Oct 1, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Steven Matz (41) pitches during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
ONLY IN AMNEWYORK
BRONX, NY — Former New York Mets pitcher and Long Island native Steven Matz had to wait quite a long time to see the mound in a postseason game — 10 years to be exact.
The East Setaucket native, once a starter, now turned reliever with the Boston Red Sox, pitched an inning between the fourth and fifth frames in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees in the Bronx. He kept the Yankees off the scoreboard with his team down 3-2, yielding two hits while striking out one.
It was his first appearance in a postseason game since Game 4 of the 2015 World Series as a member of the Mets at Citi Field, when a then-rookie Matz held the Kansas City Royals to two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts in five innings of work. He made three appearances in total during the Mets’ run to their first World Series appearance since 2000 — and still their most recent — to the tune of a 3.68 ERA.
“It’s weird. Time flies,” Matz told amNewYork prior to the winner-take-all Game 3 between Boston and New York on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium. “I don’t feel that old. But it was really cool, especially to do it back in New York.”
That 2015 season was only supposed to be the start for Matz, who was a mid-season call-up and dazzled with a 2.27 ERA in six regular-season starts. But stardom was always elusive.
He underwent elbow surgery in 2017 and could not rediscover his frontline-worthy stuff on a consistent basis. Over his final four seasons with the Mets, he possessed a 4.83 ERA and was demoted to the bullpen sporadically in 2019 and 2020 before undergoing another elbow surgery.
The Mets traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of the 2021 season, and a year later, in free agency, he famously spurned Steve Cohen to eliminate any chance of a reunion in Queens.
He started just 36 of his 84 appearances over three-plus years with the Cardinals before being dealt to the Red Sox at the trade deadline in July.
So far, it has been a perfect match. Matz has been utilized solely as a reliever, with his responsibilities ranging from eating multiple middle innings to seeing the eighth inning or later 10 times out of his 21 appearances. He had a 2.08 ERA with 12 strikeouts compared to two walks in 21.2 innings of work before getting the nod for his postseason return on Wednesday night.
“They have a really good support staff,” Matz said of the Red Sox. “They kind of let me be myself and complement their things here and there. Their scouting reports are really good and easy for me to translate and go be aggressive out there. They’ve made it really easy for me.”
In total, he had to make 240 appearances, pitch 968.2 innings, and undergo a pair of surgeries between postseason appearances.
Well worth the wait.
“I kind of talked to the guys about that in St. Louis when they did a little something for me when I got to 10 years [service time],” Matz said. “Sometimes you feel like you’re just hanging on by a thread. This game’s so hard, and the ups and downs, and to be here 10 years later, it’s pretty awesome.”
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