Jeff Mathis
From BR Bullpen
Jeffery Stephen Mathis
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 180 lb.
- High School Marianna High School
- Debut August 12, 2005
- Born March 31, 1983 in Marianna, FL USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Jeff Mathis is a catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. His brother Jake Mathis played in the minor leagues.
Jeff was selected by the Anaheim Angels in the first round of the 2001 amateur draft. He was signed by scouts Tom Kotchman and Hank Sargent and made his pro debut that summer. He played for the big league Angels from 2005 to 2011. He is considered an outstanding defensive catcher, blessed with a very strong arm and is excellent in blocking pitches. However, his hitting has always been below avergae, with a batting average of only .194 in seven season in Los Angeles, in spite of extensive playing time. He does have a bit of power however, with a high of 9 homers in 2008. He was at his best in the 2009 ALCS against the New York Yankees, when he hit .583 with 5 doubles in 5 games.
On December 3, 2011, Mathis was traded from the Los Angeles Angels to the Blue Jays for pitcher Bradley Mills. This was the second offseason in a row during which the Angels traded a catcher to the Blue Jays, following Mike Napoli the previous year. Mathis replaced Jose Molina as a back-up to J.P. Arencibia, a much better hitter but nowhere near as good as a defender, in 2012. On May 25th, however, he was asked to show other skills, making his first career pitching appearance in a mop-up role against the Texas Rangers. He pitched a scoreless 8th inning (although he gave up a walk and a hit) in a 14-3 loss.
