Steven Matz New York Mets Career
In the second round of the 2009 MLB draft, the New York Mets selected Matz, the 72nd overall pick, as their starting pitcher.
He was the first Ward Melville High School graduate to be selected in the NHL Draft. Having no pick in the first round, the Mets didn’t think Matz would fall to them in the second round, but he did.
To others, his decline was due to the fact that his high school baseball career took place in the Northeast, a region that does not often produce much high-round talent.
During the draft, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox inquired in signing Matz, who was seeking a $1.1 million signing bonus. However, Matz turned down the offers because he wanted to join the Mets.
Even though Matz had already made his collegiate baseball commitment to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, the Mets agreed to sign him with a $895,000 bonus just minutes before the deadline for signing draft picks on August 15 to avoid any confusion.
Prior to the next day’s orientation at Coastal Carolina, Matz had booked a trip to fly there.
On one of his first outings as a professional pitcher, Matz felt pain in his elbow.
To repair an 80 percent damage in his ulnar collateral ligament, Matz underwent Tommy John surgery on May 18, 2010, according to his doctor.
Two years passed before he was fully recovered, and most of that time was spent working out with fellow Mets organization pitcher Jacob deGrom.
In Port St. Lucie, Florida, the two became good friends and started living in the same house during every spring training session there.
Prior to the 2012 Rookie-level Appalachian League season, Matz made his professional debut with the Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League.
He was advised by physicians to play and throw as hard as he could to see if the implanted ligament in his elbow had healed, but he continued to have elbow pain. That was the last of the discomfort for me.
When he was pitching for Kingsport, Matz had a 2–1 record with a 1.55 ERA.
In 2015, Matz threw a live batting practice with real hitters.
Prior to the 2013 season, Matz worked with Frank Viola and Ron Romanick to develop a curveball to replace his slider.
His Class A South Atlantic League record that year was 5-6 with a 2.62 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 106 innings pitched. He pitched for the Savannah Sand Gnats of the league that year.
He pitched 12+2/3 innings of shutouts and 17 strikeouts for Savannah in the postseason series.
A week later, on September 13, he won the SAL championship with a five-and-two-thirds inning shutout against the Hagerstown Suns with nine strikeouts in a 2–0 win over the team that had just clinched the Southern Division title.
How Tall Is Steven Matz?
Steven Matz is 1.88 m tall