Matt Wise

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #11 prospect in 2001
  Wise has recovered from adversity in his short time in the Angels organization. He led the Northwest League in wins in his 1997 pro debut, then jumped all the way to Double-A the following year, when he got rocked pitching in Midland's bandbox of a ballpark. In 1999, Anaheim shifted its Double-A affiliate to more pitcher-friendly Erie, where Wise thrived--until needing surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. Fully healthy last season, he made it through Triple-A and pitched well in his first six big league outings before getting hammered in his final two starts. His best pitch is a changeup that makes a below-average fastball seem quicker. Because Wise is tall and skinny, there's hope he might get stronger and add velocity, and he did add late running action to his fastball in 2000. He also throws his slider for strikes. Wise works from multiple arm angles, making it difficult for batters to get comfortable. Oddly, he has had an extreme reverse platoon split over the last two years, as lefthanders have hit .231 against him while righthanders have batted .292. Providing that he can make adjustments to counter the ones big league hitters made against him, Wise has a solid chance to make Anaheim's Opening Day rotation.