The idea that Tyler Matzek would become an Atlanta Braves legend was inconceivable just five years ago because the thought of him ever becoming a major leaguer again seemed next to impossible.
He was a 28-year-old playing in Indy ball, who had flunked out of MLB-affiliated teams because of the yips. Earlier in 2019, he got a shot with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization and walked five batters in just 2.2 innings.
For most players on the fringe, that would be the end of their career. But lucky for the Braves, they gave the lefty one final opportunity.
Thank you for everything, Tyler Matzek
Tyler Matzek's legacy was cemented with 11 gutsy pitches one October night against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but I'd argue it's far from his entire legacy with the Braves.
Unlike other postseason wonders like Francisco Cabrera, Eddie Rosario, or even one of the players he was traded for, Jorge Soler, who go down in baseball immortality for a single play or streak, Matzek's perseverance alone demands he be remembered.
When the Colorado Rockies selected Matzek in the first round of the 2009 draft, they envisioned him becoming the ace they had never been able to develop. When he debuted in 2014 and had a 4.05 ERA in 19 starts, they probably thought they had found that ace.
But then the yips came and Matzek struggled to find the strike zone. In 2016, he walked as many batters as he struck out. He didn't pitch in the majors or minors in 2017 and had a 5.89 ERA in Indy Ball in 2018.
When he came to Spring Training in 2020, he wasn't even a part of the non-roster invitees, but he quickly impressed the Braves staff and it looked like he could make the team out of camp.
Then the world shut down. The whole season was in doubt for months. From the time the Rockies released him to the moment the 2020 MLB season went into limbo, there were so many opportunities for Matzek to call it quits.
But he persevered, made the roster out of the weird summer camp, and re-debuted in Major League Baseball on July 26, 2020, almost as an afterthought.
Matzek quickly became more than an afterthought. His regular season was solid, finishing with a 2.79 ERA and walking batters at a lower rate than before the yips nearly consumed his entire baseball career.
Brian Snitker had hardly used him in high-leverage situations, but in the first game of the NL Wild Card Game, the Braves skipper asked the lefty to come into the highest of leverage situations.
his first career postseason game, the lefty entered a scoreless game in the 11th with the bases loaded and two outs. Three pitches later, he was out of the jam, striking out Mike Moustakas to end the inning.
The next inning, he allowed two hits to put runners on the corners with no out, and, almost foreshadowing what was to come the next year, he once again put out the fire by striking out the next three batters.
His 2020 postseason record was almost spotless. In 8.2 innings, he only allowed a solo homer. By the end of the playoffs, he had squashed all doubts about the yips. He was now a dominant reliever on one of the most promising teams in baseball.
Tyler settled in in 2021. He was a reliable back-end arm who would sometimes pull off incredible game-saving or behind-the-back double plays.
This is a helluva play by Matzek to keep the game tied pic.twitter.com/nTie4McqWS
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) September 10, 2021
The best 1-6-3 you'll ever see. 😳 pic.twitter.com/YhmwUSFON0
— MLB (@MLB) May 10, 2021
At season's end, he had a very respectable 2.57 ERA with a 3.20 FIP. He is one of the most reliable relievers on the squad along with A.J. Minter, Luke Jackson, and Will Smith (even though the latter certainly gave fans heart issues. These four relievers would become the "Night Shift" in the postseason, shutting down the opposition.
Matzek rightfully gets plenty of applause for his gutsy NLCS Game 6 performance, but, arguably, he was the best member of The Nightshift outside of that one game. While Will Smith didn't allow a run, Tyler Matzek was nearly unhittable.
Of the 15 playoff games the 2021 World Series champions played, Tyler "Nutsack" Matzek pitched in 13 of them, with four of those outings going more than an inning. He only allowed three runs and struck out 40% of the batters he faced.
Simply put, Matzek put everything he had out during the 2021 playoffs and nearly got arrested for it.
2022 and 2024 didn't go as planned, and he lost the entire 2023 season to Tommy John, but his performance could never dampen his legendary status. If it were any other reliever with a 9.90 ERA getting traded so two fan favorites could return to The A, we'd hardly blink an eye. But for Tyler, it's bittersweet.
Thank you, Tyler Matzek, for everything!