Scott Mathieson Stats & Scouting Report

IP	44
ERA	6.75
WHIP	1.886
BB/9	4.295
SO/9	6.955

Full name Scott William Mathieson
Born 02/27/1984 in Vancouver, BC, Canada
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Aldergrove Community SS
Debut 06/17/2006
Drafted in the 17th round (509th overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2002.

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RHP Scott Mathieson has gained 6-7 mph on his fastball in the past year. He has an ideal pitcher's build at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds and a smooth, effortless delivery. Scouts project him to fill out, which should enable him to throw even harder. He generates good movement on his 90-91 mph fastball and has a good feel for his curveball and changeup.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

It has been a long road for Mathieson, but he once again appears ready to make an impact for the Phillies. He has established himself as an organization favorite in his nine seasons as a pro, and he made his major league debut in June 2006, when he was a starter who ranked among the system's top prospects. He has battled injuries trying to make it back since. Mathieson had two Tommy John surgeries and an ulnar nerve relocation in a threeyear period, but he has been healthy since the beginning of 2009. He racked up 26 saves in Triple-A last year and made two cameo appearances in the majors. Philadelphia made him a reliever because of his injuries and because his secondary stuff never developed as hoped. There's no doubting his arm strength, as he still produces a mid- to high-90s fastball. His heater tends to flatten out, so the Phillies brought in Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter to teach Mathieson a splitter. His low-80s slider is an average pitch. When he struggles, it's usually because he can't command his pitches and leaves them up in the zone. His power arm gives Mathieson a ceiling as a set-up man or closer, and he'll compete for one of several bullpen openings in Philadelphia during spring training.
Everyone in the organization is rooting for Mathieson, the son of a prominent Canadian amateur coach. He's still trying to complete his comeback after injuring his elbow during his first taste of the majors in September 2006. He had Tommy John surgery, then needed a second elbow reconstruction after he came back the following summer. He got back on the mound last June and showed power stuff again in the lower minors and the Arizona Fall League. Mathieson reached the big leagues as starter, but he was somewhat miscast in that role because he lacked command and feel for a changeup. Now a reliever, he still doesn't command his fastball well enough to project as future closer. He can be an asset as a set-up man if he can stay healthy, as he has a 93-97 mph fastball and a solid slider that's a plus pitch at times. He gets more life on his changeup than on his fastball, and it's a solid third pitch. His fastball can be straight, so he'll need to locate it with more precison against big league hitters. If he can avoid injuries, Mathieson could help Philadelphia at some point in 2010.
Mathieson had one of the most promising arms in the system, but an extreme workload caught up to him and he has had a hard time recovering. After pitching 122 innings during the 2005 regular season, he also worked at the World Cup, the Arizona Fall League and then the World Baseball Classic, giving him little time off. He piled on another 164 innings in 2006, making the jump from Double-A to the big leagues, before blowing out his elbow and needing Tommy John surgery in August. Mathieson returned late in 2007, but after just eight innings at three different stops, the Phillies had to shut him down for more elbow surgery, this time the transposition of his elbow nerve. Though Philadelphia considers the second surgery to be a minor setback, his future remains clouded. Before he got hurt, Mathieson pitched with his fastball anywhere from 90-97 mph and also featured a hard slider and a changeup. The Phillies planned on using him as a starter before he got hurt, but now his future role likely will come in relief. That way he would be limited to short stints and could concentrate on a two-pitch power mix. Mathieson is expected to be ready for spring training and probably will begin 2008 in Double-A.
Mathieson has pitched all over the map in the last two years. He worked at the Futures Game, the World Cup and the Arizona Fall League in 2005, then pitched in the World Baseball Classic and jumped from Double-A to the majors in 2006. He was shut down in September with elbow problems that required Tommy John surgery. Mathieson lives off his low-90s fastball, which can climb as high as 97 mph. After working with a curveball for most of his first five seasons, he switched to a slider late in 2005 and worked on it exclusively in the AFL that fall. It quickly has become a plus pitch with good tilt and devastating late break. He maintains his arm speed on his changeup, which has good life down in the zone. Though the track record for Tommy John survivors is strong, Mathieson will miss most or all of the 2007 season. Just as quickly as his slider came on during the first half of 2006, he completely lost the feel for it when he was promoted to Philadelphia in mid- July. He started to regain command of the pitch after being reassigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. If all goes well, Mathieson will return to the mound during the summer at the Phillies' new short-season Williamsport affiliate. While he has the stuff to start, it gives him the potential to close games as well.
Mathieson has pitched for several Canadian national teams, and he beat Sweden and lost to Cuba (after shutting them out for four innings) at the World Cup in September. He also served as Philadelphia's Futures Game representative in 2005. His grandfather Doug tried out for the Philadelphia Athletics during the Connie Mack era. A projection pick who threw 84 mph as a high school senior, Mathieson now reaches 95- 96 regularly and works in the low 90s. He switched from a curveball to a slider midway through 2005, and his new breaking ball has a chance to become his second plus pitch. His down-breaking changeup is solid, as are his mechanics. Though Mathieson showed solid progress in 2005, he must continue to improve his overall command. It's not a question of throwing strikes, but of throwing better strikes. With the makings of three average-or-better pitches, Mathieson could emerge as a No. 2 or 3 starter if all goes well. He also could become a power closer if the Phillies need him to. He'll pitch in Double-A in 2006.
Mathieson played with fellow British Columbia natives Adam Loewen and Jeff Francis on Canadian national teams, and he went 16 rounds after them in the 2002 draft. His grandfather Doug tried out for the Athletics during the Connie Mack era and played first base for the Air Force at Pearl Harbor. After going 2-9, 5.09 in his first two seasons, Mathieson made considerable progress in 2004. Mathieson threw 84 mph as a high school senior, but the Phillies gambled on his projectability because he had a lanky frame, loose arm and smooth mechanics. It's paying off as he hit 96 mph last season while consistently pitching in the low 90s with average life. His changeup has improved to an average pitch. Mathieson is finally done growing into his body, so now is the time for him to fine-tune his command across the board. His curveball breaks straight down but not consistently enough. It's still a below-average pitch. If Mathieson masters his curve, he could emerge as a No. 2 or 3 starter. Otherwise, he shows the makings of a power reliever. He's ready for high Class A Clearwater.
British Columbia made its presence felt atop the 2002 draft, with Adam Loewen going fourth overall and Jeff Francis following closely at No. 9. Mathieson was the third pitcher selected from B.C.'s lower mainland, though he lasted until the 17th round. The Phillies bought Mathieson, who pitched with Francis and Loewen on national and select teams, out of a scholarship to El Paso (Texas) Junior College. Though he has been hit hard in two Gulf Coast League stints, Mathieson has made significant strides. He even has a new nickname, "The Goose." He has filled out and packed on strength. He also worked several flaws out of his delivery and now has mechanics as smooth as any pitcher in the organization to go along with his loose, quick arm. The result: A fastball that reached 84 mph when he was a high school senior now touches 94 and sits at 90-91. Mathieson also works with a down-breaking curveball with depth and a changeup that sinks and tails. Both pitches are average to above-average. He still has room for more projection, and adding more muscle could result in more added velocity. He'll be tested in low Class A this year.

Minor League Top Prospects

After an inconsistent five-year minor league career, Mathieson finally started putting it together in 2006. He joined the Phillies rotation in June and showed power stuff that could make him a No. 3 starter or perhaps a closer. But then doctors discovered a tear in his elbow in September, requiring Tommy John surgery that should knock him out for all or most of 2007. Mathieson has a quick, loose arm but will need to clean up his delivery in order to remain healthy in the future. His fastball has good late life and sits near 93 mph. He began crafted a slider in 2005, and the pitch was developing into a second plus offering this summer. His changeup also improved as well. His command is solid, though he doesn't have the ability to spot his pitches precisely where he wants them. "He really grew up and developed as a pitcher this year. He became more of a man," said Leiper, who has coached Mathieson on Canadian national teams. "He learned to take more control of games and really came on."
Mathieson also is raw, as Canadian pitchers drafted out of high school often are. He has yet to turn his excellent raw stuff into consistently solid performances, and he's far from a finished product. However, he made significant progress during the season and dominated for stretches. Mathieson struck out 11 in eight three-hit innings in his final start, hitting 94 mph 16 times, including with his final last pitch. Mathieson has an excellent pitcher's frame at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, plus a relatively stress-free delivery. Lakewood pitching coach Tom Filer helped Mathieson's curveball and changeup improve from 30s to 40s on the 20-80 scouting scale, and they still can get better. "His work ethic was the best on our team, and he's made amazing strides with his secondary pitches," Forbes said. "From where he started to where he finished is phenomenal. When he's right, he's got a good downward angle on his fastball and gets lots of swings and misses with it."