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Prospect Rankings

PlayerPositionCurrent TeamBatsThrows
1
Photo headshot of Marcelo Mayer
Marcelo Mayer
SS
Boston Red Sox
AAA
22LR
2
Photo headshot of Triston Casas
Triston Casas
1B
Boston Red Sox
MLB
24LR
3
Photo headshot of Ceddanne Rafaela
Ceddanne Rafaela
OF/SS
Boston Red Sox
MLB
24RR
4
Photo headshot of Miguel Bleis
Miguel Bleis
OF
Boston Red Sox
A+
20RR
5
Photo headshot of Mikey Romero
Mikey Romero
SS/2B
Boston Red Sox
AA
20LR
6
Photo headshot of Nick Yorke
Nick Yorke
2B/OF
Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB
22RR
7
Photo headshot of Bryan Mata
Bryan Mata
RHP
Boston Red Sox
MLB
25RR
8
Photo headshot of Brandon Walter
Brandon Walter
LHP
Houston Astros
AAA
28LL
9
Photo headshot of Eddinson Paulino
Eddinson Paulino
INF
Toronto Blue Jays
AA
22LR
10
Photo headshot of Roman Anthony
Roman Anthony
OF
Boston Red Sox
AAA
20LR
11
Photo headshot of Blaze Jordan
Blaze Jordan
3B/1B
Boston Red Sox
AA
22RR
12
Photo headshot of Wikelman Gonzalez
Wikelman Gonzalez
RHP
Chicago White Sox
MLB
22RR
13
Photo headshot of Luis Perales
Luis Perales
RHP
Boston Red Sox
MLB
21RR
14
Photo headshot of Matthew Lugo
Matthew Lugo
OF
Los Angeles Angels
MLB
23RR
15
Photo headshot of Chris Murphy
Chris Murphy
LHP
Boston Red Sox
MLB
26LL
16
Photo headshot of Nathan Hickey
Nathan Hickey
C
Boston Red Sox
AA
25LR
17
Photo headshot of Brainer Bonaci
Brainer Bonaci
SS/2B
Boston Red Sox
AA
22SR
18
Photo headshot of Enmanuel Valdez
Enmanuel Valdez
2B/3B/OF
Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB
26LR
19
Photo headshot of Cutter Coffey
Cutter Coffey
3B/SS
Toronto Blue Jays
A+
20RR
20
Photo headshot of Niko Kavadas
Niko Kavadas
1B
Los Angeles Angels
MLB
26LR
21
Photo headshot of Chase Meidroth
Chase Meidroth
INF
Chicago White Sox
AAA
23RR
22
Photo headshot of Brooks Brannon
Brooks Brannon
C
Boston Red Sox
A
20RR
23
Photo headshot of Wilyer Abreu
Wilyer Abreu
OF
Boston Red Sox
MLB
25LL
24
Photo headshot of Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz
RHP
New York Yankees
A+
21LR
25
Photo headshot of Dalton Rogers
Dalton Rogers
LHP
Boston Red Sox
A+
23RL
26
Photo headshot of Zack Kelly
Zack Kelly
RHP
Boston Red Sox
MLB
29RR
27
Photo headshot of Jacob Webb
Jacob Webb
RHP
Boston Red Sox
AAA
25LR
28
Photo headshot of Luis Ravelo
Luis Ravelo
SS
Boston Red Sox
A+
21SR
29
Photo headshot of David Hamilton
David Hamilton
SS/2B
Boston Red Sox
MLB
27LR
30
Photo headshot of Freili Encarnacion
Freili Encarnacion
SS
Boston Red Sox
A
19RR
7
Bryan
Mata
RHP, Boston Red Sox
  • AGE
    25
  • BATS
    R
  • DOB
    05/03/1999
  • THROWS
    R
  • HT
    6' 3"
  • SIGNED
    Jan. 27, 2016 - BOS
  • WT
    223
  • ETA
    2024

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40 

Mata originally agreed to sign with the Brewers in July 2015 before they declined after he suffered a groin injury, so he turned pro with the Red Sox for $25,000 six months later. He established himself as Boston's top pitching prospect before losing two years of development to the pandemic in 2020 and Tommy John surgery in 2021. He returned to the mound last June and recaptured his previous stuff, but he has been waylaid by shoulder inflammation and control woes this season. 

Though Mata can run his four-seam fastball up to 101 mph, it lacks life and isn't nearly as effective as his 94-96 mph two-seamer with power sink. While his heaters generate more weak contact than swings and misses, his upper-80s slider dodges plenty of bats with its horizontal action. His mid-80s changeup grades as a plus pitch with late fade at its best, though it can get too firm and straight at times, and he should scrap his ineffective upper-70s curveball. 

Despite three quality pitches, Mata isn't a slam-dunk starter. He's not as dominant as his stuff suggests he should be, and he's not efficient because he lacks consistent control and doesn't command his secondary pitches well. There's an increasingly strong possibility that he's more of a multi-inning reliever.