BP Articles
Click
here to see articles tagged with Matt Purke BP Chats
| Date | Question | Answer |
|---|
| 2016-04-19 12:00:00 (link to chat) | Where in the world did former 1st then 3rd rounder Matt Purke go? So much promise to be the next Strasburg-esque guy and hasn't panned out to much. Why do you think that is?
(txbbfan from Fort Worth, TX) | A little background for readers on Purke: he was drafted 14th overall in 2009, after an amateur career where he was a very 'known' prospect for a number of years leading up to his senior season at Klein HS (Klein, TX). He was taken by the hometown Rangers, who at the time were under financial constraints and were being at least monitored by MLB. As such, the Rangers and Purke's camp weren't able to agree on a bonus, and he went to TCU. He was a third-round pick by the Nationals three years later, spending the majority of his time in the rotation across a handful of levels in their system. He's with the White Sox now and not on the 40-man roster, pitching in Triple-A Charlotte as a 25 year old.
To actually answer the question: Yes--Purke did hold a lot of promise. In his heyday, he flashed plus velocity and a chance plus slider as a lefty, all from a deceptive lower arm-slot. The same arm-slot likely contributed to a myriad of injuries he has dealt with since that have significantly lessened his velocity and raw stuff. Similarly, the angle he creates now, at least, has the look of a left-handed reliever if anything. A source had him in the upper-80s to low-90s this past weekend in an outing for Charlotte. I think the injuries definitely played a role in Purke's attrition, but I also just think this is another lesson in 'prospects will break your heart.' We live in an era where prospects get more attention than ever, meaning that high draft picks accordingly are scrutinized and championed more than they ever were in eras previous. It's easy to be sucked up into the hype--especially as a fan of a team. It's always important to bear in mind the reality that there's a lot of failure when it comes to a young player matriculating into a big leaguer, even the highest picks. There are plenty of other Matt Purkes across time; there will be more, too. I wouldn't say this guy absolutely WON'T reach the big leagues--he is only 25--but if he does it will almost certainly be in a situational bullpen role. (Adam McInturff) |
| 2013-08-14 13:00:00 (link to chat) | What happened to Matt Purke? Such talent and now diminished velo with that delivery is hard to watch.
(ThunderAce41 from OKC) | Injuries kill. Just not the same guy he was out of high school or after his freshman season at TCU. Still a prospect to some extent, because he can pitch a little bit, but nowhere near as exciting as he was in the past. (Jason Cole) |
| 2013-04-04 11:00:00 (link to chat) | Which if any of the following would you throw a sleeper tag on for this year: Burch Smith, Ismael Guillon, Jake DeGrom, Cody Kukuk, Mike Kickham, Asher Wojochowski, Zach Bird?
Also, what do you think of Matt Purke for 2013?
(Brian from Boston) | Smith was excellent when I saw him this spring, and I think he's ready t breakout. Bird is another guy that could be ready to take a very big step forward in 2013. (Jason Parks) |
| 2013-02-08 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Dude, do you think the Nats will be better or worse than last year? We might get a full season of Strasburg, Denard Span is a nice addition, and Bryce Harper could get even better, which is sooo metal. But then again I feel like the whole infield could regress, as could Gio. What do you think?
(RTG from Grey Cubicle, DC) | I was as shocked as anyone by Gio's performance last year. I predicted regression, and dude just absolutely dismantled the NL. So hell, you got me when it comes to Gio.
Harper will continue to get better for a LONG time, which is almost scary. 200+ innings from Strasburg, plus you've got Matt Purke lurking back there too... plus there aren't many holes in the lineup. I like them a LOT and wouldn't be surprised to see them not just win the NL East but go deep into the playoffs. (Ian Miller) |
| 2012-11-01 13:00:00 (link to chat) | What are the smart moves for the Nationals to make this Hot Stove Season?
(Paul from DC) | Hey, Paul. I'm not sure there are any moves to be made, are there? Maybe little ones here and there, but I feel like there aren't many holes. They passed on Laroche, right? But Morse could shift to 1st, which means there's a corner outfield spot to fill. If Matt Purke's surgery is successful, that's another power arm for the 'pen, or for an already burgeoning rotation.
Do you see any obvious holes? (Ian Miller) |
BP Roundtables
No BP Roundtables have mentioned this guy.
PITCHf/x Pitcher Profile
A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC
Although he has not thrown an MLB pitch in 2024, Matt Purke threw 321 pitches that were tracked by the PITCHf/x system in 2016, including pitches thrown in . In 2016, he relied primarily on his Sinker (93mph) and Fourseam Fastball (93mph), also mixing in a Slider (80mph) and Splitter (86mph).
BP Annual Player Comments
The rest of this card is restricted to Baseball Prospectus Subscribers.
Not a subscriber? Click here for a free card so you can see what's missing.
Click here for more information on Baseball Prospectus subscriptions or to subscribe and get instant access to the best baseball content on the web.