The San Francisco Giants called up one of the team’s top prospects in Luis Matos to replace the presence of Mitch Haniger in the outfield. Matos was on a tear prior to his callup, but what should fantasy players do with the 21-year-old? Let’s take a closer look at the young phenom.
Related: When is the 2024 MLB Field of Dreams Game, and which teams will be participating?
A Look at Luis Matos
Giants outfield prospect Luis Matos started the 2023 campaign at AA and put up solid results with the Richmond Flying Squirrels. Matos hit .304/.398/.443 with three home runs, nine stolen bases, and ten extra base hits. While the 21-year-old didn’t showcase much pop in the Eastern League, he did in AAA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
After a promotion to Sacramento in May, Matos proceeded to hit .398 and belt seven home runs and drive in 20 for the River Cats in 24 games. Much of that damage came in June, when Matos hit six between June 7-13.
Matos received the call up to the Majors after the Giants’ game on June 13 after Mitch Haniger went down with a fractured forearm. In his first game, Matos went 1-3 and one run scored.
At 5’11 and 160 pounds, the 21-year-old Matos isn’t an intimidating figure by any means. However, he can elevate the ball and does have some good power. Now, we wouldn’t expect Matos do crack six home runs in six days in the Majors like he did in Sacramento, but doing that feat in what has historically been one of the more pitcher-friendly ballparks in the PCL is impressive.
A career .301 hitter in the Minors, Matos possesses excellent bat-to-ball skills and has put up 15-15 seasons down in the Giants farm system and it’s certainly not of the question that he can do it at the MLB level. With an above-average feel for hitting, good power and speed, Matos can easily be an everyday player — and an impact one, at that — with San Francisco. We’ll see if he can do that in a Giants outfield that at the moment includes Michael Conforto, Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Slater, and Joc Pederson at DH.
2023 Fantasy Outlook
The Giants outfield has been besieged by injuries this year, and Mitch Haniger has been no exception to that rule. Haniger’s fractured forearm marks the second occasion in which he landed on the IL this season. This injury will likely keep Haniger out for much longer, and make Matos a viable play in fantasy.
A potential five-tool player at the MLB level, we don’t expect Matos to be a big power hitter right out of the gate. But for those in 12 and 15-team leagues that need a bat that can make consistent contact, swipe bases, and contribute a home run every now and then, the Giants prospect can be a good option.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.