Pirates Reliever Visits Pitt Baseball

Mattson committed to Pitt as a member of the Class of 2014 and attended Harbor Creek High School in Harborcreek, Pa. in Erie County, where he competed in baseball and basketball. He had an excellent senior season, posting a 0.67 ERA and a 6-0 record, while also hitting .531 in 2014.

He would eventually play for Pitt in college, primarily pitching out of the bullpen, improving each season.

This culminated in a 2017 season, where he posted a 2.97 ERA in 31.1 innings pitched, with only 10 earned runs on the year. He also held opposing hitters to a .227 batting average and made 41 strikeouts to just 10 walks.

Mattson made 56 appearances for the Panthers in his collegiate career (2015-17), with a 3.79 ERA over 90.1 innings pitched, 97 strikeouts to 19 walks and a .237 opposing batting average.

The Los Angeles Angels selected Mattson in the 19th Round of the 2017 MLB Draft, where he would spend the next three seasons with in the minor league system.

Los Angeles would trade him, along with three other players, to the Baltimore Orioles for right-handed pitcher Dylan Bundy on Dec. 4, 2019.

He didn't play in the 2020 season, as there was no minor league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he would get his shot the following year.

The Orioles added him to the 40-man roster on Nov. 20, 2020 and he earned his promotion to the MLB on May 3, 2021.

He made his debut on May 7 and made four appearances out of the bullpen for Baltimore. He finished with a 6.23 ERA in 4.1 innings pitched, allowing five hits, five walks, three earned runs and making three strikeouts.

Balitmore sent him to Triple-A Norfolk on April 8, 2022 and then released him on July 18.

Mattson spent time pitching for the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League in 2022 and then for Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in 2023.

He made his way back to professional baseball by signing a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins on June 22, 2023, pitching for Double-A Wichita Wind Surge before choosing free agency in the offseason.

Mattson then signed a minor league deal with the Pirates on Dec. 11, 2023 and pitched for them starting in 2024.

He made eight appearances for Double-A Altoona, with a 2-1 record, eight appearances, 11.0 innings pitched and a 3.27 ERA.

Mattson then moved up to Triple-A Indianapolis on May 7, where he 29 appearances and three starts. He had a 5-1 record, 3.15 ERA in 60.0 innings pitched, 76 strikeouts to 33 walks and holding opposing hitters to a .208 batting average.

The Pirates selected his contract on Sept. 18, marking a three-year absence from the majors.

Mattson would make three appearances, posting two scoreless showings out of the bullpen. He only allowed one hit in 5.1 innings of work, a three-run home run, that bumped up his ERA to 5.06, but also made six strikeouts.

The Pirates signed him to a minor league contract this offseason, and he has had one of the best seasons for any member of their bullpen.

Mattson originally came up to the Pirates on May 20, where he made three appearances, giving up just one solo home run over three innings of work. They sent him back down on May 26, before calling up back up on June 7, where he's been with the Pirates ever since.

He has thrown 32 scoreless outings out of his 40 total, with a 2.25 ERA over 44.0 innings pitched, 45 strikeouts to 18 walks, a .196 opposing batting average and a 1.11 WHIP.

Mattson has dominated with his fastball. which he has thrown 78.4% of the time, getting a 24.1% whiff rate and put away percentage of 20.8%, which is how successful he is with the fastball in getting a strikeout with two strikes.

He has excelled in high-leverage situations, facing down must-win at-bats and taking down some of the best hitters in the game, getting the Pirates some close wins throughout the season.

The 30-year old rookie has finally made himself a stape of an MLB ballclub and to do so with the Pirates, in the city where he played baseball in college, is even more of a great feeling for Pirates and Pitt fans.