Matt Rudick Stats & Scouting Report

AB	415
AVG	.239
OBP	.352
SLG	.366
HR	8

Full name Matthew Jon Rudick
Born 07/02/1998 in San Diego, CA
Profile Ht.: 5'6" / Wt.: 170 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School San Diego State
Drafted in the 13th round (382nd overall) by the New York Mets in 2021 (signed for $125,000).

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Rudick played for USA Baseball’s 15U National Team in high school and had a productive four-year career at San Diego State. He hit over .300 in each of his first three seasons, hit well in the Cape Cod League before his junior year, won MVP of the San Diego League last summer and finished his college career by batting .410 this spring. Rudick lacks big tools, but he can hit. He consistently puts the bat on the ball from the left side, almost never strikes out (he struck out nine times in 178 at-bats this season) and takes an advanced, mature approach. He is mostly a singles hitter and possesses little power, but he knows who he is and doesn’t try to do too much. He is a pest at the top of the order who wears pitchers out and sets the tone for his team. Rudick played center field for the Aztecs but projects to move to left field with his fringe-average speed and average arm. He is a candidate to be taken as a senior sign on the draft’s third day.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade: 45/High

Track Record: Rudick hit .341 in four years at San Diego State--including .410 to rank 10th in the nation as a senior--and struck out just 8% of the time. But the 5-foot-6 lefthanded hitter totaled just five home runs in 176 games, which pushed him down the board to the Mets in the 13th round in 2021. After a nondescript 2022 season at High-A Brooklyn, Rudick experienced a first-half breakthrough at Double-A Binghamton in 2023. He hit .289/.435/.478 with a career-high nine home runs in 58 games before a shoulder injury sidelined him and ultimately led to offseason surgery.

Scouting Report: Rudick is an undersized lefthanded-hitting outfielder with outsized plate discipline, a quality glove and improving power production. While he is unlikely to reach double-digit home runs in MLB, he did a better job picking his spots to pull the ball in 2023, a fact reflected in a career-high pull rate of 44%. Rudick’s bat-to-ball skills and swing decisions are among the strongest in the system. He rarely goes outside his zone and was the only upper-level Mets prospect to compile more walks than strikeouts. Rudick is an above-average runner and strong defensive outfielder who plays all three positions. He also pitched in high school and has an above-average arm.

The Future: Former Mets farm director Kevin Howard evoked Jon Jay as a comparison point for Rudick, whose baseball instincts elevate his profile as a future fourth outfielder. He will be 25 in 2024, so if he hits at Triple-A he could get an MLB look.

Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 30 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55

Draft Prospects

Rudick played for USA Baseball’s 15U National Team in high school and had a productive four-year career at San Diego State. He hit over .300 in each of his first three seasons, hit well in the Cape Cod League before his junior year, won MVP of the San Diego League last summer and finished his college career by batting .410 this spring. Rudick lacks big tools, but he can hit. He consistently puts the bat on the ball from the left side, almost never strikes out (he struck out nine times in 178 at-bats this season) and takes an advanced, mature approach. He is mostly a singles hitter and possesses little power, but he knows who he is and doesn’t try to do too much. He is a pest at the top of the order who wears pitchers out and sets the tone for his team. Rudick played center field for the Aztecs but projects to move to left field with his fringe-average speed and average arm. He is a candidate to be taken as a senior sign on the draft’s third day.
Rudick started for three years at San Diego State and hit at least .310 in every season. He added to his hitting credentials by batting .287/.374/.409 in the Cape Cod League last summer. Rudick lacks big tools, but he can hit. He controls the strike zone, has a mature approach and possesses excellent bat-to-ball skills from the left side. Rudick is undersized at 5-foot-9 and possesses little power, but he knows his game and doesn’t try to do too much. He’s a pest and a tough out from the leadoff spot who sets the tone for his team. Rudick is a below-average runner with an above-average arm who profiles as a corner outfielder. His lefthanded bat would have teams interested in the 11-15 round range, but he will likely return to school due to the shortened draft.