Andy Marlin – USATODAY Sports
The MLB debut of Steven Matz was the most anticipated debut the New York Mets have had for a pitcher since about six weeks ago when Noah Syndergaard made his first big league start. That being said, the crowd at Citi Field on Sunday when Matz made his first big league start was as lively as its been since the team’s 11-game winning streak earlier this season. With the crowd firmly behind the Long Island native, Matz put on a spectacular show, amazing fans and helping the Mets win with his performance.
Matz has been much hyped as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, and he came as advertised. After allowing a home run to the first batter of the game, Matz shutdown the Cincinnati Reds with ease. He blew hitters away with his mid-90s fastball, mesmerized them with an outstanding curveball and tricked them with an impressive changeup. After a jittery start, Matz showed both poise and confidence, and when all was said and done Matz completed 7.2 innings, allowing just two runs and striking out six.
Of course, as good as he was on the mound, Matz may have been even better at the plate. He did have some success as a hitter at triple-A this season, but he ended up with three hits and four RBIs in his major league debut. Not only did Matz set a franchise record for being the first Mets player to have four RBIs in his big league debut, but he showed off his skills with the bat with three distinctly different hits. He drove in two runs with a double to deep center field, executed a hit-and-run single, and drove in two more runs with a hard hit line drive with the bases loaded.
If all of that weren’t enough, Matz made a perfectly executed takeout slide at second base, which prevented the Reds from turning a double play and allowed the Mets to score an additional run. He also had no trouble fielding his position, making him appear to be a five-tool player in addition to being a top-flight pitching talent.
The spectacular and do-everything debut by Matz undoubtedly leaves Mets’ fans wondering what took the team so long to bring him to the majors. Nevertheless, his presence gives the Mets yet another outstanding young arm in what is once again a six-man rotation, not to mention another pitcher who’s more than capable of handling the bat. In addition to what Matz brings to the field, the local kid has a chance to help re-ignite excitement amongst the team’s fan base, which the Mets could use after their inconsistent play amidst a sea of injuries.
Obviously, it’ll be difficult for Matz to top what he did in his major league debut, simply because he excelled in all aspects of the game. But he figures to be a key part of the rotation for the Mets moving forward, not only for the rest of 2015, but for years to come. It would be hard for any Mets’ player to top the major league debut that Matz had on Sunday.
Bryan Zarpentine is a New York Mets writer at www.RantSports.com. Like him on Facebook, follow him on twitter @BZarp and add him on Google.
