2015 Draft Profile - RHP - Mike Matuella - Duke University - UPDATED 9-30-14

9-30-14  -  9-30-14 – Through The Fence - 1. Arizona Diamondbacks — Michael Matuella, RHP, Duke - Michael Matuella has all the ingredients to be the first-overall pick. On paper, Matuella has everything you want in an ace. At 6’-6” and 230 pounds, he has the size. With a fastball that sits 93-97, he has the power arm. He adds two potential plus secondary pitches in a 79-82 mph, 12-6 curveball with great depth and an 83-86 mph slider with tight spin. His change-up sits 87-89 and is a decent offering already. He has great command of his pitches and finished his sophomore season with a 2.78 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 69 K/15 BB over 58.1 innings. Opponents hit just .190 against him, he allowed just one home run and only hit two batters. Two areas of concern are his recent arm soreness and the fact that he doesn’t have the track record of other pitchers on this list. Still, the D-backs love their pitching and Matuella has the goods. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2015-mlb-draft-mock-1-0/44039#46FUm3YdfAufQr1H.99

9-17-14  -  Clint Longenecker ‏@Clint_BA  

@JohnMackinAde Teams are taking a wait and see approach, considering that they have not laid eyes on him yet.

9-17-14 - Baseball America - This summer, the scouting industry did not lay eyes on Duke righthander Michael Matuella, potentially one of the top college pitchers in the 2015 draft class, but Matuella is expected to throw this fall.

Matuella missed a few starts during his sophomore season because of a lat strain and was held to a strict pitch count upon his return.  He was scheduled to pitch for Cotuit in the Cape Cod League this summer, when his lat discomfort continued.

Matuella was diagnosed this summer with spondylolysis, a common and manageable condition. Between 3 to 7 percent of the American population has spondylolysis, according to the Cleveland Clinic, which defines it as “a specific defect in the connection between vertebrae.”  http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/michael-matuella-update/ 

9-11-14 – Fangraphs Top 50 Players in Draft - 3. Michael Matuella, RHP, Duke - Fastball: 65/70, Curveball: 50/60, Changeup: 45/50+, Command: 40/50+  -  Matuella didn’t pitch this summer, so only Carolinas area scouts have really seen him; I happened to run into his first start after recovering from arm soreness when I was in town for other games.  The temperature was in the 40′s that day and while I had heard Matuella had broken out that spring, expectations were low. He sat 93-97 mph for four innings with a 60 curveball and solid-average changeup and command.  Matuella is surprisingly loose for 6’6′/225 and reminds me a lot of Pirates top prospect Tyler Glasnow, who I’ve seen a few times this year.  The concern is that Matuella has only thrown 58 innings since his velo spike and there was multiple week arm soreness in the middle of it.  When scouts get first looks at him this fall and early in the spring, they’re going to like what they see and if he can stay healthy until draft day with the stuff I saw, he’s a legit 1/1 threat. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2015-mlb-draft-top-51/

B/R - 2. Philadelphia Phillies Select Duke RHP Michael Matuella - Duke right-hander Michael Matuella looks like a safe bet to land in the top three next year. He's a 6'6", 225-pound flamethrower with a low-to-mid-90s fastball that touches 97 and has some sink, a 12-to-6 hammer curveball and a solid-average slider. Matuella also features a changeup but doesn't throw it often because the two other off-speed pitches are good enough to get college hitters out. His fastball command is solid right now and could end up plus down the line, showing the ability to spot it inside and outside. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2085268-mlb-mock-draft-2015-brs-official-early-predictions-for-next-years-top-10/page/2

6-30-14 – Through The Fence – Early College Prospects - 1. Michael Matuella, RHP, Duke            - Matuella burst onto the scene earlier this year, thanks in part to Frankie Piliere at Perfect Game, who tweeted out that Matuella was a potential 1.1 for next year. The 6’-6”, 225 pound right-hander proceeded to make Piliere look like a genius as he showed everything you want in a first-overall pick. Obviously, he has the ideal size you want in an ace. He also showed the stuff, headlined by fastball that can touch 97 mph and sits 93-96. He adds two potential plus off-speed pitches in a 79-82 mph, 12-6 curveball with great depth and an 83-86 mph slider with tight spin. His change-up sits 87-89 and is a decent offering already. He has great command of his pitches and finished the season with a 2.78 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 69 K/15 BB over 58.1 innings. Opponents hit just .190 against him, he allowed just one home run and only hit two batters — pretty good for a power arm like his. All eyes will be on him next year and the upside is silly. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2015-mlb-draft-early-30-college-prospects/43327

6-5-14 - Next June's first pick in the draft could easily be 6-6, 225 pound Duke RHP Mike Matuella.

His arsenal includes: 12-6 78-82 curve... 92-96, 97 fastball, an 87-89 change-up, and an 82-85 slider.

2014 season:  11-starts, (missed the first month due to a lat sprain) 1-3, 2.78, 58.1-IP, 69-K - has been on a limited pitch count for most of the year.