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Baltimore Orioles announced On Tuesday, former pitcher Brian Matusz died at the age of 37.
Matusz, who spent nearly his entire MLB career with the organization, was honored by the Orioles in a heartfelt post on X:
Baltimore Orioles @Orioles
Our hearts are heavy tonight as we mourn the passing of former Oriole, Brian Matusz.
A cornerstone of our club from 2009 to 2016, Brian was beloved throughout Birdland and his passion for baseball and our community was second to none. He dedicated his time to connecting with all the fans… pic.twitter.com/wNN3WkO8l4
The cause of his death has not been released.
The Grand Junction, Colorado native spent at least a portion of eight MLB seasons with the Orioles and appeared in one game for the Chicago Cubs during his career, which spanned from 2009-2016.
After starring collegiately at the University of San Diego, and earning the 2008 West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year award, Matusz was selected 4th overall by the O's in the 2008 MLB Draft.
Matusz played in just 26 minor league games between 2008 and 2009 before being called up to the big leagues and joining Baltimore's starting rotation.
He was primarily a starter in his first three MLB seasons, including 2010 when he started a career-high 32 games and went 10-12 with a 4.30 ERA. However, Matusz was moved to the bench during the 2012 season, which proved to be his calling.
After posting a 22-33 record, a 5.36 ERA, a 1.52 WHIP and a 7.3 strikeout rate per nine innings over his first four seasons, Matusz improved significantly when he moved to the full-time bullpen.
From 2013-15, Matusz was 5-8 with a 3.32 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and a strikeout rate of 9.4 K per nine.
Matusz was an extremely important lefty for the Orioles during that time, including in 2014 when Baltimore reached the American League Championship Series.
Although he posted a career-best 2.94 ERA in 58 appearances in 2015, Matusz struggled to a 12.00 ERA in seven games for the Orioles in early 2016, prompting them to trade him to the Atlanta Braves.
He was later designated for assignment and played in one game for the Cubs that season, allowing six earned runs in three innings.
After that, Matusz spent time in the minor leagues, as well as in Mexico and with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic Professional Baseball League, with whom he won a championship.
