Jon Matlack
Born: 1/19/1950 in West Chester, PA, USA
MLB Debut: 1971-07-11 | Final Game: 1983-09-15
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 205 lbs
Full name: Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack
Biography
Jon Matlack, born in 1950, was a prominent left-handed pitcher who made a significant mark in Major League Baseball from 1971 to 1983. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 125 wins and 126 losses, with an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 3.18. Matlack was known for his exceptional ability to strike out batters, finishing his career with 1,516 strikeouts, showcasing his dominance on the mound during a time when pitching was pivotal to team success.
Matlack's accolades included being named Rookie of the Year, TSN Rookie Pitcher of the Year, and earning the distinction of All-Star Game MVP. He was selected to the All-Star Game three times, reflecting his status as one of the top pitchers of his era. Matlack's playing style was characterized by a mix of finesse and power, making him a formidable opponent for hitters throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. His contributions to the game and the legacy he left behind continue to be remembered by baseball historians and fans alike.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125 | 126 | 361 | 318 | 97 | 30 | 3 | 2363.0 | 2276 | 835 | 161 | 638 | 1516 | 3.18 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | NYN | NL | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37.0 | 31 | 17 | 15 | 24 | 4.14 | 369.0 |
| 1972 | NYN | NL | 15 | 10 | 34 | 32 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 244.0 | 215 | 63 | 71 | 169 | 2.32 | 3887.2 |
| 1973 | NYN | NL | 14 | 16 | 34 | 34 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 242.0 | 210 | 86 | 99 | 205 | 3.20 | 4846.0 |
| 1974 | NYN | NL | 13 | 15 | 34 | 34 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 265.3 | 221 | 71 | 76 | 195 | 2.41 | 8472.6 |
| 1975 | NYN | NL | 16 | 12 | 33 | 32 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 228.7 | 224 | 86 | 58 | 154 | 3.38 | 5050.2 |
| 1976 | NYN | NL | 17 | 10 | 35 | 35 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 262.0 | 236 | 86 | 57 | 153 | 2.95 | 3240.1 |
| 1977 | NYN | NL | 7 | 15 | 26 | 26 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 169.0 | 175 | 79 | 43 | 123 | 4.21 | 1992.5 |
| 1978 | TEX | AL | 15 | 13 | 35 | 33 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 270.0 | 252 | 68 | 51 | 157 | 2.27 | 6981.8 |
| 1979 | TEX | AL | 5 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 85.0 | 98 | 39 | 15 | 35 | 4.13 | 329.1 |
| 1980 | TEX | AL | 10 | 10 | 35 | 34 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 234.7 | 265 | 96 | 48 | 142 | 3.68 | 4577.3 |
| 1981 | TEX | AL | 4 | 7 | 17 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 104.3 | 101 | 48 | 41 | 43 | 4.14 | -1057.5 |
| 1982 | TEX | AL | 7 | 7 | 33 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 147.7 | 158 | 58 | 37 | 78 | 3.53 | 676.9 |
| 1983 | TEX | AL | 2 | 4 | 25 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 73.3 | 90 | 38 | 27 | 38 | 4.66 | -585.3 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 362 | 441 | 32 | 57 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 57 | 217 | 0.129 | 0.230 | 0.136 | 0.366 | -3243.8 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | NYN | NL | 7 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.273 | 0.0 |
| 1972 | NYN | NL | 34 | 78 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 44 | 0.128 | -521.8 |
| 1973 | NYN | NL | 35 | 65 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 38 | 0.138 | -388.4 |
| 1974 | NYN | NL | 34 | 79 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 34 | 0.101 | -825.2 |
| 1975 | NYN | NL | 33 | 70 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 33 | 0.100 | -559.7 |
| 1976 | NYN | NL | 35 | 88 | 10 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 35 | 0.193 | -404.9 |
| 1977 | NYN | NL | 26 | 50 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 27 | 0.060 | -543.7 |
| 1978 | TEX | AL | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1979 | TEX | AL | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1980 | TEX | AL | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1981 | TEX | AL | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1982 | TEX | AL | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1983 | TEX | AL | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0.167 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | WS | NYN | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.250 |
| 1973 | NLCS | NYN | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 25.7 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 1.40 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | NLCS | NYN | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9.0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0.00 |
| 1973 | WS | NYN | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 16.7 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 2.16 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 361 | 318 | 68 | 346 | 21 | 14 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | NYN | P | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972 | NYN | P | 34 | 32 | 8 | 33 | 1 | 1 |
| 1973 | NYN | P | 34 | 34 | 4 | 40 | 1 | 3 |
| 1974 | NYN | P | 34 | 34 | 5 | 40 | 0 | 1 |
| 1975 | NYN | P | 33 | 32 | 3 | 28 | 3 | 1 |
| 1976 | NYN | P | 35 | 35 | 10 | 35 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977 | NYN | P | 26 | 26 | 4 | 27 | 1 | 1 |
| 1978 | TEX | P | 35 | 33 | 17 | 42 | 5 | 2 |
| 1979 | TEX | P | 13 | 13 | 3 | 16 | 2 | 1 |
| 1980 | TEX | P | 35 | 34 | 5 | 25 | 4 | 0 |
| 1981 | TEX | P | 17 | 16 | 2 | 20 | 2 | 0 |
| 1982 | TEX | P | 33 | 14 | 4 | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| 1983 | TEX | P | 25 | 9 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 3 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 361 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | All-Star Game MVP | |
| 1972 | Rookie of the Year | |
| 1972 | TSN Rookie Pitcher of the Year |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Cy Young Award | NL | 6th | 5.0 | 120 | 1 |
| 1972 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 1st | 19.0 | 24 | 19 |