Steven Matz
32-Year-Old
2024 Stats
W-L
0-0
ERA
0.00
WHIP
0.00
K
0
SV
0
Rest-of-Season Projections
2024 Fantasy Outlook
The general narrative is that Matz's four-year, $44 million contract with the Cardinals was a big blunder, but he quietly began flipping the script last season. The first year of the deal (2022) was definitely a disaster, as he struggled to a 5.25 ERA over only 48 innings (10 starts, five relief appearances) while battling serious shoulder and knee injuries. A lat strain ended his 2023 campaign several weeks early, but Matz had a 3.86 ERA with 98 strikeouts in 105 total innings when healthy. He secured a locked-in rotation spot down the stretch and registered a 1.86 ERA and 38:7 K:BB over his final seven starts. It's difficult to project how this might all translate into the 2024 season, but the 32-year-old southpaw will essentially be free in most fantasy leagues. Read Past Outlooks
Won't be fully stretched out
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said recently that Matz will not be as stretched out as the team's other starters at the beginning of the season, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
ANALYSIS
Matz is healthy, but the Cardinals are electing to methodically build him up this spring after he dealt with numerous injuries in his first two seasons with the club. The left-hander has been throwing live batting practice sessions, but Marmol said the next time Matz faces hitters could be in a Grapefruit League appearance. While he is expected to open the season as St. Louis' No. 5 starter, it sounds like it might be a little while before Matz is ready to go five-plus innings.
Matz is healthy, but the Cardinals are electing to methodically build him up this spring after he dealt with numerous injuries in his first two seasons with the club. The left-hander has been throwing live batting practice sessions, but Marmol said the next time Matz faces hitters could be in a Grapefruit League appearance. While he is expected to open the season as St. Louis' No. 5 starter, it sounds like it might be a little while before Matz is ready to go five-plus innings.
Pitching Stats
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2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
Minor League Game Log
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Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2022
-11%
BAA vs LHP
2024
No Stats
BAA | K | BB | H | HR | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2022vs Left | .238 | 33 | 10 | 29 | 3 | |||
Since 2022vs Right | .267 | 119 | 32 | 129 | 16 | |||
2024vs Left | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
2024vs Right | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
2023vs Left | .215 | 19 | 7 | 17 | 2 | |||
2023vs Right | .275 | 79 | 25 | 91 | 9 | |||
2022vs Left | .279 | 14 | 3 | 12 | 1 | |||
2022vs Right | .250 | 40 | 7 | 38 | 7 | |||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats |
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2022
-11%
ERA at Home
2024
No Stats
ERA | WHIP | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2022Home | 4.04 | 1.32 | 75.2 | 8.7 | 2.6 | ||||
Since 2022Away | 4.54 | 1.29 | 77.1 | 9.2 | 2.3 | ||||
2024Home | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2024Away | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2023Home | 3.19 | 1.30 | 53.2 | 8.2 | 3.2 | ||||
2023Away | 4.56 | 1.36 | 51.1 | 8.6 | 2.3 | ||||
2022Home | 6.14 | 1.36 | 22.0 | 9.8 | 1.2 | ||||
2022Away | 4.50 | 1.15 | 26.0 | 10.4 | 2.4 | ||||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats |
Stat Review
How does Steven Matz compare to other starting pitchers?
This section compares his stats with all starting pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 120 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 120 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 120 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
K/BB
3.06K/9
8.4BB/9
2.7HR/9
0.9Fastball
94.2 mphERA
3.86WHIP
1.33BABIP
.329GB/FB
1.48Left On Base
73.8%Exit Velocity
81.8 mphBarrels/BBE
2.7%Spin Rate
2251 rpmBalls Hit 95+ MPH
21.5%Swinging Strike
11.0%Advanced Pitching Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Steven Matz See More
Even with a tough matchup against the Phillies in Citizens Bank Park on Opening Day, Spencer Strider takes the top spot in the first Weekly Pitcher Rankings of the year.
Todd Zola considers the impact of extra rest on starting pitchers and wonders if the Orioles will treat Corbin Burnes with the same care that the Brewers did.
Brad Johnson has moved to the NL Central, and in Cincinnati, Hunter Greene, with one of the biggest arms in baseball, clearly has considerable potential.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
On trade block
The Cardinals have let other teams know that Matz is available via trade, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
ANALYSIS
Matz's 2023 season ended prematurely due to a left lat strain and he's been limited to only 153 innings during his two years in St. Louis due to injuries. The southpaw also has $25 million remaining on his contract over the next two years, some of which would likely need to be absorbed by St. Louis in order to facilitate a trade. Matz pitched pretty well when healthy in 2023, particularly during his final seven starts which saw him collect a 1.86 ERA.
Matz's 2023 season ended prematurely due to a left lat strain and he's been limited to only 153 innings during his two years in St. Louis due to injuries. The southpaw also has $25 million remaining on his contract over the next two years, some of which would likely need to be absorbed by St. Louis in order to facilitate a trade. Matz pitched pretty well when healthy in 2023, particularly during his final seven starts which saw him collect a 1.86 ERA.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
Fantasy managers hoped that Matz's signing with St. Louis would be a great match for his pitching style and the defensive prowess of the Cardinals. That never materialized because knee and shoulder injuries limited Matz to 48 innings of work and his gopheritis returned after a one year hiatus in the AL East of all places. Matz's 21% K-BB% is the only positive sign of the outcomes of his 2022 effort and a significant gap between his actual and expected ERA point to the potential for him to have a rebound in 2023 if he can get more grounders. He still retains three pitches with whiff rates above 25%, so if you squint at the numbers, there is an Andrew Heaney-like path toward that rebound season. You cannot be faulted for giving this enigmatic lefty one more chance on your fantasy roster, especially with his market value much lower than it was at this point last season.
More Fantasy News
Throws bullpen to start spring
Matz (lat) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, the first day for pitchers and catchers at Cardinals camp, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Likely done for 2024
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Sunday that Matz (lat) remains week-to-week and "probably" won't pitch again this season, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
ANALYSIS
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Undergoes MRI
Matz (lat) underwent an MRI on Monday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Shut down two weeks
Matz (lat) said Thursday he will be shut down from throwing for at least the next two weeks, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
ANALYSIS
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Goes on IL with lat strain
St. Louis placed Matz on the 15-day injured list Monday with a left lat strain.
ANALYSIS
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