Matt Swanson
| IP | 102 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.588 |
| WHIP | 1.647 |
| BB/9 | 5.824 |
| SO/9 | 6.882 |
- Full name Matthew David Swanson
- Born 10/17/1982 in Los Gatos, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'8" / Wt.: 240 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School California
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Drafted in the 13th round (391st overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2005.
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The 6-foot-7 Swanson, a senior closer with an 88-93 mph fastball, went 6-2, 1.34 this spring but projects as a set-up man in pro ball.
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The Pirates think they got a steal when they grabbed Swanson in the 13th round last June. He held opponents to a .163 average in his pro debut. The 6-foot-7 Swanson learned how to use his size to his advantage last year. He began getting on top of his fastball more and his velocity rose to the low 90s with a peak of 95 mph more often because of his newfound leverage. He also throws a slider and a splitter. Swanson needs to gain more consistency with his split in order to contrast his heater, and his slider also could use some tightening from time to time. He lacks experience after pitching primarily out of the bullpen in college and the Pirates plan to rectify that by having him work as a starter this year in low Class A. He projects more as a set-up man for the long term.
