Angel Mata

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Minnesota Twins #21 prospect in 2013
  Mata lacked the pitch efficiency to last more than five innings in any of his starts at Elizabethton last summer, but he worked five scoreless innings on four occasions. He also turned in five strong innings in a playoff start and held Appalachian League hitters to a .171 average. Mata shows flashes of two average to plus pitches. He fastball usually sits at 88-92 mph and touches 94. His slurvy curveball, thrown with power in the upper 70s and reaching 80 mph at times, remains inconsistent. When he throws strikes with his fastball and curve, he dominates. He throws a changeup that also has its moments, though it's clearly a third pitch at this stage. Mata has good size and will need to work hard to maintain his fitness and master a consistent between-starts routine. He doesn't repeat his delivery enough and lacks maturity when calls don't go his way, helping lead to 5.7 walks per nine innings last year. He has the size and stuff to start but still is figuring out the command. Mata continued to get swings and misses pitching out of the bullpen in the Venezuelan League. He'll have to build off his strong winter to earn a rotation spot in low Class A this spring.
• 
  Ranked Minnesota Twins #29 prospect in 2012
  The Twins signed Mata in January 2010, and he led their Dominican Summer League club with 54 strikeouts in 59 innings in 2010. He came to the United States last year and would have ranked second in the Gulf Coast League with a 1.46 ERA if he hadn't fallen nine innings short of qualifying. Mata has yet to give up a home run as a pro, thanks to a heavy 88-92 mph fastball that peaks at 94. His arm works well and he throws with ease. Mata's fastball has so much life that he doesn't have great command of it yet, nor does he have great body control, both understandable flaws given his age and size. His changeup and curveball are present below-average pitches and neither projects to become a plus offering. His success will hinge on improving his fastball command so that his secondary stuff plays up. He's headed to Elizabethton in 2012.