Brian Matusz
Born: 2/11/1987 in Grand Junction, CO, USA
Died: 1/6/2025 in Phoenix, AZ, USA
MLB Debut: 2009-08-04 | Final Game: 2016-07-31
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'5" | Weight: 190 lbs
Full name: Brian Robert Matusz
Biography
Brian Matusz was a professional baseball pitcher born in 1987, who played in Major League Baseball from 2009 to 2016. Known for his left-handed pitching and commanding presence on the mound, Matusz spent the majority of his career with the Baltimore Orioles. He made his debut on August 4, 2009, and over the course of his career, he recorded a win-loss record of 27-41 and maintained an earned run average (ERA) of 4.92. Matusz struck out a total of 462 batters during his time in the majors, showcasing his ability to overpower hitters despite some struggles with consistency.
Matusz's tenure in the league coincided with a transitional period in Orioles baseball, as the team sought to rebuild and return to competitiveness. Although he did not achieve the level of success hoped for when he was drafted fourth overall in the 2008 MLB Draft, he did earn recognition as the Rookie of the Month during his debut season. His career was characterized by moments of promise, including stretches of strong performance, but ultimately he faced challenges that impacted his overall effectiveness on the mound. Matusz retired from professional baseball on July 31, 2016, leaving behind a legacy of determination and resilience in a sport that demands both skill and perseverance.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 41 | 280 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 528.7 | 567 | 289 | 79 | 204 | 462 | 4.92 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | BAL | AL | 5 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44.7 | 52 | 23 | 14 | 38 | 4.63 | 270.0 |
| 2010 | BAL | AL | 10 | 12 | 32 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 175.7 | 173 | 84 | 63 | 143 | 4.30 | 124.3 |
| 2011 | BAL | AL | 1 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49.7 | 81 | 59 | 24 | 38 | 10.69 | -4658.5 |
| 2012 | BAL | AL | 6 | 10 | 34 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 98.0 | 112 | 53 | 41 | 81 | 4.87 | -1679.4 |
| 2013 | BAL | AL | 2 | 1 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51.0 | 43 | 20 | 16 | 50 | 3.53 | 1230.2 |
| 2014 | BAL | AL | 2 | 3 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51.7 | 51 | 20 | 17 | 53 | 3.48 | -342.8 |
| 2015 | BAL | AL | 1 | 4 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49.0 | 38 | 16 | 20 | 56 | 2.94 | 468.9 |
| 2016 | BAL | AL | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 12.00 | 0.0 |
| 2016 | CHC | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 18.00 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 280 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.125 | 0.125 | 0.125 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | BAL | AL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2010 | BAL | AL | 32 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 2011 | BAL | AL | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 2012 | BAL | AL | 34 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
| 2013 | BAL | AL | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2014 | BAL | AL | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2015 | BAL | AL | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2016 | BAL | AL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2016 | CHC | NL | 1 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | ALCS | BAL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 2012 | ALDS1 | BAL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 2012 | ALWC | BAL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5.3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 3.38 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | ALCS | BAL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13.50 |
| 2012 | ALDS1 | BAL | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4.3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2.08 |
| 2012 | ALWC | BAL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 280 | 69 | 12 | 55 | 1 | 2 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | BAL | P | 8 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | BAL | P | 32 | 32 | 8 | 21 | 1 | 1 |
| 2011 | BAL | P | 12 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | BAL | P | 34 | 16 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | BAL | P | 65 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 2014 | BAL | P | 63 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | BAL | P | 58 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | BAL | P | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | CHN | P | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 280 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Rookie of the Month | August |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | BAL | AL | $3,900,000 |
| 2015 | BAL | AL | $3,200,000 |
| 2014 | BAL | AL | $2,400,000 |
| 2013 | BAL | AL | $1,600,000 |
| 2012 | BAL | AL | $1,450,000 |
| 2011 | BAL | AL | $1,350,000 |
| 2010 | BAL | AL | $1,300,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $15,200,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of San Diego | San Diego | CA | 2006, 2007, 2008 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Rookie of the Year | AL | 5th | 3.0 | 140 | 0 |