FL New Jersey Jackals

New Jersey Jackals Bring Back RHP Mat Latos

January 29, 2020 - Frontier League (FL)
New Jersey Jackals News Release


Little Falls, NJ - The 2019 Can-Am League Champion New Jersey Jackals announce signing former Major League pitcher Mat Latos. A nine-year Major Leaguer and Cy Young Award finalist, Latos returns to The Den to intensify the Jackals' deep bullpen.

"In 2018 he filled a lot of roles with our club. Latos started, was in long relief and closed games. He will do anything I ask him to do without any questions," New Jersey Jackals manager Brooks Carey said. "He just loves to compete, still loves the game and wants to pitch in New Jersey."

Last year, Latos was one of the best relievers in the Atlantic League. Not only did he go 4-5 in 50 appearances with a 1.06 ERA and a 0.647 WHIP, but he also struck out 39 while only yielding nine walks and 24 hits in 51 innings of work. Plus he tied for second in the league with 25 saves and only blew two opportunities. The 32-year old hurler's best stretch of the season was on May 29-July 20 when he only allowed two hits, one walk and zero runs over 18 innings pitched, including a run of nine straight perfect innings.

During the 2018 season, Latos was the Swiss Army knife of the Jackals pitching staff. Overall, he went 5-4 with a 3.18 ERA over 76.1 innings in 29 appearances including 10 starts with 31 walks and 87 strikeouts which ranked fifth in the Can-Am League. One of the team's most effective relievers, Latos went 2-1 with a 1.79 ERA over 19 appearances and 25.1 innings while yielding only 17 hits and nine walks and fanning 35 hitters. In 10 starts for the Jackals, he logged a 3-3 record with a 3.96 ERA while tallying 21 walks and 54 strikeouts over 50 innings pitched.

A native of Alexandria, Virginia, Latos was drafted by the San Diego Padres out of Coconut Creek High School (FL) in the 11th round of the 2006 First-Year Amateur Draft and signed with the club in 2007. Soaring through the Padres farm system, Mat made his Major League debut in 2009 while being recognized by Baseball America as the best prospect in the Double-A Texas League and featuring the circuit's best fastball. From 2010 through 2013, he became one of the most dominating starting pitchers in baseball. Splitting time with the San Diego Padres and the Cincinnati Reds during this stretch, Latos ranked 8th in the ERA (3.27) and was among the best starting pitchers 26 or younger in wins (51, 4th) and strikeouts (785, 2nd).

His best seasons during this stellar run were in 2010 with the Padres and 2013 with the Cincinnati Reds. In 2010 not only did Latos go 14-10 with a 2.92 ERA and a .230 opponents batting average (ranking 10th and 5th, respectively in the National League) for San Diego, he set a Major League record by allowing 2 runs or less in 15 straight starts with a minimum of 5 innings pitched each start. According to Elias Sports Bureau, this was the longest streak in modern baseball history (since 1900). Hall of Famer Greg Maddux previously held the record with 14 straight starts.

The Reds acquired Latos from the Padres on December 17, 2011 in a blockbuster four-player trade including major leaguers Yonder Alonso (free agent first baseman), Brad Boxberger (free agent relief pitcher), Yasmani Grandal (Chicago White Sox catcher) and Edinson Volquez (Texas Rangers starting pitcher). He authored the best year of his career in 2013 when he went 14-7 with a 3.16 ERA and 210.2 innings pitched while amassing only 58 walks and tallying 187 strikeouts. Best of all, his efforts were recognized by the Baseball Writers' Association of America as he finished eighth in Cy Young Award voting.

Over the next few years, Latos was hampered by a series of injuries. The nastiest ailment was torn meniscus cartilage in his left knee which hindered his remaining five years in the Majors. His last stint in The Show was with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2017. Prior to his stint north of the border, he pitched for the Miami Marlins (2015), Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels (2015) along with the Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals (2016).

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