Matt Thaiss

Matt Thaiss
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – No. 85
First baseman
Born: (1995-05-06) May 6, 1995
Jackson, New Jersey
Bats: Left Throws: Right

Matthew Kevin Thaiss (born May 6, 1995) is an American professional baseball catcher and first baseman in the Los Angeles Angels organization.

Career

Thaiss attended Jackson Memorial High School in Jackson Township, New Jersey.[1] During his career he batted .343 with 17 home runs and 70 runs batted in (RBI).[2] He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 32nd round of the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft, but did not sign and attended the University of Virginia where he played for the Virginia Cavaliers.[3]

As a freshman at Virginia in 2014, Thaiss played in 26 games with 16 starts at designated hitter.[4] In 68 at-bats he hit .265 with seven RBIs.[5] As a sophomore in 2015, Thaiss started 67 of 68 games, batting .323/.413/.552 with ten home runs and 64 RBIs.[6][7] In 2016, Thaiss played 60 games and batted .375/.473/.578 along with ten home runs.[8] This strong play at Virginia led to Thaiss being drafted in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim with the 16th pick.[9] Thaiss signed with the Angels and was assigned to the Orem Owlz. After batting .338 with two home runs and 12 RBIs in 15 games for Orem, was promoted to the Burlington Bees, where he hit .276 with four home runs, 31 RBIs, and a .778 OPS to end the season. He was ranked first on the Angels list of their Top 30 Prospects at the end of the 2016 season.[10] Thaiss spent 2017 with both the Inland Empire 66ers and the Mobile BayBears, posting a combined .274 batting average with nine home runs and 73 RBIs.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Jersey Tough: Garden State upbringing molded Virginia's most durable player".
  2. ↑ Rotolo, Chris (June 26, 2015). "Jackson alum Matt Thaiss reflects on Virginia's College World Series victory". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Jackson native Matt Thaiss leads Virginia into College World Series".
  4. ↑ "Thaiss showing promise at the plate for Virginia".
  5. ↑ "Virginia catcher learned valuable lessons from dugout last season".
  6. ↑ "Batting change has been a big hit for Thaiss".
  7. ↑ "UVa baseball notes: Thaiss in command behind the plate".
  8. ↑ "Matt Thaiss Baseball Statistics [2014-2016]". The Baseball Cube.
  9. ↑ "Matt Thaiss". MiLB.com.
  10. ↑ "2016 Prospect Watch". MLB.com.
  11. ↑ "Matt Thaiss Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". Retrieved November 4, 2017.


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