Matt Vierling

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #8 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: The 2018 fifth-rounder from Notre Dame had an impressive debut season before struggling to a .232 mark at High-A in 2019. He was on the Phillies’ 2020 instructional league roster, where he stood out for significant strength gains and improved bat speed. His gains carried over to the 2021 season, where he excelled at Double-A and posted a 126 OPS+ in 71 big league at-bats, including starting in multiple games down the stretch as the Phillies chased a wild card.
  
  Scouting Report: Vierling showed some of the best exit velocities in the organization during spring training, turning in 115-116 mph speeds off the bat thanks to the strength gains he made during the 2020 shutdown. The Phillies believe his power now grades out at plus, and his bat-to-ball skills have improved as well, though he needs to cut down on swing-and-miss. Vierling is an impressive athlete who can play both corner infield spots and anywhere in the outfield, with plus speed and above-average defense in center field to go with a plus arm. The Phillies believe Vierling’s bat and ability to play multiple positions will make him a super-utility player who could carve out a long big league career.
  
  The Future: After ending the season in the big leagues, Vierling should be back in the mix for a spot on the MLB roster for 2022 Opening Day.
  
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #27 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: An unsigned 30th-round pick of the Cardinals out of high school in 2015, Vierling hit well at Notre Dame, though he struggled to make contact with wood bats in the summer of 2017 in the Cape Cod League. After the Phillies drafted Vierling in the fifth round in 2018, he signed for $380,000 and helped ease those wood bat concerns by hitting well in low Class A Lakewood.
  
  Scouting Report: Vierling has slightly above-average raw power with lift in his swing. Scouts who followed Vierling as an amateur had concerns about his pure hitting ability moving up at higher levels, but he helped ease some of those concerns with how well he hit in full-season ball after signing. Vierling is athletic and moves around well in the outfield for his size, playing some center field but fitting best in a corner. He also spent time pitching at Notre Dame, running his fastball into the low 90s, and it translates to a plus arm in the outfield.
  
  The Future: If Vierling can carry over his initial pro success in 2019, he could move quickly.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #163 prospect in 2015 draft
  If Vierling heads to Notre Dame, he will be both a pitcher and an outfielder. He is a viable pro option either way, as well. A member of an athletic family--Matt's father Denny was a college football player and Matt's younger brother Mark is CBC's starting second baseman as a sophomore. A team drafting Matt Vierling now will be paying for his future potential. He has a lanky frame (6-foot-4, 195 pounds) with the size to add more strength. He made a quick return from a broken leg that limited his showcase appearances last summer. Vierling's swing has leverage and at least average power potential, although currently he is largely limited to line drives in the gap. Vierling is a fringe-average runner now, but he'll eventually have to move to a corner outfield spot as a pro. He has plenty of arm strength to play right field. On the mound, Vierling sits 89-91 mph and has touched 93 with a quick arm and up-tempo delivery. He draws comparisons to Brett Eibner, who provided power on the mound and at the plate when he pitched and played center field for Arkansas before becoming a second-round pick of the Royals in 2010.

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The 2018 fifth-rounder from Notre Dame had an impressive debut season before struggling to a .232 mark at High-A in 2019. He was on the Phillies’ 2020 instructional league roster, where he stood out for significant strength gains and improved bat speed. His gains carried over to the 2021 season, where he excelled at Double-A and posted a 126 OPS+ in 71 big league at-bats, including starting in multiple games down the stretch as the Phillies chased a wild card.
  
  Scouting Report: Vierling showed some of the best exit velocities in the organization during spring training, turning in 115-116 mph speeds off the bat thanks to the strength gains he made during the 2020 shutdown. The Phillies believe his power now grades out at plus, and his bat-to-ball skills have improved as well, though he needs to cut down on swing-and-miss. Vierling is an impressive athlete who can play both corner infield spots and anywhere in the outfield, with plus speed and above-average defense in center field to go with a plus arm. The Phillies believe Vierling’s bat and ability to play multiple positions will make him a super-utility player who could carve out a long big league career.
  
  The Future: After ending the season in the big leagues, Vierling should be back in the mix for a spot on the MLB roster for 2022 Opening Day.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Vierling improved more than any other player in the organization during the lost season in 2020 and turned himself into a legitimate power threat, leading to exit velocities up to 115-116 mph in training and 110 mph in games. Vierling made quick work of Double-A in 2021 and split time between the majors and Triple-A while cutting down on his strikeout rate and raising his walk rate. He's a solid runner, and his likely defensive home is in an outfield corner.