Remember the Name - Dominic Matthiesen (MLB The Show 17)

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The Story Begins

Every child as they grow up, pictures the grandeur of a life yet to be lived. Some put all of their efforts to creating the opportunities to make these fictional scenarios once played out in their minds a reality, which in the athletic world means early mornings and late nights. 2 a days, and jogs before the sun begins to rise above the horizon. This is the tale of Dominic Matthiesen.

Dominic Matthiesen, a small town star was quickly starting to just see how much the world evolved him. A few months after turning eighteen and celebrating his high school graduation, he was off to try out for major league teams in the regional showcases. Selected as a member of the Central division, this outfielder from Illinois was seeking to make a name for himself. Batting at .367 in his senior year was when he began to turn heads, along with leading his high school conference with 17 stolen bases, only getting caught stealing once. He hadn't hit a homerun all through high school however, a contact hitter that could pepper hits across the outfield.

His athleticism is his major draw, he has a solid bat, especially so against right handed pitching, but what drew the scouts to his small town was his cannon of an arm. Impressing with a YouTube video of him making a seemingly impossible throw out from a hit laced to center field to home plate to prevent a tying run and ending the game was a tremendous moment in his career, and the one that started drawing attention.

It was that moment where he became polarized, the small town kid was starting to get more attention, evening landing on a few Chicago news networks. His goal? To hold down center field for the Chicago Cubs. Though it seemed to be an easier task when the Cubs were the lovable losers of days past, his goal remained the same. A young player wishing to be the one to bring the glorious trophy to the friendly confines, that age old task having been completed, he still wished to be known as an allstar for his favorite team.

Though the draft stood between him and that. Of course he'd play for any team that drafted him, right?

Not so easy.

College scholarships started coming in, he could stay local and play for Northern Illinois University, his family would be able to attend the games, but they weren't overly impressive in terms of creating MLB prospects. In fact the last Northern Illinois baseball player in the MLB? Brian Schmack who lasted just one season in 2003 playing for the Detroit Tigers.

He could also play for the University of Illinois or University of Washington, two schools whom he also had high in his recruiting pursuits. The choices were wide, it wasn't an easy choice, and in the matter of a week, his life was going to be vastly different. Embarking upon a college lifestyle or immediately becoming a professional.

Three games, one scouting day, to create a lifetime.

All that was left was to go.

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First Scouting Report:
Name: Dominic Matthiesen
Pos: CF / OF
Homestate: IL
Height: 6'2
Weight: 199 Lbs

Batting:
Dominic displayed a solid batters eye in locating and connecting with the ball. His first hit was a one strike double. He ultimately would score, picking up his first of two runs on the afternoon. He also showed his ability to bunt for hits, hitting a squeeze bunt in the ninth inning that moved the tying runner to second with no outs. Getting on first helped the team even further by getting their go ahead runner on base. All was not terrific however, he struck out on a count that he had gone up 2-0 on, seems to be overreactive to pitches inside. Ultimately he went 2-5, batting .400 is above his high school average, but it's disappointing to see some of the mistakes he had made. He rates average at batting, but with some work he could certainly turn this into a positive.

Baserunning
He was dynamic on the base paths and showed that he can alter games with his baserunning, he can get a bit foolhardy with a head full of steam, he notched a steal in this one but tried to score from first on a single to left field and was thrown out. He can be explosive but he needs to know his own limits and be aware of the field. He rates very highly in this aspect.

Defense
A double edged blade. His reaction isn't overly great and his glove has it's holes. He made a few errors in judgement today but ultimately between his speed and the hit itself it didn't result in any hits, in the MLB though, his glove wouldn't be adequate for centerfield and may be constricted to a corner fielder position. His major boon is his arm, he displayed it somewhat, but disappointingly his throw was cut-off which didn't allow for a play at the plate which appeared to be a possibility. His arm strength is off the charts good, and he is among the more accurate hurlers in the draft, but his glove has its issues and can cost a team games.

[K0ZZ]

Final Scouting Report:
Name: Dominic Matthiesen
Pos: CF / OF
Homestate: IL
Height: 6'2
Weight: 199 Lbs

Batting:
Matthiesen still displayed glimpses of batting ability, he had certainly established that he has capabilities, but he is young and prone to error. He chased some bad pitches, which definitely impacted his stock. He needed to have some strong games but never touched .400 through the rest of the combine. He did lace a ball to the warning track, but too much air underneath it made it an easy out. He will have to hit the batting cages and work with his hitting coach to be ready to deal with MLB level pitching, but he should be able to flourish in AA and AAA ball. He struggles mightily on inside pitches.

Baserunning:
He can change games with how well he plays on the base paths, he still has a bit of reckless abandon in him when he decides to, he is extremely polarizing on the base paths, there's times where he will make you grab your head in frustration and other times where his tremendous ability allows for him to dictate the game from the paths. He has raw, natural talent that you cannot coach, and his shortcomings are fixable. He is one of the best runners in this draft.

Fielding:
His reaction and tracking remained to be poor and below replacement level in terms of MLB talent. He may be best suited for a corner field position rather than center or just needs to spend a lot more time chasing balls in practice. Though with his arm talents, he is suited for the outfield, he has a cannon, and just barely missed throwing out a runner at home from midway between the warning track and the edge of the infield.

Projected Draft Position: Round 4-6

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Draft Day

Draft Day was an absolute blur.

On one hand it was one of the most thrilling, exciting moments of Dominic's life, but at the other it was the slowest. Each prospect's name being read off and projecting onto his laptop's screen was just another missed opportunity. His head coach, Mr. Callahan had suggested to not watch the first two rounds. Since he hadn't been projected as an elite project.

MLB Network was on the TV, echoing comments on each prospects selection and giving out suggested years they could see these prospects making the leap to the Bigs. It was an almost taunting ambiance. Hearing each player selected before him, it was fuel. MLB teams thought that each one of those players were better than him, and it certain lit a fire. As the minutes stretched to hours and teams made their selections, the draft twisted into the third round.

Of course, his eyes had been glued entirely to the phone aside him, and the laptop before him. He didn't know where the information would come from. Would the team call him? Would he just be a name across ticker tape? The first four picks came and went, names coming off the board that he played alongside. It was a bitter tension, awaiting for his name.

Hell, if he slipped too far.. or he didn't like his fit in the organization, then college lingered as a choice. As a few more names were called, his attention slipped to the three top colleges. Weighing the pros and cons of each one, stay local, in state or get away from the familiar? As the draft echoed on in the background, he pulled up the webpage for the University of Washington. Looking over information of their baseball program.

Pulling his attention from the laptop was a sudden buzz.

"These guys are morons, haven't seen you go yet!"

Just a friend. Trent Vandenberg. The shortstop of the local high school team whom committed to Northern Illinois University.

Another name called, and his phone vibrated again. Just as he went to usher it away, it vibrated again. A phone call.

A 303 phone number? His phone immediately stating the call came from Denver, Colorado.

Picking up the phone would yield a sudden burst of emotion. It was a Midwest scout for the Colorado Rockies. Just as the man on the other end of the phone introduced himself, the draft audio played out.

"and the Colorado Rockies select.. Dominic Matthiesen, 18 year old outfielder out of Illinois."

The words that were being said to him suddenly drowned out. It had happened. He was a third round draft pick, it was incredible and just while on the phone, he could feel it vibrating with an impending torrent of congratulatory texts from teammates, friends and coaches past.

"It's a honor sir. I'll be ready to report.. as soon as possible."

With that, the phone silenced as the commentary flooded the background.

"This is a definition of a risk/reward draft pick. Matthiesen brings unparalleled athleticism, but he's a raw talent. The Rockies must feel they can refine him and develop him along. If he does, he could secure a spot as a decent, every day starter in the MLB."

Next stop, Hartford.

[K0ZZ]

Yard Goats take one series, but fall to 2-5 on the season

Game Stats:
Series 1
@ Richmond Flying Squirrels
1) L 1-2
0-5 2 K
2) L 2-3
2-3 1 BB 1 RBI 1 2B 1 3B
3) L 5-6
3-4 1 RBI 1 2B
4) L 0-1
PH - 1-1
Series Stats:
6-13 (.461) 1 BB 2 RBI 2 2B 1 3B 2K

Series Two
vs Harrisburg Senators
G1) L 2-4
2-5 1 R 1 RBI 1 HR
G2) W 3-1
2-5 1 R
G3 W 9-2
2-5 1 R 2 K
Series Stats: 6-15 (.400) 1 RBI 1 HR 3R 2K

The Yard Goats finished their first back to back series of the season, before getting their first day off and they absolutely needed it. Despite a strong start from youngster, Dominic Matthiesen, the team has struggled mightily in the early goings. The Goats were swept in their opening four game series. A tough go for the youngster, but with him batting over .400 through seven, the team can at least appreciate the hot bat.

In fact, Matthiesen even notched his first professional homerun, a ball that just passed over the fence. The loud crack resonated in the evening air, setting the tone for Matthiesen whom could easily be considered the Yard Goats MVP through two series.

It wasn't all good however. In fact, Matthiesen went 0-5 with a pair of rung up at bats in his debut, though he absolutely turned it on through the end of the second series. If this pace continues, it'll certainly be a tremendous boon for this team and a Rockies debut could be in the works for the youngster, but that is still far off.

[K0ZZ]

Colorado Rockies Rookie Watch
Dominic Matthiesen
May 3rd, 2017

Stats:
Batting:
39-95 (.411)
3 HR 14 RBI 13 Runs
11 SB
.412 OBP .568 SLG .981 OPS
1 BB 10 K
2 2B 2 3B

Fielding:
1.000% FLD%
17 PO 1 A 0 Errors

Various Stats:
22.5 Runs Created
.464 batting average with runners in scoring position

Dominic Matthiesen, the Rockies third round pick in the most recent draft has been absolutely tearing up AA with baseball with the Hartford Yard Goats. The Center Fielder has jumped out to an over .400 batting average in his first month of professional ball, absolutely mystifying opposing pitching with hits that come with an odd amount of ease for the youngster whom seems relentless at the plate against the opposition.

Matthiesen's biggest tale has been his batting which has vaulted him to the top of the AA Eastern League by nearly .80 percentage points, an incredible leap. His most shocking statistic has been his home run total. Dominic Matthiesen whom went through all of high school without a home run has hit three in his first month. Rather two with one coming from an inside the park home run.

Yes, Dominic Matthiesen did one of the most exciting plays in baseball, an inside the park homerun. The ball having a perfect blend of positioning and speed to split the outfielders as it rolled all the way to the wall and he was heading to third before it was even corralled. There was a play at the plate that ultimately would land in favor of Matthiesen whom slid past the catcher to tag the bag before the catcher could land the tag.

Matthiesen has been absolutely dynamic in the base paths as well. His steals have him outpacing the Seawolves Manuel Anaya by a single steal, for the lead. It's rumored that the manager of the Yard Goats has given Matthiesen the green light to steal, and his ability to get on base and turn a single into runners into scoring position has been huge in producing a rather gaudy runs created statistic for Matthiesen whom has displayed three tools in his arm, batting and running at this point. If power stays, he could really be a threat to crack the major league roster, or if his fielding improves to where the team can utilize him in the field daily, rather than DH.

Sadly despite Matthiesen's breakout start, the Yard Goats sit at 9-14 on the season, 7 games back in the EL Eastern, which is currently led by the Fisher Cats at 16-7. The Yard Goats sit tied with the Rumble Ponies in last place with a record of 9-14. Matthiesen also has the difficulties of being blocked in his current position, which extends his potential call up date further back. He could see AAA ball this season, if the Rockies start making some moves in their farm leagues.

[K0ZZ]

Yard Goats home stand bring about the longest win streak to date
May 25th, 2017

After dropping 3 of 4 against the Harrisburg Senators, the Hartford Yard Goats needed to turn around in a big way. The season has gotten off to a rather poor start as they found themselves in the cellar of their division but these victories might have them moving in the right direction. Though consistency has not been a strong point for this squad, raising questions as to how successful this team can be over the long haul.

A two game home stand against New Hampshire and Erie, two squads on a higher trajectory than them saw them finally rattle off a sustained win streak, besting Erie in all four games of their series but dropping two of three against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. The four game sweep definitely was a major boost for this squad as they seek to get closer to .500 and start climbing the standings.

Over the seven games, Mariano Jimenez picked up his second win of the season to bring his record to 2-5, while throwing his first shut out in a 10-0 win in the series finale against the Hartford Yard Goats. Kyle Freeland whom has helmed this team as an ace with an era below 2 at 1.93 has been outstanding in the early season, sadly the offense hasn't been able to support him and his record sits at 3-2 despite having one of the best ERA's in the minor leagues.

Dominic Matthiesen whom had been moved to left field as the Rockies wanted to see how well he could man the corner to hide some of his defensive liabilities, batted 7-26 (.269) with 3 RBI, 4 runs and 4 strikeouts. He also had 2 doubles and 1 triple. His batting numbers came down some from his surreal levels to start the season, but it was largely expected that he wouldn't maintain batting over .400 for a long stretch. It did turn some attention from Rockies top brass which signaled for him to move to left field, a position that many experts suggest they are weak at.

The Colorado Rockies sit at 23-26 on the season. If they can't get a playoff run together, there is a good chance that they could call up some of their youngsters. With Matthiesen being just 18 years old, it would be a shock to see the left handed batter from Illinois make the leap to the show this season, but many feel he may be their best left field prospect and his biggest issue is defense, if he can limit his fielding range at the big league level, he may be able to be a replacement level player in a few years in the show.

A lot of the buzz from the AA squad comes from it's pitching staff with players like Jarrett Arellano (CP) whom is sporting a 1.5 ERA as the team's primary closer may have some attention coming from the higher ups, he too at 18 years old could end up seeing some bullpen works when rosters expand at the end of the season. Other players that are rated highly in the minors include starting pitchers Jeff Hoffman (2.64 ERA) and Kyle Freeland (1.93 ERA). Though both are in their early twenties, both are expected to be potential starting pitchers in the bigs.

The Yard Goats next three series feature two aways against Portland and Bowie, with a three game set at home against Akron sandwiched between them. Portland and Bowie are above .500 while Akron sits nearly 8 games back from .500. Winning just two of these series would be huge for the Yard Goats whom have only won three series thus far this season. Two against Harrisburg and now one against Erie.

[K0ZZ]

Manager's Office
June 2nd, 2017

It was another hot, summer day. The 22-32 Hartford Yard Goats were about to host the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in a three game series at home before heading on another week long road trip. The summer had been trying for Dominic, and while his stats had been significantly higher then anticipated across the board, the team has struggled and it has hurt his spirits somewhat. A state champion, he wasn't accustomed to being so far below .500, and in fact his team was ten games in the hole for one of the worst records in all of the minor leagues.

This despite him leading the league with a .393 batting average and an incredible 7 home runs despite not knocking one out of the park his entire high school career. Rumors swirled about a potential call up, but those were just rumors at the moment. Until something concrete emerged, he tried to not think about those, it wasn't worthwhile, and he had his hopes dashed a few times as the Rockies twisted into their summer schedule. Hell it was unheard of for such a young kid to make the jump to the majors, especially from AA ball.

He had a meeting with his manager, Jerry Weinstein. His office was quaint, covered in accessories of the team's past triumphs along with various references to the Colorado Rockies, their current MLB affiliate. Weinstein was used to his roster being a revolving door of prospects, as they moved upwards and some cases downwards in the organization, he always got an excellent look at prospects, and held weekly calls with Jeff Bridich, the general manager of the Colorado Rockies.

JW: "Dom, I just wanted to give you a bit of a recap, now that you have two months under your belt. You've had a tremendous offensive start to your career, you've caught attention of them up at Coors with your bat."

The man gave pause, as if he didn't want to lavish too many compliments onto the young ball player, it was a common issue with the young one's, feeling as though they were unbeatable, then mentally plateauing, and he didn't want to invoke that sense in his young outfielder.

JW: "You also have been great on the base paths, I've given you my trust to steal on will, and you've done well enough. You do need to do a better job of identifying when is the best times to run, and when you're hurting your team trying to advance. You've gotten out far too many times trying to stretch at bats, and trying to take second or third at inopportune times against better throwing catchers. It'll come, and I won't tell you to stop trying, but you need to be mindful of what you're doing out there on the paths. "

Dominic nodded his head simply, he was always seeking to improve himself, though admittedly his ego was starting to grow. It was hard not to when media outlets were calling him things such as a prodigy and another talented outfielder in the way of Mike Trout and Bryce Harper. Of course those connections were outlandish at this stage, but the hype was certainly getting to him. It explained his fool hardy attempts to take extra bases, and his attempts to crush the ball over the fence which caused his strike out rate to increase over recent games.

DM: "I understand coach."

Whether he meant it or not were two separate things entirely. Though Jerry seemed more keen on continuing his evaluation.

JW: "The biggest hole in your game is your fielding. We moved you to the corner, and your errors are still pretty high. You have a cannon for an arm and that helps a lot, but when your throwing the ball all over the field trying to make plays and missing fly balls it's hurting the team more than helping."

The sharpest criticism of his game delivered, Dominic simply focused beyond the man, words from a recent local talk show echoing through his mind. "This kid has been playing incredible, the Rockies might've gotten a huge steal out of this spot. It's insane to think this kid could be slugging out in Colorado by the end of the year. He has all of the looks of a perennial major league all-star and has a flourish and style that'll make him exciting to watch. This small town kid could see the big leagues soon enough, and at the very least he'll have a minor league All-star selection under his belt to boot. The Rockies are 27-29. If June is a bad month and they end up being sellers at the deadlines, expect them to call up some of their youth, and Dominic will be one of the first names up. He's tearing the cover off the ball in AA ball."

Before he had realized, the man across from him was done talking.

JW: "Dom?"

DM: "Oh, yeah sorry coach, I'm good to go? Got to get ready for the game."

Dominic Matthiesen stats
Batting:
81-206 (.393) - 1st
23-59 (.390) - Runners in Scoring Position
.411 OBP
.621 SLG
6 BB 22 K
8 2B
9 3B - 1st
7 HR - T-3rd
33 RBI

Base Running:
20 SB - 1st
9 CS - .690% SB

Fielding
4 Assists
68 Putouts
4 Errors
.947 Fielding %
309.2 Innings Played

Yard Goats Schedule

Spoiler

5/16 - @ Portland Sea Dogs L 1-2
WP: Robby Scott (4-2) 2.7 ERA
LP: Antonio Velez (1-3) 2.33 ERA
Stats: (0-3) 1 BB
5/17 - @ Portland Sea Dogs L 3-7
WP: Alonso Cornell (5-3) 4.2 ERA
LP: Doug Blumenthal (5-2) 3.35 ERA
Stats: (2-4) 1 RBI
5/18 - @ Portland Sea Dogs L 6-10
WP: Robby Scott (4-2) 2.7 ERA
LP: Victor Sanchez (2-3) 4.04 ERA
Stats: 3-5 1 RBI 2 3B 1 K
5/19 - vs Akron Rubber Ducks L 1-2
WP: Shawn Morimando (4-3) 2.34 ERA
LP: Jeff Hoffman (4-4) 2.68 ERA
Stats: 1-4 1 RBI
5/20 - vs Akron Rubber Ducks L 1-2
WP: Pedro Bravo (1-0) 0 ERA
LP: Antonio Velez (1-3) 2.33 ERA
Stats: 2-6 1 RBI 1 BB
5/21 - vs Akron Rubber Ducks L 1-2
WP: Taylor Smith (4-7) 3.49 ERA
LP: Kyle Freeland (4-3) 1.83 ERA
Stats: 1-4 1 K
5/22 - @ Bowie Baysox W 4-1
WP: Doug Blumenthal (5-2) 3.35 ERA
LP: Lesley Corbett (4-5) 2.78 ERA
DNP
5/23 - @ Bowie Baysox L 3-7
WP: Sam Gaviglio (3-4) 3.47 ERA
LP: Brian Sosa (2-4) 5.52 ERA
Stats: 0-5 1 K
5/24 - @ Bowie Baysox L 1-4
WP: John Ivy (5-4) 2.6 ERA
LP: Jeff Hoffman (4-4) 2.68
Stats: 2-4 1 3B
5/25 - @ Bowie Baysox W 6-1
WP: Mariano Jimenez (3-5) 2.47 ERA
LP: Gabriel Ynoa (5-5) 2.34 ERA
DNP
5/26 - @ Binghamton Rumble Ponies W 5-0
WP: Kyle Freeland (4-3) 1.83 ERA
LP: Manuel Aparicio (2-7) 4.22 ERA
Stats: 3-5 2 RBI 1 R 1 2B 1 3B
5/27 - @ Binghamton Rumble Ponies L 2-3
WP: Dusty Leon (3-1) 1.82 ERA
LP: Freddie Flood (0-5) 3.09 ERA
Stats: 0-4 1 K
5/28 - @ Binghamton Rumble Ponies L 2-5
WP: Johnny Clinton (3-1) 1.77 ERA
LP: Brian Sosa (2-4) 5.52 ERA
DNP
5/29 - @ Binghamton Rumble Ponies W 3-2
WP: Jeff Hoffman (4-4) 2.68 ERA
LP: Carter Hoskins (3-4) 3.16 ERA
Stats: 2-4 1 R 2 RBI 1 HR
5/30 - vs Richmond Flying Squirrels W 4-3
WP: Antonio Velez (1-3) 2.33 ERA
LP: Jonas Cortes (0-1) 1.76 ERA
Stats: 0-1 (PH)
5/31 - vs Richmond Flying Squirrels L 3-6
WP: Herbert Desalvo (3-1) 4.02 ERA
LP: Freddie Flood (0-5) 3.09 ERA
Stats: 2-4 1 R 1 BB 1 2B
6/1 - vs Richmond Flying Squirrels W 7-2
WP: Doug Blumenthal (5-2) 3.35 ERA
LP: Shea Stratton (5-5) 3.36 ERA
Stats: 4-5 5 RBI 2 R 1 3B 1 HR

Eastern League Eastern Division Standings (AA)
New Hampshire Fisher Cats (32-23) -
Portland Sea Dogs (31-24) 1 GB
Binghamton Rumble Ponies (29-26) 3 GB
Trenton Thunder (26-29) 6 GB
Reading Fightin Phils (25-29) 6.5 GB
Hartford Yard Goats (23-32) 9 GB