school in the second round of the
2009 MLB draft, with the 72nd overall selection.
The start of Matz's professional career was delayed two years due to
Tommy John surgery
Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...
needed for a tear in the
ulnar collateral ligament Ulnar collateral ligament (or UCL), may refer to:
* Ulnar carpal collateral ligament
* Ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint
The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or internal lateral ligament is a thick triangular ligament at the medial aspec ...
of his throwing elbow. Matz made his professional debut in 2012 and spent three years in the Mets' minor leagues, helping lead the
Savannah Sand Gnats
The Savannah Sand Gnats were a minor league baseball team based in Savannah, Georgia. They were a member of the A-level South Atlantic League. The Sand Gnats were an affiliate of the New York Mets in their final nine seasons. The team relocated ...
and
Binghamton Mets
The Binghamton Rumble Ponies are an American Minor League Baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club. The Rumble Ponies play in Mira ...
to championships. He was named the Mets' Organizational Pitcher of the Year in 2014. He made his MLB debut on June 28, 2015, breaking several hitting records in his first start.
After compiling a 4–0
win–loss record
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...
and 2.27 ERA in an injury-shortened regular season, Matz played in three 2015 postseason games, including Game 4 of the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
against the
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
. Matz opened 2016 with a 7–1 record, and led all rookie pitchers in wins, ERA, and strikeouts through the end of May. He was named National League Rookie of the Month in May and was considered a contender for
NL Rookie of the Year
In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to two outstanding rookie players, one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL), as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). The aw ...
before his season was once again shortened due to injuries, including a bone spur that had to be surgically removed.
Matz again battled injuries in 2017, making just 13 starts in a season that ended with surgery to address ulnar nerve irritation. He played his first 30-start season in 2018, recording a 5–11 record, 3.97 ERA, and 1.25 WHIP. In 2019, Matz had the best ERA of any Mets starting pitcher through June, and though he struggled in later starts, he finished the season at 11–10, his first winning record since 2016. Matz has been involved in several charitable efforts, including starting the charity initiative Tru 32, which honors first responders from the
New York City Fire Department
The New York City Fire Department, officially the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), is an American department of the government of New York City that provides fire protection services, technical rescue/special operations services, ...
,
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
, and
U.S. Military
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
.
Early life
Steven Matz was born on May 29, 1991,
in
Stony Brook,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, the second child of Ron and Lori Matz.
He has an older brother, Jonathan, and a younger sister, Jillian.
Ron Matz coached a travel baseball team,
and was a service manager at a
Jeep
Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Moto ...
dealership in
West Islip, New York
West Islip is a hamlet and CDP founded roughly in 1683, located in the Town of Islip in Suffolk County, New York, United States. Situated on the South Shore of Long Island, the population of the CDP was 27,048 at the time of the 2020 census.
...
.
Lori was an administrative employee at
Comsewogue High School in
Port Jefferson Station, New York
Port Jefferson Station is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Brookhaven, in Suffolk County, in New York, United States. The population was 7,838 as of the 2010 census.
History
The area now known as Port Jefferson Station w ...
.
Matz and his family, as far back as his grandparents, were fans of the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
.
As a child, Matz attended the Nassakeag Elementary School in the
Three Village Central School District
Three Village Central School District is a school district located on Long Island, New York. It serves Setauket, East Setauket, South Setauket, Stony Brook, Poquott, Head of the Harbor, Old Field, and small portions of Port Jefferson, Sa ...
.
Matz first started playing baseball in the Three Village Little League when he was 8 years old.
By age 10, Matz began receiving
pitching lessons from former
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB)
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
Neal Heaton
Neal Heaton (born March 3, 1960) is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who played for the Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, and New York Yankees from 1982 ...
.
He attended
Ward Melville High School
Ward Melville High School is a public high school in the Three Village Central School District of Suffolk County, New York on Long Island, serving grades ten through twelve. It is fed by the two junior high schools in the district: Paul J. ...
in
East Setauket, New York East Setauket is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) on Long Island, in the town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York, United States. It was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census. Before that it was part of the Setauket-East S ...
,
where he pitched and played
first base
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
for the school's baseball team.
He played varsity since his freshman year,
during which time his
fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thro ...
averaged 90 miles per hour. Matz first drew attention from
scouts
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
in the New York Mets organization during a baseball showcase tournament in 2008,
and their interest in him continued to grow in subsequent years.
MLB scouts began attending his starts regularly during his senior season.
Matz enjoyed a high school rivalry with
Marcus Stroman
Marcus Earl Stroman (born May 1, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets. Stroman is listed at , making him o ...
, a friend and future New York Mets teammate, who was pitcher for the nearby
Patchogue-Medford High School.
Matz and Stroman were teammates on the same elite travel team, the Paveco Storm, for several years in junior high and high school.
The two were roommates during the Area Code Games and pitched against each other several times in high school,
including a notable game on April 16, 2009,
which was attended by more than 50 scouts from every MLB team,
and is considered one of the best games in the history of Long Island high school baseball.
Matz struck out 12 and allowed one hit,
leading his team to a 1–0 victory,
while Stroman struck out 14 and allowed three hits, and both pitchers threw complete games.
Mets scout Larry Izzo later called it "one of the best duels I've ever seen".
Matz posted a 6–1
win–loss record
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...
in his senior season, allowing two earned runs and 14 hits in 54 innings, with 74 strikeouts,
and a 0.47
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA), helping Ward Melville win its first league title in 34 years. He also had a .408 batting average with nine doubles, six home runs, and 34 RBIs.
Matz was named ''
Newsday
''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...
s Long Island Player of the Year,
and won the
Yastrzemski Award as the best high school ballplayer in
Suffolk County in his senior year.
Forty different
NCAA Division I
NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...
schools attempted to recruit Matz to their college teams.
Professional career
Minor leagues
The New York Mets selected Matz in the second round, with the 72nd overall selection, of the
2009 MLB draft,
the same year he graduated from high school.
He was the first player to be drafted directly out of Ward Melville High School.
The Mets did not have a first round pick in that year's draft and did not expect Matz to drop to them in the second round.
Some Mets scouts attributed his drop to his playing high school baseball in the
Northeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
, an area which does not traditionally produce much high-round talent.
Matz, who was seeking a $1.1 million signing bonus,
received inquiries from three other teams during the draft,
including the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
and
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
, but he ultimately passed on them with the hopes of making the Mets.
Matz was originally committed to attend
Coastal Carolina University
Coastal Carolina University (CCU or Coastal) is a public university in Conway, South Carolina. Founded in 1954 as Coastal Carolina Junior College, and later joining the University of South Carolina System as USC Coastal Carolina, it became an in ...
to play
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
for the
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (, ) are the athletic teams that represent Coastal Carolina University. They participate in Division I of the NCAA as a member of the Sun Belt Conference in most sports, having joined that conference as a full ...
, but the Mets agreed to sign him with a $895,000
bonus
Bonus commonly means:
* Bonus, a Commonwealth term for a distribution of profits to a with-profits insurance policy
* Bonus payment, an extra payment received as a reward for doing one's job well or as an incentive
Bonus may also refer to:
Plac ...
,
which was not finalized until minutes before the August 15 signing deadline for draft picks.
Matz had scheduled a flight to attend his orientation at Coastal Carolina for the next day.
While pitching in an instructional league in 2010, Matz experienced elbow discomfort.
A doctor diagnosed him with an 80 percent tear in his
ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow
The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or internal lateral ligament is a thick triangular ligament at the medial aspect of the elbow uniting the distal aspect of the humerus to the proximal aspect of the ulna.
Structure
It consists of two portion ...
,
and Matz underwent
Tommy John surgery
Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...
on May 18, 2010.
His recovery lasted two years,
during which he rehabbed regularly with fellow Mets organization pitcher
Jacob deGrom
Jacob Anthony deGrom (born June 19, 1988), is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Mets. Prior to playing professionally, deGrom attend ...
. The two became close friends,
and began living in the same house in
Port St. Lucie
Port St. Lucie is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. It is the most populous municipality in the county with a population of 204,851 at the 2020 census. It is located southeast of Orlando and north of Miami. The Port St. Lu ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
during every spring training there.
Matz did not make his professional debut until 2012,
when he pitched for the
Kingsport Mets
The Kingsport Mets were a Minor League Baseball team of the Appalachian League from 1921 to 2020. They were located in Kingsport, Tennessee, and were last named for the team's major league affiliate, the New York Mets. The team played its home ...
of the
Rookie-level Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wood bats, its season runs from ...
.
He initially continued to feel elbow pain, and doctors said they were not sure if the implanted ligament in his elbow had healed, but advised him to test it simply by playing and throwing as hard as he could. Eventually, the pain disappeared.
Matz compiled a 2–1 record and 1.55 ERA in 29
innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...
with Kingsport.
![Steven Matz throws live BP (22494399328)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Steven_Matz_throws_live_BP_%2822494399328%29.jpg)
Before the 2013 season, Matz worked on developing a
curveball
In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...
to replace his
slider
Slider or Sliders may refer to:
Arts
* K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise
* '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex
* ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series
* ...
, at the advice of
Frank Viola
Frank John Viola Jr. (born April 19, 1960) is an American former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins (1982–1989), New York Mets (1989–1991), Boston Red Sox (1992–1994), Cincinnati Reds (1995), and ...
and
Ron Romanick
Ronald James Romanick (born November 6, 1960) is an American professional baseball pitcher and pitching coach. He is the minor league pitching coordinator for the New York Mets organization. Romanick played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the C ...
.
That year, he pitched for the
Savannah Sand Gnats
The Savannah Sand Gnats were a minor league baseball team based in Savannah, Georgia. They were a member of the A-level South Atlantic League. The Sand Gnats were an affiliate of the New York Mets in their final nine seasons. The team relocated ...
of the
Class A South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...
, where he had a 5–6 record and 2.62 ERA while recording 121
strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...
s in innings pitched.
Matz had shutout innings and 17 strikeouts for Savannah during the playoffs.
He pitched seven shutout innings in a Southern Division-clinching game against the
Augusta Greenjackets
The Augusta GreenJackets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at SRP Park in North Augusta, South Carolina, which opened in April 2018. They previous ...
on September 6, 2013,
and pitched the team to the 2013
SAL championship on September 13, throwing innings against the
Hagerstown Suns
The Hagerstown Suns were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland. They were a member of the South Atlantic League and, from 2007 through 2020, were the Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They played their home g ...
and striking out nine batters in the 2–0 victory.
The Mets added Matz to their
40-man roster
A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...
on November 20, 2013, to protect him from being selected in the
Rule 5 draft.
He began the 2014 season with the
St. Lucie Mets
The St. Lucie Mets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the New York Mets. They are located in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and play their home games at Clover Park. The Mets have been members ...
of the
Class A-Advanced
High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...
Florida State League
The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...
, where he had a 4–4 record and 2.21 ERA in innings pitched,
and was named to the league's All-Star team,
before he was promoted to the
Binghamton Mets
The Binghamton Rumble Ponies are an American Minor League Baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club. The Rumble Ponies play in Mira ...
of the
Class AA
Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...
Eastern League in June.
With Binghamton, Matz pitched to a 6–5 record with a 2.28 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 71 innings.
He pitched the game that clinched Binghamton the
Eastern League championship in 2014,
striking out 11 and allowing no hits through seventh innings,
as Binghamton defeated the
Richmond Flying Squirrels
The Richmond Flying Squirrels are a Minor League Baseball team based in Richmond, Virginia. The team, which is a part of the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club, and plays at The Diamond. Th ...
2–1 on September 12.
After the 2014 season with Binghamton, the Mets named Matz their Organizational Pitcher of the Year.
Matz opened the 2015 season with the
Las Vegas 51s of the
Class AAA
Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL ...
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
.
In 15 games started for Las Vegas, Matz had a 7–4 record and 2.19 ERA,
the best ERA in the league,
as well as 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings, the best of any qualified starting pitcher in the Pacific Coast League.
Matz also had 94 strikeouts over innings,
as well as a .304 batting average.
Across four seasons with five teams over four seasons in his minor league career, Matz posted an overall 2.28 ERA and never allowed more than two runs in consecutive starts.
New York Mets
2015
![Steven Matz pitching in his debut](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Steven_Matz_pitching_in_his_debut.jpg)
Steven Matz was called up to the New York Mets to join a six-man pitching rotation for the 2015 season, along with
Bartolo Colón
Bartolo Colón (born May 24, 1973), nicknamed "Big Sexy," is a Dominican-American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for 11 different Major League Baseball (MLB) teams: the Cleveland Indians (1997–2002), Montreal Expos (2002), Chicago ...
, Jacob deGrom,
Matt Harvey
Matthew Edward Harvey (born March 27, 1989), nicknamed The Dark Knight, is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, ...
,
Jon Niese
Jonathon Joseph Niese (born October 27, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Early life
Niese was born to Jeffery and Annette Niese in L ...
, and
Noah Syndergaard
Noah Seth Syndergaard (born August 29, 1992), nicknamed "Thor", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels an ...
.
He was the first Long Island high school pitcher to make his MLB debut with the Mets since
Ray Searage
Raymond Mark Searage (born May 1, 1955) is an American professional baseball relief pitcher and coach. Searage played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets (1981), Milwaukee Brewers (1984–1986), Chicago White Sox (1986–1987) ...
in 1981.
Matz debuted against the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
at the Mets'
Citi Field
Citi Field is a baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in New York City, United States. It opened in 2009 and is the home field of Major League Baseball's New York Mets. The stadium was built as a replacement for the adjacent ...
on June 28, 2015.
His first MLB pitch was a
wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, or the batter (on an uncaught third stri ...
to
Brandon Phillips
Brandon Emil Phillips (born June 28, 1981) is an American professional baseball second baseman and partial owner of the Lexington Legends of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland ...
,
and later in that at-bat Phillips hit a home run.
Nevertheless, Matz got the win, giving up two runs, five hits, and three walks,
and striking out six over 110 pitches in innings,
as the Mets defeated the Reds 7–2.
Additionally, using a bat gifted to him by Las Vegas teammate
Matt Reynolds,
Matz recorded three hits as a batter and drove in four runs.
His first major league at-bat was a two-run double against pitcher
Josh Smith
Joshua Smith (born December 5, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Entering the NBA straight out of high school, Smith played nine seasons with the Atlant ...
.
Matz was the first pitcher in MLB history to record that many hits and RBIs in his debut game, and the 11th player at any position to do so.
He was also the seventh pitcher since 1914 with three or more hits in his first game, and the first since
Jason Jennings
Jason Ryan Jennings (born July 17, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball with the Colorado Rockies (2001-2006), Houston Astros (2007) and Texas Rangers (2008-2009).
High school/college ...
of the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
in 2001.
Matz was the first pitcher and the 26th player in any position in the last 100 years with four RBI in his MLB debut.
Additionally, he was the first Mets pitcher in franchise history to record three or more hits in his debut, and the first Met in any position to have four RBI in his first game.
He was also the sixth Mets pitcher with four RBI in any game,
and the first since
Dwight Gooden
Dwight Eugene Gooden (born November 16, 1964), nicknamed "Dr. K" and "Doc", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Gooden pitched from 1984 to 1994 and from 1996 to 2000 for the N ...
in 1990.
In his second start, Matz pitched six scoreless innings while striking out eight and allowing two hits in a win against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He had a 1.32 ERA, 14 strikeouts, and five walks over 13 innings across his first two games.
Shortly afterward, Matz was placed on the disabled list for two months due to a partial tear in the latissimus muscle in his left side.
Matz returned to the pitching rotation on September 6 with a no decision, but won his next two consecutive starts.
Following a 5–1 win against the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
on September 18, Matz became the first player in Mets history to allow two runs or fewer in each of his first five career starts.
He finished the regular season with a 4–0 record, 2.27 ERA,
and 1.23 WHIP over six starts,
with 34 strikeouts in innings pitched.
Matz experienced back soreness caused by spasms behind his right shoulder blade near the end of the season,
which forced him to miss his final regular season start and threatened to sideline him again;
however, he played through it and remained on the Mets pitching rotation during the team's postseason run.
He made three postseason starts: one each in the
National League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring ...
(NLDS),
National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two National ...
(NLCS), and
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
.
![Steven Matz on October 13, 2015](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Steven_Matz_on_October_13%2C_2015.jpg)
Matz pitched in Game 4 of the NLDS, allowing three earned runs in the third inning in a 3–1 loss at home to the Los Angeles Dodgers,
marking his first loss in the major leagues.
He also started in Game 4 of the NLCS against the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
at
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Wh ...
, allowing one earned run in innings,
but was denied a chance at the win after being pulled with a 6–1 lead and two outs in the fifth inning.
The Mets won the game 8–3, clinching the
pennant.
Matz pitched in Game 4 of the World Series, with the Mets trailing the
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
2–1 in the series going in.
He allowed two runs on seven hits and had five strikeouts,
and allowed only one hit in the first four innings. Mets manager
Terry Collins
Terry Lee Collins (born May 27, 1949) is an American former professional baseball manager. He managed the Houston Astros, the Anaheim Angels and New York Mets in Major League Baseball and the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball. He c ...
allowed Matz to hit for himself in the fifth inning, then kept him in to pitch in the sixth. With the game tied 2–2, Matz allowed a double from
Ben Zobrist
Benjamin Thomas Zobrist (; born May 26, 1981), is an American former professional baseball second baseman and outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, and Chi ...
and a run-scoring single from
Lorenzo Cain
Lorenzo Lamar Cain (born April 13, 1986) is an American professional baseball center fielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers and the Kansas City Royals. The Brewers drafted him in the ...
, giving the Royals the lead before Matz was pulled. Matz received a no-decision as Kansas City won the game 5–3,
and they went on to win the World Series in Game 5.
Matz had a 3.68 ERA across his three postseason starts.
He was the only Mets starting pitcher without a postseason win.
The Mets pitching rotation had a combined 3.43 ERA in 2015, the fourth-best in the league.
Matz finished the season with a .286 batting average and .643 OPS.
Following the 2015 season, Matz, deGrom, Harvey, and Syndergaard were awarded the Joe DiMaggio Toast of the Town award by the New York chapter of the
Baseball Writers' Association of America
The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) is a professional association for journalists writing about Major League Baseball for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying websites. The organization was founded in 1908, and is known fo ...
.
2016
![Steven Matz on March 17, 2016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Steven_Matz_on_March_17%2C_2016.jpg)
Matz made the Mets' opening day roster in 2016 as the fifth starter in the Mets rotation, along with Colón, deGrom, Harvey, and Syndergaard.
Despite his experience with the Mets in 2015, Matz was still considered a rookie player in 2016 due to the amount of time he missed the previous year. Matz opened the season with the worst start of his career to date, surrendering seven runs before getting pulled in the seventh inning of a 10–3 loss to the
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
. However, Matz rebounded and won his next seven consecutive starts, bringing his record to 7–1 and his ERA to 2.36 by May 25,
He allowed two runs or fewer in every game over that span, the best streak in the majors in that time period, and he was only the fifth MLB rookie since 1920 to have such a long streak.
In May, he went 4–0 across five starts with a 1.83 ERA,
with 31 strikeouts and batters hitting .180 against him.
He allowed two or fewer earned runs in nine consecutive starts from April 17 to June 7.
By the end of May, he was leading all rookie pitchers in wins (seven), ERA (2.60) and strikeouts (53).
He was named National League Rookie of the Month for May,
becoming only the third Mets player to receive that distinction, along with
Justin Turner
Justin Matthew Turner (born November 23, 1984) is an American professional baseball third baseman for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets and Los Angeles Dod ...
in 2011 and Jacob deGrom in 2014.
Matz was also considered a contender for
National League Rookie of the Year
In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to two outstanding rookie players, one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL), as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). The aw ...
.
In early May, Matz was discovered to have a large bone spur in his throwing elbow.
but doctors also determined there was no ligament damage in the arm. Matz attempted to continue playing through the bone spur after receiving medical assurances that doing so would not cause additional damage to his elbow.
He received a cortisone shot,
and the team hoped he could wait until the offseason to have surgery. Matz threw eight innings for the first time in his career on May 25,
allowing no runs and retiring 16 consecutive batters against the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
in a 2–0 win.
As of June 10, Matz's ERA was 2.39, the best among rookie starters, and he was averaging 17.9 seconds between pitches, the quickest length of time in the MLB.
However, his elbow discomfort returned in June,
and in a 13-game stretch from May 13 to August 9, he posted a 1–7 record,
and a 4.42 ERA.
Matz threw a career-high 120 pitches against the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
on August 9.
In his next start against the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
on August 14, Matz did not allow a hit until a single in the eighth inning on his 105th pitch.
While throwing in preparation for an August start, he felt a twinge in his left shoulder, apparently unrelated to his bone spur.
Following his August 14 start, Matz was added to the disabled list due to a left shoulder impingement.
Matz rehabbed his left shoulder in September,
and tried to return to the pitching rotation several times,
with the team hoping to bring him back before the end of the season in the Mets bullpen.
But he was shut down for the season later that month,
and had surgery in October to remove the bone spurs,
which ended his season.
Matz finished 2016 season with a 9–8 record, 3.40 ERA,
1.21 WHIP,
and 121 strikeouts.
He threw in 22 starts and innings,
both of which were career highs.
Despite losing Matz as well as deGrom and Harvey to season-ending injuries, the Mets pitching rotation finished 2016 with the third-best ERA in the league.
Matz received one third-place vote for 2016 National League Rookie of the Year, placing him in a three-way tie for sixth place with
Jon Gray
Jonathan Charles Gray (born November 5, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Colorado Rockies.
Gray played college baseball for Eastern Oklahoma S ...
and
Seung-hwan Oh
Seung-hwan Oh (Hangul: ; ; ; born July 15, 1982) is a South Korean professional baseball relief pitcher for the Samsung Lions of the KBO League. He previously played for the Lions in South Korea, the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Bas ...
. The Mets made the
2016 playoffs, but lost the
National League Wild Card Game to the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
.
2017
At the start of the season, the MLB marketed the Mets pitching rotation of Matz, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, and Noah Syndergaard as the "Four Horsemen of Queens", with a commercial suggesting they could be "the best staff in baseball". Matz missed the first two months of the 2017 season due to an elbow inflammation.
Team doctors believed at the time it might have been a side effect of his bone spur surgery the previous fall, and prescribed
platelet-rich plasma
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), also known as autologous conditioned plasma, is a concentrate of platelet-rich plasma protein derived from whole blood, centrifuged to remove red blood cells. Though promoted to treat an array of medical problems, evid ...
injections and rest.
Matz said the injury was a strained flexor tendon in his elbow,
though that diagnosis was not made by the Mets' doctors.
Matz made his first start of the season on June 10.
He performed well in his first five starts,
posting a 2.12 ERA and logging at least six innings in each game,
and back-to-back scoreless starts on June 28 and July 3.
However, in his subsequent six starts between July 9 and August 6, Matz had a 0–4 record, 11.03 ERA,
2.20 WHIP,
and 29 earned runs and 46 hits allowed over that span.
Matz surrendered a career-worst seven earned runs in less than two innings during his July 16 start against the Colorado Rockies,
which also marked the shortest start of his career to that point.
In late August, doctors determined Matz had ulnar nerve irritation in his left elbow.
He required season-ending surgery to decompress and reposition the ulnar nerve,
a procedure similar to one DeGrom underwent in 2016.
After it was announced Matz would require surgery, it was revealed he had been skipping bullpen sessions between starts,
and limiting the use of his slider pitch to lessen the strain on his elbow.
That led to questions over whether he was healthy enough to pitch in the first place,
though Matz said it was ultimately his decision. Matz pitched just innings in 13 starts in the 2017 season,
compiling a record of 2–7, a 6.08 ERA,
and 45 earned runs allowed.
2018
Matz recovered from his injuries in time for the start of the 2018 season, and faced minimal injury troubles during the year.
He won a spot in the Mets starting rotation during spring training. His first start of the season was against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 1, in which he lasted just four innings while allowing four hits, three walks, and three runs. It marked the third time in nine starts that he failed to complete more than four innings, bringing his record over that span to 0–7, with a 9.82 ERA and 2.02 WHIP.
He notched a victory against the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
on April 13, his first recorded win since June 28, 2017, ending a streak of seven consecutive losses and 11 starts with either a loss or no-decision. He failed to pitch beyond four innings in two additional starts in April.
Matz allowed no runs in a 5–0 win against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 24, his first start with no runs since July 3, 2017. Matz had a 3.31 ERA in his first 13 starts of the season through June 16, allowing 24 earned runs over innings.
He had a 2.91 ERA in 13 starts between May 5 and the All-Star break in mid-July, and had a 2.25 ERA in road starts on the season.
Matz and fellow Mets pitchers deGrom, Syndergaard, and
Zack Wheeler
Zachary Harrison Wheeler (born May 30, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). Between 2013 and 2019, he played in MLB for the New York Mets.
Wheeler was born to a basebal ...
combined for a 3.07 ERA heading into the All-Star break, the second-best of any MLB pitching rotation behind only the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
' 3.02 ERA.
In his first three starts following the All-Star break, Matz allowed 16 runs in innings for a 12.35 ERA.
Matz tied a career-high with nine strikeouts against the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
on July 26, but followed that performance with a July 31 start against the Washington Nationals in which he was pulled after recording two outs and allowing seven runs on eight hits in of an inning, marking the shortest start of Matz's career,
and matching his career-high in runs allowed.
The game ended with a 24–4 loss, the most lopsided in Mets' history,
and caused Matz's season ERA rise to from 3.79 to 4.35,
compared to 3.21 before the All-Star break.
Matz was placed on the disabled list for two weeks in early August due to a flexor pronator strain in his left elbow.
On September 1 against the San Francisco Giants, Matz struck out a career-high 11 batters over seven innings, allowing three hits, one run, and one walk. Matz hit his first career home run on September 13, 2018, against the Miami Marlins pitcher
Sandy Alcántara
Sandy Alcántara Montero (born September 7, 1995) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He signed with the St. Louis Cardinals as an international free agent in 2013, and made his MLB ...
,
the first by a Mets pitcher in 2018.
Matz hit another home run on his next start on September 18 against
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
pitcher
Aaron Nola, becoming only the third Mets pitcher to homer in consecutive appearances, along with
Tom Seaver
George Thomas Seaver (November 17, 1944 – August 31, 2020), nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "the Franchise", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Mets, Cinc ...
in 1972 and
Ron Darling
Ronald Maurice Darling Jr. (born August 19, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player and current television sports color commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher from to , most notably as a m ...
in 1989.
Matz posted a 4.97 ERA in the second half of the year,
with no-decisions in each of his final six starts and no wins in his final 10.
He threw eight quality starts and had a 2.90 ERA in his final 10 home outings of the season.
Matz finished the 2018 season with a career-high 30 starts,
a 5–11 record, 3.97 ERA,
and 1.25 WHIP,
with 152 strikeouts and 58 walks over a career-high 154 innings.
A total of 15.4 percent of balls put in play against Matz were line drives, the lowest rate in the MLB for a pitcher throwing at least 140 innings, and 48.8 percent of those in play against him were grounders, the ninth-highest percentage in the National League.
Matz increased his
strikeout-to-walk ratio
In baseball statistics, strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB) is a measure of a pitcher's ability to control pitches, calculated as strikeouts divided by bases on balls.
A hit by pitch is not counted statistically as a walk, and therefore not counted ...
from 11.8 in the first half of the season to 18.6 by the end. He allowed 28
stolen bases
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...
in 2018, the second-highest amount of any major league pitcher, behind only Mets teammates Syndergaard's 32. On average, Matz took 19.5 seconds between pitches during the season, the second-fastest among 336 pitchers in the league who threw at least 50 innings, behind only Milwaukee Brewers pitcher
Brent Suter's 18.6 seconds.
2019
Matz prepared for 2019 by practicing light throwing nearly the entire off-season, starting in mid-October and taking only two weeks off, a method inspired by that of fellow Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom.
On January 11, 2019, Matz and the Mets agreed to a one-year contract worth $2.625 million, avoiding salary arbitration and raising Matz's salary more than four times his $577,000 the previous season.
Matz had a 0.87 ERA across his first two starts of the regular season,
lowering his ERA to 2.14 over his previous 10 starts.
However, his first two starts of 2019 were no-decisions, bringing Matz to a franchise-record eight consecutive no-decisions since September 1, 2018, with no wins in 12 starts since July 26 of that year.
Nevertheless, Matz had five strong starts in his first six appearances in 2019,
resulting in a 3–1 record.
The exception was Matz's worst game of the season on April 16, when he allowed eight runs (six earned) and had zero outs against the Philadelphia Phillies before getting pulled in the first inning,
marking his highest run total of the season,
and raising his ERA from 1.65 to 4.96.
Matz became one of only six pitchers in MLB history to face eight batters and retire none,
the ninth pitcher since 1908 to pitch less than one inning and allow at least eight runs,
and the first Met to do so since
Bobby Jones in 1997.
With the exception of that game, Matz notched three quality starts in his final four April appearances, and had a 3.86 ERA across 35 innings in his first seven starts through May 3,
allowing two or fewer runs in all but one of those games.
After missing two weeks in May due to radial nerve discomfort in his left forearm, Matz had a career-best 9.07
K/9 by May 23, and his walk rate of 2.62 per nine innings was 0.77 better than his average the previous year.
Matz went into June with a 4–3 record, 3.55 ERA,
and 1.34 WHIP, pitching at least six innings and allowing two runs or fewer in four of his past six starts.
His ERA was the best among the Mets starting pitchers.
Also at the start of June, Matz had a 3.03 ERA and .224 opponent average (74–331) over his previous 17 starts since August 21, 2018, the 12th-best ERA and 10th-best opponent average in the National League over that time period.
Matz struggled in most of his June starts,
beginning with a June 2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in which he surrendered five runs over six innings.
Despite matching career-highs in strikeouts (10) and pitches (120) in a 5–3 win against the Colorado Rockies on June 8, he dropped his next two starts, having surrendered at least five runs in three of his last five starts.
Those games were followed by a June 24 start against the Philadelphia Phillies in which Matz was charged with seven earned runs on 10 hits over innings, including three home runs, bringing his road ERA to 7.07 on the season.
Matz ended June with a 7.36 ERA through his six starts in the month,
allowing eight home runs in innings,
and bringing his season total of first-inning home runs allowed to 10.
On July 2, Matz was temporarily moved to the Mets bullpen,
but returned to the starting rotation after the All-Star break.
Matz finished the first half of the season with a 4.89 ERA,
and a 5–6 record,
with an 11.40 ERA in the first innings across all his starts for the season.
Over his next three outings, Matz had a 2–0 record with a 1.89 ERA, 15 strikeouts, and two walks. This included his first complete-game shutout on July 27, throwing 99 pitches,
recording seven strikeouts, and allowing five hits as the Mets defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 3–0.
It marked the eighth time in Mets history that a pitcher threw a shutout in under 100 pitches (known as a
Maddux), and the first time since
Johan Santana
Johan Alexander Santana Araque (; born March 13, 1979) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball starting pitcher. Santana pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins from 2000 to 2007 and for the New York Mets from 200 ...
threw one in 2012.
Matz and the rest of the Mets' starting rotation recorded a post-All Star Break ERA of 2.62 through August 7, the best in the majors at that point, which helped place the Mets back into Wild Card contention despite them finishing the first half of the season 10 games under .500. By August 20, Matz had a 2.81 ERA and 3–1 record across his seven starts and innings since the All-Star break,
striking out 38 batters and allowing just three home runs,
and recording a quality start in five of his previous six games.
He also allowed no runs during the first innings of each of those seven starts,
bringing his first-inning ERA down to 8.14.
After throwing six shutout innings in a 9–0 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks on September 11, Matz improved to a 7–1 record and 1.94 ERA in 2019 home games. Matz surrendered seven earned runs on six hits in his final road start of the season on September 16,
including six runs in the fourth inning alone,
in a 9–4 loss to the Colorado Rockies.
The game brought his road ERA to 6.62 on the season,
compared to 1.94 ERA at home at the time.
Matz gave up the first
grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
of his career against
Jorge Alfaro
Jorge Mario Alfaro Buelvas (born June 11, 1993) is a Colombian professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. Alfaro signed with the Texas Rangers as a free agent in 2010, and was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2015. He made his ML ...
of the Miami Marlins on September 23. Matz allowed six earned runs on nine hits in the 8–4 loss, which critically hurt the Mets' chances of making the playoffs. Matz threw six shutout innings and seven strikeouts in a win against the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
during his final start of the season on September 28.
It marked the 20th time in two years that he held his opponents to fewer than four hits in a game.
Matz finished the season at 11–10, marking his first winning record since 2016. He ended 2019 with a 4.21 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 52 walks,
as well as new career-highs in strikeouts (153) and innings pitched ().
2020
Matz went through a regression in the
pandemic-shortened 2020 season, as he went 0–4 with a 9.00 ERA in his first four starts before being pulled from the Mets' starting rotation. Matz was placed on the injured list on August 29 due to left shoulder discomfort, which sidelined him for three weeks. He finished the season 0–5 with a 9.68 ERA in nine games (six starts).
Toronto Blue Jays
On January 27, 2021, the Mets traded Matz to the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
in exchange for right-handed pitchers
Sean Reid-Foley
Sean Ian Reid-Foley (born August 30, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the New York Mets organization. He was selected in the second round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft by the Toronto Blue Jays and made his debut wi ...
,
Yennsy Díaz
Yennsy Manuel Díaz (born November 15, 1996) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets.
Career Toro ...
, and
Josh Winckowski
Joshua Winckowski (born June 28, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). Listed at and , he throws and bats right-handed.
Career Toronto Blue Jays
Winckowski is from Toledo, Ohio ...
.
On July 24, 2021, Matz faced the Mets at Citi Field for the first time since being traded to the Blue Jays. Matz pitched innings giving up four hits, two earned runs from a
Pete Alonso
Peter Morgan Alonso (born December 7, 1994), nicknamed "Polar Bear" and "Big Meat Pete"," is an American professional baseball first baseman for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut during the 2019 season and br ...
home run in the first inning, and three walks while striking out five, in a 3–0 loss. The loss was Matz's fifth of the year.
On August 22, Matz gave up
Miguel Cabrera
José Miguel Cabrera Torres (born April 18, 1983), nicknamed "Miggy", is a Venezuelan professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Since his debut in 2003 he has been a two-t ...
's 500th career home run in the sixth inning of a game against the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
.
In 2021, Matz posted a 14–7 record with a 3.82 ERA and 144 strikeouts in innings over 29 starts. His 14 wins tied for second in the American League.
St. Louis Cardinals
On November 29, 2021, Matz and the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
finalized a four-year, $44 million contract.
Pitching style
Matz has an average fastball velocity of between 92 and 94 miles per hour,
with a peak velocity of 95 miles per hour. His curveball velocity averages between 76 and 78 miles per hour, while his
changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball.
The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...
averages between 81 and 83.
Matz had a strong fastball since an early age, but during his minor league career he made a conscious effort to develop his curveball and work it into his pitching repertoire in place of his slider.
According to ''Baseball Prospectus'', Matz has "smooth mechanics with little wasted movement",
with strong front side pitching, quick arm movements, and good repetition of mechanics. In a 2014 scouting report for the website, Jeff Moore wrote, "if the change-up continues to develop, he'll have three offerings he can throw any hitter at any time",
along with the fastball and curveball. Moore added Matz's fastball velocity comes with minimal effort and that he positions it well on the outer half of the strike zone for right-handed hitters. Regarding the curveball, Moore wrote: "It's not a power curveball, but the break is tight and sharp. Because he changes eye levels, he will get some swings and misses. Left-handed hitters will be uncomfortable."
In 2019, Matz primarily relied on his
sinking fastball, which averaged 94 miles per hour, and the changeup, which averaged 85 miles per hour, while also mixing in a curveball (79 miles per hour) and slider (90 miles per hour).
According to the website ''Brooks Baseball'':
"His sinker generates a high number of swings & misses compared to other pitchers' sinkers, has well above average velo and results in somewhat more flyballs compared to other pitchers' sinkers. His change dives down out of the zone, is slightly firmer than usual and has slight armside fade. His curve has sweeping glove-side movement and is slightly harder than usual. His slider is thrown extremely hard, is basically never swung at and missed compared to other pitchers' sliders, has primarily 12-6 movement, results in many more groundballs compared to other pitchers' sliders and has less than expected depth."
During the 2019 season, Matz made a minor adjustment to his pitching position, moving from the first base side of the mound to the middle, giving him greater comfort and improving his performance as a result.
Personal life
Matz is married to Taylor Cain, a Christian music singer and guitar player who performs in the band The Cains with her siblings Madison and Logan Cain.
Matz was introduced to Cain by fellow Mets player
T. J. Rivera and his wife, Ashton, who attended college with Cain at
Troy University
Troy University is a public university in Troy, Alabama. It was founded in 1887 as Troy State Normal School within the Alabama State University System, and is now the flagship university of the Troy University System. Troy University is accredi ...
in
Troy
Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...
,
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
.
In November 2015, Cain became seriously ill with potentially fatal kidney problems, but she recovered, which her doctor called "a miracle".
Matz proposed to Cain on November 12, 2016, at a friend's house in
Yaphank, New York
Yaphank () is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 5,945 at the time of the 2010 census.
Yaphank is located in the south part of the Town of Brookhaven. It is served by the Lo ...
, on a dock overlooking a pond that he called one of his "favorite places on Long Island".
Matz and Cain were married on December 9, 2017, in
Nauvoo, Alabama
Nauvoo is a town on the northwestern edge of Walker County, Alabama, United States, that extends slightly north into southwestern Winston. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town is 221, down from 284 in 2000. Camp McDowell, the offici ...
,
and fellow Mets player Jacob deGrom and
Brandon Nimmo
Brandon Tate Nimmo (born March 27, 1993) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Mets in the first round of the 2011 MLB draft, and made his MLB debut with them ...
were in Matz's wedding party.
Their first child, a daughter, was born in August 2022. Matz was likewise a groomsman in deGrom's wedding party.
Cain lives in
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
,
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
, and Matz stays there during the offseason.
He also has an apartment in
Long Island City
Long Island City (LIC) is a residential and commercial neighborhood on the extreme western tip of Queens, a borough in New York City. It is bordered by Astoria to the north; the East River to the west; New Calvary Cemetery in Sunnyside to the ...
for during the season.
Matz has been involved in various charitable efforts. In late 2015, Matz and Cain took a trip to
Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
to help impoverished children,
a charity excursion through the foundation Hearts 2 Honduras,
In April 2016, Matz started the charity initiative Tru 32, which honored first responders from the
New York City Fire Department
The New York City Fire Department, officially the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), is an American department of the government of New York City that provides fire protection services, technical rescue/special operations services, ...
,
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
, and
U.S. Military
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
,
inviting them to attend Mets games for free.
The initiative was later expanded to offer scholarships for children of individuals who have died in the line of duty.
The number 32 in the charity's name derives from Matz's jersey number.
Matz has also raised funds for Angela's House, a Long Island-based charity that helps families caring for children with special health care needs.
Matz began an online program called "Steven's Strikeouts" to benefit Angela's House, and pledged to match the first $10,000 donated there.
Due to his charitable efforts, Matz was nominated for the
Major League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association (or MLBPA) is the union representing all current Major League Baseball players. All players, managers, coaches, and athletic trainers who hold or have held a signed contract with a Major League club ...
's Man of the Year Award in 2017,
and was the New York Mets' Marvin Miller Man of the Year nominee that year.
He was also the Mets' 2018 nominee for the
Roberto Clemente Award
The Roberto Clemente Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team", as voted on by baseball fans a ...
, which honors baseball players for community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions on and off the field.
In May 2018, Matz participated in The
Viscardi Center
The Viscardi Center is a non-profit organization in Albertson, New York, dedicated to educating, empowering and employing people with disabilities. It was founded in 1952 by Henry Viscardi, Jr., a noted disability activist, who was also advisor to ...
's Celebrity Sports Night to raise funds for the
Albertson-based organization, which provides schools and training for children and adults with severe physical disabilities.
Matz considered becoming a firefighter as a child before pursuing a career in baseball,
and even considered it as a possible alternative career while dealing with injuries early in his baseball career.
Matz is a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
and has spoken openly about his faith.
He was raised as a non-practicing
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
, but after attending a
Bible study group during his time in the minor leagues, he joined a
non-denominational
A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination.
Overview
The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...
church,
Calvary Chapel
Calvary Chapel is an association of evangelical churches, maintains a number of radio stations around the world and operates many local Calvary Chapel Bible College programs.
Beginning in 1965 in Southern California, this fellowship of churc ...
, in
Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
.
Matz has donated equipment to the Three Village Little League, where he played as a child,
and has participated in baseball clinics at his Ward Melville High School alma mater.
Matz likes Christian music, country music, and classic rock,
as well as hunting and fishing.
The Se-Port Deli in East Setauket, where Matz and his high school teammates often visited in their youths, has a hero sandwich named after Matz.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matz, Steven
1991 births
Living people
People from Stony Brook, New York
Ward Melville High School alumni
Baseball players from New York (state)
Major League Baseball pitchers
New York Mets players
Toronto Blue Jays players
St. Louis Cardinals players
Kingsport Mets players
Savannah Sand Gnats players
St. Lucie Mets players
Binghamton Mets players
Las Vegas 51s players
American people of Swedish descent
American people of German descent
Converts to Evangelicalism from Lutheranism
American evangelists