(Editor’s Note: Matt is a 2017 graduate of Farmingdale State College. He capped off a stellar career by getting selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 28th round of this year’s MLB Draft, becoming the first player from FSC to get drafted since 1978. He performed incredibly well in pro ball; he compiled a 1.80 ERA over 30.0 IP with 0.87 WHIP and 37 strikeouts. He allowed only 19 hits. The following words are his own.)
Coming out of a “D3” school has its challenges to get drafted. Not many players get the opportunity. I certainly heard a few times that it was “near impossible” to get drafted out of a “D3” school. I was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in my senior year at Farmingdale State College.
It has been a whirlwind for sure. I graduated in May. At that time, I was not sure what was going to come next. Scouts had been at my games but I had not heard from any of them right away. The Pirates contacted Coach Osik and requested my contact information. It took off from there. Pre-draft work outs, interviews and some testing. Then finally getting the call from the Pirates scout after being selected in the draft. Things moved quick from there. I flew to Pittsburgh, signed my contract at PNC Park in a conference room where so many great players came before me was just insane. Then my first taste of road trips. I went right from Pittsburgh to meet my team in Williamsport. Walking into the locker room to meet my team for the first time was exciting, strange and nerve wracking all at once. In college and travel ball years, I always had friends or knew of my teammates. Now, I am walking into a team that I know nobody and I don’t know the coaches. The whole time I am thinking to myself this crazy and is this really happening. It all just started sinking in for the first time that I was now a professional baseball player in the minor leagues.
I was assigned to NY Penn League “short season A ball” with the West Virginia Black Bears. I went into the bullpen at first because I had a long period of not throwing in a “live” game since May. A full month and half before the June draft. It definitely took some getting used to since I had always been a starter. Being in the bullpen is challenging. You really never know when you will get the call to come in the game. You have to “hurry up” to warm up once that call comes. Sometimes I am going into a game in a challenging situation of bases loaded with one out. You need to think and react quick, there is no “wiggle room.” You have to come in game-ready and spot on. I acclimated to the bullpen almost immediately. I like the pressure. Being in the bullpen gives me an advantage over the hitters. I get to watch them. See what kind of pitches they like and how they hit what they will “chase.”
I made my professional debut on June 28, 2017. I was happy and grateful that my family was there to watch the moment the bullpen gates opened and me running across the field to enter my first professional game. I had all the support of my coaches, teammates and friends at that moment too. I was nervous, but not scared. I had a job to do. I stayed focused. I faced three batters; had two strikeouts and one pop-out to the catcher. It was such a great feeling at the end of the inning to run off the mound to the dugout with my coaches and teammates waiting to congratulate me. A moment I will never forget. Since making my debut I became the closer. A role I really like. Things happened so quick in such a short amount of time. I look back and still almost can’t believe that I can call myself a professional baseball player!
