A high-ranking Mets executive told Kevin Kernan of the New York Post, that lefthanded pitching prospect Steven Matz could very easily make his big-league debut in 2015. “I think Matz will be up before the year is out,” he told Kernan.
Last week, Mets Triple-A pitching coach Frank Viola, compared Matz to San Francisco ace Madison Bumgarner, in an interview with John Harper of the Daily News.
Matz, 25, was recently ranked by Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com as the eighth best left-handed pitching prospect in baseball.
Scouting Grades:
Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 50 | Overall: 55
Mayo writes:
Matz is lean, lanky and loose, firing mid-90s fastballs with ease and having the ability to reach back for more when he needs it. He throws it with sink, not only missing bats, but also generating groundball outs. His changeup is his best secondary offering, which he turns over and sinks very well. His curveball has gotten better, a big breaking ball he can keep down in the zone and is now a Major League average pitch. He doesn’t hurt himself with walks, and his overall command has improved over time.
Thoughts from Joe D.:
Matz was the Mets top draft pick in 2009 and hails from Long Island, New York. However shortly after signing with the Mets, he tore the UCL in his left elbow and lost over two years to Tommy John surgery and several associated setbacks.
But Matz is making up for lost time and since returning to the mound in 2012 he has performed spectacularly and quickly rose up the prospect rankings while impressing scouts along the way.
In 2014, Matz was the most dominant pitcher in the Mets system, leading the organization in ERA and finishing second in strikeouts. He posted a 2.24 ERA with 131 strikeouts in 140 innings pitched for Double-A Binghamton and Advanced-A St. Lucie.
Matz also excelled in the playoffs, striking out 11 batters and taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning to lead the B-Mets to a title. He’ll be assigned to Triple-A Vegas to begin the year and should make his debut at some point in the season.
(Updated 2/13)
