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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Steven Matz set to debut for Mets in major league homecoming

Matz
Mike Fitzpatrick Associated Press

NEW YORK – Steven Matz is set to make his major league debut about 50 miles from home with a huge cheering section in the Citi Field stands.

No pressure, kid.

The latest – and perhaps last – in a line of highly touted young pitchers to come through the New York Mets’ farm system lately, Matz will be called up today to start against the Cincinnati Reds after a very impressive half-season with Triple-A Las Vegas.

“Not sure what’s going to go through my mind until it actually happens,” Matz said Saturday at a pregame news conference. “I’m really excited to be here. I’m going to kind of soak it in today, then going to go to work tomorrow and try to help them win some games.”

The 24-year-old lefty from Long Island was plucked by the Mets out of Ward Melville High School to some local fanfare in the second round of the 2009 draft. But his career got off to a slow start due to Tommy John surgery in May 2010, and Matz missed two full seasons before throwing his first professional pitch in 2012.

Once his arm was finally healthy, Matz took off like one of his 93-94 mph fastballs.

He went 2-0 for Class A Savannah in the 2013 postseason, striking out 17 in 12 2/3 scoreless innings to lead the Sand Gnats to the South Atlantic League championship. Then he threw 7 1/3 hitless innings for Double-A Binghamton in the clinching game of the 2014 Eastern League championship series.

“I really didn’t realize how close I was at this point nine months ago,” he said.

Matz began this season at Las Vegas and posted more stingy numbers in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He went 7-4 with a 2.19 ERA and 94 strikeouts while allowing only 69 hits in 90 1/3 innings. He was leading the league in ERA, strikeouts and innings, and was tied for first in wins.

“He knows he’s got good stuff,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “I think he’s got great confidence right now – and he should.”

Matz, who will wear No. 32, estimated he could have close to 100 family members and friends in attendance today.

“I’m happy it’s at home,” Matz said. “My parents are really excited. My family’s really excited. I’ve got a pretty big family, so there’s going to be a lot of people here, that’s for sure. It’s going to be fun.

“It really is a dream come true,” he said. “That’s really all I can say.”