2. Bryan Mata (Starting Pitcher)
Bryan Mata didn’t make the number one spot on this list. I want to call him 1b. though because he deserves a one spot. Seriously, people love to say the Boston Red Sox don’t have a great MiLB system. A lot of teams would kill to have their top two though.
Anyone that follows the Prospect Watch knows how much I love Mata. The potential is so ridiculous it’s just absolutely nuts. There’s a reason I call him “El Idolo”.
Mata turned 20 on May 3 this season. Despite being one of the youngest pitchers in Advanced-A he was absolutely dominant. That sparked a promotion to Double-A.
While Mata had some growing pains there, he still showed a lot of flashes of brilliance.
The left-handed pitcher had a 1.75 ERA in 10 starts (51 1/3 innings) in Advanced-A. With Salem he had a .201 BAA, 1.09 WHIP and 52 strikeouts.
In Double-A, things weren’t as smooth. He had a 5.03 ERA in 11 starts (53 2/3 innings) with a .271 BAA and 1.49 WHIP. Mata did manage 59 strikeouts though.
Most importantly was how he ended the year though. Mata put together a few strong starts, and his last was easily one of his best games as a professional so far.
The lefty went seven innings (a career-high). While he walked five batters, he only gave up one hit and did not allow a run. He also had another career-high with nine strikeouts. This served as a reminder of just how good he is.
The one issue Mata really has is control. And even that saw a major improvement in 2019. After walking 58 batters in 72 innings, he walked 42 batters in 105 innings.
It’s not just walks though. Sometimes the control causes him to miss across the plate, leading to hits.
However, that doesn’t stop Mata’s repertoire of pitches from being very impressive. He can almost hit 100 on the gun with his four-seam, which usually sits around 95. Meanwhile, his two-seam is a tick slower around 92 or 93 but has great movement.
His changeup can be very dangerous as well. This is because his arm motion is very similar to his fastball. But sitting in the mid-80s it’s 10 MPH slower. With nice movement, it should cause a lot of swing-and-misses in the future.
He also has a slider that looked good in 2019 and could be a pitch to watch out for in the future.
Finally, Mata has a heavy curveball that when it’s on is absolutely devastating. He’s caused quite a few batters to look bad with this pitch. As he gets better control and throws his pitches with more consistency, this will be a stud pitch.
Everything about Bryan Mata screams “Ace”. The Boston Red Sox don’t have a lot of prospects they should consider “untouchable” but he is one of them. In just a few short years he could be the best pitcher in their Major League rotation. That’s how high I am on him. He’s the number two prospect in the system and definitely does not get the respect he deserves nationally.