Prospect Watch: Oliver Mateo Battling Injuy/Ineffectiveness in Bullpen

As we await the start of the 2020 MLB season due to CoronaVirus concerns, we will take a look at every player on the Pirates roster and outline what they will bring to the table and projections for the 2020 season. I hope this brings some positive reading to the current situation and helps us all as we wait for baseball.

When a pitcher consistently hits in the triple digits, he is going to turn heads among Major League scouts. If he exhibits good control at 100 miles per hour that is even a bigger plus for his development. Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Oliver Mateo is a guy who has consistently hit the 100 mile per hour mark during his time in the system. However, control has been extremely difficult for the young right-hander. It has led to some struggles in his first professional season, and an injury last year further slowed down his development. He has got good stuff, he just has to learn to use it on a consistent basis in order to be a dominant reliever.

The Pirates made an aggressive move with Mateo last season, jumping him from the DSL Pirates to the Bristol Pirates. Unfortunately for Mateo, he only got to appear in one game before a broken finger ended his season. It was a blow to the young pitcher, as he was looking to improve on his awful numbers from 2018. However, the injury will give him time to sit back and reevaluate his game so he can come back stronger. With COVID-19 ending the Minor League baseball season, Mateo has a whole year to rehab and work on his control before returning to the Bristol Pirates for the 2021 season.

When Mateo was being scouted in the Dominican Republic, it was noted that he was a raw talent and needed some work. However, in every showcase that he pitched in, he would light up the radar gun hitting in triple digits consistently. He had both a fastball and change-up in his arsenal, but his fastball was what he relied on more often than not. Whatever team signed Mateo, had a lot of work ahead of them as they transform him into a professional relief prospect. It would be the Pittsburgh Pirates that ended up signing Mateo at the age of 20, as they saw an opportunity to help the young prospect.

Mateo would start from the bottom of the Pirates organization, appearing out of the bullpen for the Dominican Summer League 2 Pirates. He worked in 22 games for the DSL Pirates, mostly in one-inning at a time spurts. On the positive side, the velocity was still there and played well as he struck out 32.4% of the batters he faced. However, that is where the positives stopped as he posted a 10.54 ERA in 29.1 innings of work. It wasn't that he was getting hit around, he had an opponent batting average of just .190, it was the fact that he walked entirely too many batters. In those 29.1 innings of work, Mateo walked 42 batters for a walk percentage of 27.8%. All of those free passes out Mateo in bad spots and brought home several of those runs.

His first outing as a professional came on June 2nd, 2018 and he was impressive throwing a 1-2-3 inning while striking out two. However, the next game started his control issues as he faced four batters and walked all four of them. Throughout the season, his outings would go as his control went. Of his 22 appearances that season, he walked no batters only four times and did not allow a run in any of those games. It was a different script when he started walking batters as things would start to snowball on the young pitcher. His season ended on a disappointing note as he gave up three earned runs in 2.1 innings of work and went into the off-season with a lot to work on.

The Pirates ended up being aggressive with Mateo and advanced him to the Bristol Pirates in the Appalachian League. He would once again appear in the bullpen but only got to appear in one game for Bristol. He faces just three batters in the game walking two and striking out one. That one strikeout was the only out Mateo would record all season long as he went down with a broken finger. He would miss the remainder of the season and was looking forward to returning to Bristol in 2020. However, COVID-19 ended that effort shutting down the Minor League season until 2021.

As for where Mateo will report, that is a question that remains unknown. He will be entering his age 23 season when Minor League Baseball resumes, which is a bit old to be pitching in rookie ball again. The Pirates will probably end up giving him a chance at full-season baseball and,  if that doesn't work out, it might be the end of the line for the young pitcher. Hitting 100 miles per hour on the radar gun is nice, but to succeed in professional baseball Mateo is going to have to learn how to control it on a consistent basis.

The Major League Baseball season is set to begin on July 23rd and July 24th with teams reporting to Spring Training on July 1st. As the season gets closer, we at Buccos Cove are determined to get you ready for the Coronavirus, shortened season with analysis, predictions, and everything you need to know before the season begins. Be sure to follow us on Facebook at Buccos Cove for all the exciting Pittsburgh Pirates coverage every single day.

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