Skip to main content

Second round pick Imhof prepared for transition to minors

MattImhof
Matt Imhof, Image- MiLB.com
When lefty pitcher Matt Imhof was drafted by the Phillies with the 47th overall pick this year, it came as a surprise to the young hurler. The transition to the professional ranks isn't something that has surprised the 20-year-old though, as he feels he knew exactly what to expect.

The Cal Poly product took time after the draft to wrap up his final exams, then headed straight to Philadelphia to sign with the Phils, who weren't really on his personal radar as a team that might select him in the draft until minutes before the pick was announced.

"We were watching from the first pick and I got a call from my advisor at, like, pick 45 and he said, 'The Phillies are going to pick you at 47.' I got that call and let my family know and pick 47 came up and my name flashed across the screen and everyone stood up and screamed and my dad knocked a chair over," an excited Imhof explained.

"There was a level of surprise. I didn't really know who was going to take me, but I hadn't really talked to the Phillies especially leading up to the draft. I had talked to them early, kind of in the fall. They kind of left me alone. Not that they didn't want me or anything, I just didn't know. And it just happened to be that and they said they were hot on me from the beginning. It was just one of those things where they were playing their cards close and it worked out," Imhof added.

The six-foot-five 220-pounder posted a 10-4 record with a 2.45 ERA and an 11.24 K/9 mark in 15 starts this year in his junior season for the Mustangs. He wrapped up his college career sporting an 18-7 record with a 2.68 ERA in 48 games.

Imhof feels strongly that his time at Cal Poly prepared him for what was ahead.

"College was huge for me- the best three years of my life," Imhof said this week after joining the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. "The coaches there kind of developed me into the player that I am today. And, you know, playing at that level of competition, playing in regionals, playing against Cal State Fullerton and some of these really good teams really helps you prepared for the good talent that you're going to face in professional baseball."

Praised throughout his scholastic days as being a hurler with excellent command of the strike zone, Imhof expects to have some hiccups along his path to the big leagues, as he anticipates that, like all minor leaguers, he'll have plenty to learn and adjustments to make, no matter what kind of success he enjoyed through his collegiate career.

"They were messing with the grip on my breaking pitch," an eager-to-learn Imhof stated, describing some of the small tweaks he's been working on with the help of his professional coaches. "Just small things right now. Holding it tighter, changing the finger position, stuff like that."

Imhof, who throws a fastball that tops out at 94 MPH, a slider-curve hybrid and a developing change up, is poised to progress at a steady pace through the developmental ranks. He has already pitched at three levels of the Phillies' system since his pro debut in the rookie level Gulf Coast League less than a month ago.

Through five starts in the minors, the California native sports a 1-0 record with a 1.50 ERA while striking out 16 and walking six in 18 innings. The win was a rain shortened complete game shutout with the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters on July 13th that earned him New York-Penn League Pitcher of the Week honors.

The changeover from college ball to the pros was definitely something that Imhof was prepared for mentally.

"It was about what I expected," said Imhof. "I knew- I mean, all these guys here are the best college hitters. They get drafted, then they come here and they're the six or seven-hole hitters. So, I knew it was going to be a level up in competition, but I just try to do what I do and that's establish my fastball.

The rate of progression is very likely on pause for now, according to Lakewood pitching coach Les Lancaster, who expects Imhof to remain with the BlueClaws through the remainder of the season, after allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits in three innings of work in his full-season level debut last Saturday.

"I think he's gonna help us out," Lancaster stated. "He just had a rough outing the other day. But I liked what I saw. I think he's going to compete and keep us in games and give us a chance."

Lancaster also added that, despite his workload through 15 starts in his college season, Imhof was not being held to a specific pitch count or innings limit at this stage.

The rough initial appearance with Lakewood was not discouraging for the youngster as he is a smart pitcher who recognizes his own mistakes and realizes what improvements need to be made.

Having already experienced a small dip in velocity during what will turn into the longest baseball season of his playing career, potential for fatigue is not of great concern to Imhof, who feels comfortable and confident as he tries to impress while kicking off his promising career.

"I expect to finish strong. My body feels good, my arm feels good. There's not really anything lagging as far as that. The biggest transition was for me was to go from pitching every seven days to pitching every five now, but we're on a six-man rotation with off days, so I don't think it's going to be that big of a deal for me."

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

PhoulBallz Interview: RHP Ben Brown talks TJ recovery, O'Hoppe, cancelled season

Image- MiLB.com Out of action since last May when it was determined he required Tommy John surgery, righty pitching prospect Ben Brown is using the downtime of the pandemic hiatus to continue his physical recovery.  A 33rd round draft selection of the Phillies back in 2017, Brown made his professional debut that same year, posting a 2.57 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in 10 appearances in the rookie level Gulf Coast League.  The following season, Brown began to make a name for himself in the GCL, striking out 16 batters in one July appearance.  He would post a 3.12 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in 10 games (eight starts) before earning a promotion and finishing the season with a pair of outings with Class A short-season Williamsport. Brown, a Long Island, NY native, opened last year with Class A Lakewood.  In four appearances with the BlueClaws, he struck out 20, walked four and allowed no runs in 13 2/3 innings and looked well on his way to making an impact on betting odds and ava

2019 Phillies Prospects Countdown: #7 LHP JoJo Romero

JoJo Romero, image- Jay Floyd With a growing crop of very talented pitching prospects in the Phillies organization, left-hander JoJo Romero is certainly among the standouts. The five-foot-11 200-pounder was the Phils’ 4th round draft selection in 2016. That year he helped Yavapai College, the same school that the Phillies drafted Kenny Giles from in 2011, clinch the JuCo World Series, leading the way with an 11-5 record, a 3.64 ERA and a 10.2 K/9 mark. He also tossed a complete game gem to earn the win in their title game. After signing with the Phillies, Romero made his professional debut as a member of the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters. There, he notched a 2-2 record with a 2.56 ERA while striking out 31 and walking 11 in 45 2/3 innings. In 2017, he got off to a terrific start with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. In 13 starts, Romero tallied a 5-1 record with a 2.11 ERA and a 9.3 K/9 mark and was honored as a South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star. R

World Series Preview: Phillies vs. Astros

The Fall Classic is set to get underway on Friday with the Phillies opening on the road to take on the Astros in a best-of-seven series. This year marks 75 years since the first time a World Series was televised and this year each game will be broadcast on the FOX television network.  ESPN will have the radio broadcast and that feed can be streamed by using this link . Game 1 Friday, 8:03pm Eastern....in Houston.  RHP Aaron Nola (11-13, 3.25 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (18-4, 1.75 ERA).  In 16 road starts during the regular season this year, Nola notched a 5-9 record with a 3.00 ERA.  Nola has struck out 18 and walked three in 17 1/3 innings pitched this postseason.  Earlier this month, Nola tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings at Houston.  In 15 home starts during the regular season, Verlander sported a 10-1 record with a 1.64 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP.  Verlander has a 5.68 ERA and has not recorded a win in seven career World Series starts.  Verlander ha