Psst! Meet someone the scouts are ignoring. Meet Zebby Matthews
- Born: May 22, 2000
- B/T: Right/Right
- 6’5″, 225-lbs
- Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 2022 MLB June Amateur Draft from Western Carolina University
The Numbers
His raw numbers are listed above courtesy of baseball-reference.com. Let’s aggregate by year then focus on the important numbers for minor leaguers:
Zebby was drafted in 2022 and put in a token three innings between Rookie ball and A ball. As you see, they were such a great three innings that xFIP went tilt and showed a negative number. I’m not sure what happens when xFIP stays negative for a longer time, but it might be a matter/anti-matter thing, so let’s tiptoe away from 2022.
He starts 2023 in A ball, and yes, just keeps mowing ’em down. That’s a baseball term, not what you do on the weekends around your house in summer.
Then he moves to High-A, and aha! He found his trouble level! Just a 21% strikeout rate, he’s a bum!
Not so fast there, sparky. For one thing he continues his fantastic command. I don’t know what walks did to him, but he has nothing to do with them.
For another:
Monthly Splits
Ah, now we see a player adjusting to a new level. June was the adjustment month, and in July he’s feeling comfortable again. High-A did not defeat him.
Handedness K% and BB%
A (vs RH): 37%K and 1%BB. (vs LH): 34%K and 5%BB.
A+ (vs RH): 31%K and 0%BB. (vs LH): 14%K and 2%BB.
He’s death to righties, and merely great against lefties in A ball, but slowed down in High-A. However, noting the month-by-month above, he was 16% and 1% in June, and 27% and 1% in July, so the split is not as notable as it seems.
The Scouts
- Rotowire: Not on their Top 400
- Fantrax: Not on their Top 400
- RotoProspects: Not on Top 500
- Toolshed Fantasy ($): Not on Top 500
- PARSlist ($): 73.3
- PLIVE+: 79
Warnings
He has’t reached Double-A yet. And the scouts, other than PARS and PLIVE+, basically ignore him.
He will, no doubt, have to adjust to Double-A when he gets there, and the doubters will leap from their seats to say he’s a bum:
Conclusion
He’s probably not more than a #3 or #4 pitcher in the majors, if he makes it. And those pitchers who don’t walk anyone sometimes get hit around by the pros.
But there’s no sign of it in his WHIP, and he’s just about ready for Double-A. If he reaches that level and has a good WHIP, the scouts will jump on board.
Besides, you can find him on any baseball stat site just by typing “Zebby,” and that has to count for someting.
Keep an eye on this one!