Brian Matusz, who was selected in the first round of the 2008 draft and went on to pitch 280 games for the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs, has died.
Matusz was 37.
Very sad to hear that former #orioles pitcher Brian Matusz passed away this morning. Was 37. 4th-overall pick in 2008 draft.
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) January 8, 2025
Matusz went 27-41 with a 4.92 earned-run average in parts of eight seasons (2009-16). He finished fifth in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2010, when he went 10-12 with a 4.30 ERA in 32 starts.
A 6-foot-5 left-hander, Matusz spent only a year in the minor leagues after the conclusion of his college career at the Unversity of San Diego. He got his first cup of coffee in the majors in 2009 and went 5-2 in eight starts for Baltimore.
ON THIS DAY IN ORIOLES HISTORY:August 4, 2009:Just over a year after the Orioles picked him No. 4 overall in the draft, Brian Matusz makes his major league debut (5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 5 K, 3 BB).He recorded his first career K vs Miguel Cabrera and the O’s beat the Tigers 8-2. pic.twitter.com/VefcKogjkb
— Locked On Orioles (@LockedOnOrioles) August 4, 2020
But after his promising rookie season, Matusz had difficulty sustaining his success. He spent much of 2011 on the injured list and Triple-A, going 1-9 with a 10.69 ERA in 12 major league starts.
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In 2012, Matusz again bounced between Baltimore and Triple-A, before eventually settling into a bullpen role. He posted an ERA of 3.53 or better in each from 2013-15.
Baltimore traded Matusz to Atlanta early in the 2016 season for a pair of minor leaguers. The Braves released Matusz before he could appear in a major league game, and he latched on with the Cubs weeks later.
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Matusz’s final major league game was a July 2016 spot start for the Cubs at Wrigley Field that lasted only three innings. Although that was his only big league appearance for the eventual World Series champions, he received a ring when the Cubs beat Cleveland to win their first title since 1908.
Our hearts are heavy tonight as we mourn the passing of former Oriole, Brian Matusz.A staple in our clubhouse from 2009-2016, Brian was beloved throughout Birdland, and his passion for baseball and our community was unmatched. He dedicated his time to connecting with any fan he… pic.twitter.com/wNN3WkO8l4
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) January 8, 2025
Matusz signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks with an invitation to spring training in Feb. 2017. He got into eight Cactus League games with Arizona, then was released after posting a 6.11 ERA in 11 games with the D-backs’ Triple-A affiliate.
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Matusz took a year off from baseball in 2018 and resurfaced in 2019, pitching professionally for the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League and the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League, before calling it a career.
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A native of Phoenix, Matusz was 14 years old when he attended Game 1 of the 2001 World Series, in which the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the heavily favored New York Yankees in seven games. Eight years later, he described the moment of his big league debut as a childhood dream realized.
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