Matt Peterson
From BR Bullpen
Matthew David Peterson
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 4", Weight 220 lb.
- High School Rapides High School
- Born February 11, 1982 in Alexandria, LA USA
[edit] biographical Information
Matt Peterson was the closer for the 2007 Altoona Curve, his 4th year in AA.
Peterson went 11-1 with a 0.63 ERA, striking out 149 and walking 31 while allowing 29 hits in 78 innings. He made second-team high school All-American. Peterson was a second-round draft pick of the New York Mets in the 2000 amateur draft. He was signed in August by scout Bob Rossi and made his pro debut the next summer.
In 2001, Matt went 2-2 with a 1.62 ERA for the Brooklyn Cyclones and 2-6, 4.99 for the Capital City Bombers. Peterson led Mets minor leaguers in 2002 with 158 strikeouts. He had a 8-10, 3.86 record for Capital City and 1-0, 1.50 in one game for the St. Lucie Mets. He whiffed 153 in 137 2/3 innings for Capital City and allowed a .210 average. He was second in the South Atlantic League in strikeouts, trailing Dustin McGowan.
At age 21, the right-hander had a 9-2, 1.71 record for St. Lucie and allowed a .211 average and was 1-2 with a 3.45 ERA in six games for the Binghamton Mets. He was the Mets Minor League Player of the Year. Had he qualified, he would have led the Florida State League in ERA. In the playoffs, he helped shut down a strong Dunedin Blue Jays offense, starting a combined one-hitter in the championship round.
Peterson began 2004 with Binghamton, going 6-4 with a 3.27 ERA in 19 games. He was traded with Jose Bautista and Ty Wigginton to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Kris Benson and Jeff Keppinger. Peterson had a 3-2, 6.25 record in 7 games for the Altoona Curve after the trade. Despite the collapse, he still ranked 9th in the Eastern League with a 3.99 ERA.
Matt continued his struggles with Altoona in 2005, going 11-9 with a 5.51 ERA. He led the EL in runs allowed (102) and earned runs allowed (88). His 76 walks were third yet he still managed to tie for 4th in wins. In 2006, Peterson was a bit better, but still was just 6-6 with a 5.03 ERA in 31 games, 17 of them starts.
Peterson rebounded in 2007 when moving to the bullpen. Through August 19, he is 4-1 with a 1.86 ERA through 44 games for Altoona. He also briefly appeared in AAA for the first time, with the Indianapolis Indians, allowing two runs (one earned) in 4 1/3 innings. He made the Eastern LEague All-Star team as the top relief pitcher.
Sources: 2001-2007 Baseball Almanacs, 2007 Pirates Media Guide, Altoona Curve website, MILB.com
