Steven Matz Bio
Steven Jakob Matz is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, and Boston Red Sox. Matz was born and raised on Long Island and played baseball for Ward Melville High School in East Setauket, New York. He was drafted in the second round of the 2009 MLB draft by the Mets. Despite early setbacks due to injuries, Matz has had a successful career, marked by strong performances in pivotal games.
Early Life and Background
Steven Matz was born on May 29, 1991, in Stony Brook, New York, 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 dealership in West Islip, New York. Lori was an administrative employee at Comsewogue High School in Port Jefferson Station, New York. Matz and his family, as far back as his grandparents, were fans of the New York Mets. As a child, Matz attended the Nassakeag Elementary School in the Three Village Central School District. Matz first started playing baseball in the Three Village Little League when he was eight years old. By age ten, Matz began receiving pitching lessons from former Major League Baseball pitcher Neal Heaton. He attended Ward Melville High School in East Setauket, New York, where he pitched and played first base for the school’s baseball team. He played varsity since his freshman year, during which time his fastball averaged 90 miles per hour. Matz first drew attention from scouts 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.
Path to Baseball
Matz enjoyed a high school rivalry with Marcus Stroman, a friend and future New York Mets teammate, who was a 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. Matz posted a 6–1 win–loss record in his senior season, allowing two earned runs and 14 hits in 54 innings, with 74 strikeouts, and a 0.47 earned run average, 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’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 schools attempted to recruit Matz to their college teams.
Steven Matz Career
Early Career (2012-2015)
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, an area that 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 and Chicago White Sox, but he ultimately passed on them with the hopes of making the Mets. Matz was originally committed to attend Coastal Carolina University to play college baseball for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, but the Mets agreed to sign him with an $895,000 bonus, 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, and Matz underwent Tommy John surgery on May 18, 2010. His recovery lasted two years, during which he rehabbed regularly with fellow Mets organization pitcher Jacob deGrom. Matz did not make his professional debut until 2012, when he pitched for the Kingsport Mets of the Rookie-level Appalachian League. He initially continued to feel elbow pain, but eventually, the pain disappeared. Matz compiled a 2–1 record and 1.55 ERA in 29 innings pitched with Kingsport.
Breakthrough (2015-2016)
Matz opened the 2015 season with the Las Vegas 51s of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. 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. Matz was called up to the New York Mets to join a six-man pitching rotation for the 2015 season. He debuted against the Cincinnati Reds at the Mets’ Citi Field on June 28, 2015. His first MLB pitch was wild enough to escape the mitt of the catcher; 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 7+2⁄3 innings, as the Mets defeated the Reds 7–2. Matz recorded three hits as a batter and drove in four runs, becoming the first pitcher in MLB history to record that many hits and RBIs in his debut game. He finished the regular season with a 4–0 record, 2.27 ERA, and 1.23 WHIP over six starts, with 34 strikeouts in 35+2⁄3 innings pitched. Matz played in three postseason games, including Game 4 of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals. 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 before his season was once again shortened due to injuries.
Notable Works and Milestones
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, New York City Police Department, and U.S. Military.
Steven Matz Award Nominations
Throughout his career, Steven Matz has received various nominations for his contributions on and off the field, particularly for his charitable work.
Steven Matz Awards Won
Steven Matz has not won any major awards during his career but has been recognized for his community involvement and contributions to the sport.
Steven Matz Family
Steven Matz is married to Taylor Cain, a Christian music singer and guitar player who performs in the band CAIN. They have a daughter born in 2022.
Personal Life
Matz has been involved in various charitable efforts, including a trip to Honduras to help impoverished children and starting the charity initiative Tru 32. He is a Christian and has spoken openly about his faith. Matz enjoys hunting and fishing.
