Zebby Matthews - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Stashes (Week 12)

BALLER MOVE: Stash in Deeper 14+ Team Leagues

CALL-UP ETA: August

ANALYSIS: Minnesota Twins pitching prospect Zebby Matthews was an eighth round pick in the 2022 draft, so expectations weren't too high, but he's put himself in position to move up the minor league ladder quickly, already dominating Double-A and beginning to knock lightly on the MLB door. If he can continue pitching as well as he has, the light knock will turn into a loud pounding by mid-season. The 24-year-old has made a name for himself as a pitcher with impeccable command, arguably the best in the entire minor leagues.

Over his first two seasons (24 G, 20 GS), the righty has pitched 108 1/3 innings, striking out 118 batters, good for a solid 9.8 K/9. But what is impressive is the walk rate, having walked just 15 of the 434 batters faced over that timeframe (3.5%). The problem when you throw that many strikes, however, is that good hitters will expect it and take advantage, which perhaps led to the 14 home runs he allowed in those 20 starts, resulting in a 3.74 ERA. In 2024 though, Matthews has somehow procured even better command and isn't allowing home runs.

Zebby Matthews' astonishing run of 49 strikeouts without a walk this season concluded on his 24th birthday.

But the #MNTwins prospect put himself in rarified air with his latest outing for @WindSurgeICT: https://t.co/y65mWMYVo4 pic.twitter.com/ROUkI05SMo

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) May 23, 2024

So far this season between High-A (four GS) and Double-A (five GS), he's faced 192 batters and struck out 63 of them (32.8% K%) while walking just two (1.0%). In fact, Matthews faced 141 batters and struck out 49 of them before issuing his first walk of 2024. Mix that with a miserly one home run allowed all season and you have a recipe for success: 4-1 W-L, 1.21 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, and 30.6% K-BB%. Whether he gets a promotion to Triple-A first or gets the call straight to the majors, look for the Twins' 20th overall prospect to see the inside of Target Field by season's end at this rate.

As the call may not come for a while, Matthews should only be stashed in deeper leagues for pitching-needy managers, and potentially shallower leagues by mid-season, as this prospect's talents could be a difference-maker in the second half when managers need it most.

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