Luis Matos | |
---|---|
San Francisco Giants – No. 29 | |
Center fielder | |
Born: Valera, Venezuela | January 28, 2002|
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
MLB debut | |
June 14, 2023, for the San Francisco Giants | |
MLB statistics (through 2024 season) | |
Batting average | .235 |
Home runs | 7 |
Runs batted in | 39 |
Teams | |
|
Luis Eduardo Matos (born January 28,2002) is a Venezuelan professional baseball center fielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He signed with the Giants as an international free agent in 2018,and made his MLB debut in 2023.
Matos was born in Valera,Venezuela,and was raised in the small town of Bobures,alongside Lake Maracaibo in Zulia State,Venezuela. [1] [2] [3] [4] His father (Jose),uncle (Malvin),and a number of his cousins (including former Giants outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe,Tampa Bay Rays infielder Osleivis Basabe,and former Chicago White Sox prospect Luis Alejandro Basabe) have played baseball professionally. [5] [2] [6] [7]
Matos signed with the San Francisco Giants as an international free agent in July 2018 for a signing bonus of $725,000. [8] [9] [10] He spent his first professional season in 2019 at 17 years of age with the Dominican Summer League Giants and Rookie-level Arizona League Giants,batting a combined .367/.438/.566 with 65 runs,seven home runs,48 RBIs,and 21 stolen bases in 24 attempts in 251 at bats over 60 games. [11] In the Dominican Summer League (DSL) he led the league with 24 doubles and batted .362(8th in the league)/.430/.570(9th) in 234 at bats with 60 runs (3rd),seven home runs (7th),47 RBIs (3rd),and 12 hit by pitch (3rd). [12] He was a DSL mid-season All Star,a DSL post-season All Star,and a Baseball America DSL All Star. [13]
Matos did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He played the 2021 season with the Low-A San Jose Giants,as one of the youngest players in the league. [14] [15] [16] Over 109 games,he led the California League with 84 runs,86 RBIs,35 doubles,21 stolen bases,and five sacrifice flies and slashed .313(7th in the league)/.359/.495(9th) in 451 at bats with 15 home runs (2nd),28 walks (5th),and seven hit by pitch (3rd). [17] He was the California League Most Valuable Player,a California League post-season All Star,and an MiLB Organization All Star. [13]
In 2022,playing for the Rookie-level Arizona League Giants (for only seven at bats) and High–A Eugene Emeralds in the minor leagues,Matos batted an aggregate .215/.280/.356 in 376 at bats with 58 runs,12 home runs,and 47 RBIs,while dealing with an injured quadriceps. [5] [18] With the Emeralds,he had the lowest strikeout rate among qualified hitters in the league. [14] He then played for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League,batted .233/.280/.361 in 86 at bats,and was named Arizona Fall League Defensive Player of the Year. [13] He was ranked # 2 in the Giants 2022 MLB Prospect Rankings. [19] On November 15,2022,the Giants added Matos to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. [20]
Matos began the 2023 season with the Double–A Richmond Flying Squirrels,and batted .304/.399/.444 in 115 at bats. [21] He was then promoted to the Triple–A Sacramento River Cats,where he was 5.7 years younger than his fellow Pacific Coast League ballplayers,and batted .398(leading the league)/.435/.685(4th) in 108 at bats with six steals in seven attempts,before he was called up on June 14,2023,for his major league debut. [21] [22] [18] At 21 years of age,he was the youngest player in Triple–A. [23]
He was promoted after left fielder Mitch Haniger suffered fractured forearm in the previous night's game,and Matos was slotted in the lineup as the starting center fielder against the St. Louis Cardinals. [24] On June 14,2023,Matos batted second and went 1-for-3 with a run scored in his MLB debut. [23] At 21 years of age,he became the second-youngest position player in MLB;only Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker was younger. [14] In 76 games during his rookie campaign,he batted .250/.319/.342 with two home runs and 14 RBI.
Matos was optioned to Triple–A Sacramento to begin the 2024 season. [25] After being called up in mid-May,he drove in 17 runs in his first six starts,thus becoming the first Giant awarded National League Player of the Week since Brandon Belt in 2018. [26]
Nathan John "Nate" Schierholtz is an American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants (2007–2012),Philadelphia Phillies (2012),Chicago Cubs (2013–2014),and Washington Nationals (2014). He also played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for Hiroshima Toyo Carp (2015).
Below are select minor league players,and the rosters of the minor league affiliates,of the San Francisco Giants:
Gerardo Enrique Parra is a Venezuelan former professional baseball outfielder and current first base coach for the Washington Nationals. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks,Milwaukee Brewers,Baltimore Orioles,Colorado Rockies,San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals,as well for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Parra is a two-time Gold Glove Award winner and won the 2019 World Series as a member of the Nationals.
Brandon Michael Crawford is an American former professional baseball shortstop. He spent 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB),playing all but his last season for the San Francisco Giants. Crawford played college baseball for the University of California,Los Angeles (UCLA). He was selected in the fourth round of the 2008 MLB draft by the Giants,and played his final season in 2024 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Alexander Ross Dickerson,nicknamed "Grandpa",is an American professional baseball left fielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres,San Francisco Giants,and Atlanta Braves,and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Chunichi Dragons.
Mitchell Evan Haniger is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants.
Jorge Luis Mateo is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2020 for the San Diego Padres.
Dominic Manuel Núñez is an American professional baseball catcher in the Cleveland Guardians organization. Núñez was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the sixth round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft,and made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut for them in 2019.
Lewis Lamont Brinson is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Rieleros de Aguascalientes of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers,Miami Marlins and San Francisco Giants,and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants. The Texas Rangers selected Brinson in the first round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft.
Luis Alejandro Basabe(bah-sah'vay) is a Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman who is a free agent.
Luis Alexander Basabe(bah-sah'vay) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants. Listed at 6' 0" (1.83 m),160 lb. (73 k),he is a switch hitter and throws right handed. The Boston Red Sox signed Basabe as an international amateur free agent in 2012. He made his MLB debut in 2020.
Meibrys John Viloria Oquendo is a Colombian professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals,Texas Rangers and Cleveland Guardians.
Heliot Lemuel Ramos Lebrón is a Puerto Rican professional baseball outfielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Giants selected Ramos in the first round,with the 19th overall selection,of the 2017 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2022.
Michael Robert Tauchman is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Colorado Rockies,New York Yankees,San Francisco Giants,and Chicago Cubs,and in the KBO League for the Hanwha Eagles. In his senior year of college in 2013 at Bradley University he batted .425,leading all NCAA Division I baseball players. The Rockies selected Tauchman in the 10th round of the 2013 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2017.
Joseph Andrew Bart is an American professional baseball catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Francisco Giants.
Jason Glenn Vosler is an American professional baseball third baseman and first baseman for the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants,Cincinnati Reds,and Seattle Mariners. Vosler played college baseball at Northeastern University,and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 16th round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft.
Luis Fernando González is a Mexican professional baseball outfielder for the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League. He played college baseball at the University of New Mexico. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the third round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft,and made his MLB debut with them in 2020. He has also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants.
Hunter David Bishop is an American professional baseball center fielder in the San Francisco Giants organization. He played college baseball at Arizona State University. He was selected by the Giants with the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.
Marco JoséLuciano is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He signed with the Giants as an international free agent in 2018,and made his MLB debut in 2023.
Osleivis JoséBasabe Chourio is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2023.