Matěj Menšík

Matěj Menšík

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 227 lb.

• Born May 11, 1992 in Brno Czechoslovakia

BR register page

Biographical Information

Matěj Menšík has played in the Extraliga (winning home run and slugging titles) and for the Czech national team.

Menšík debuted in 2008, the year he turned 16. He was 0 for 3 for Technika Brno that year. He was 3 for 12 with two walks, three runs and three RBI the next year then was 0 for 2 in the playoffs. In 2010, he hit .286/.310/.429, followed by .368/.425/.495 with 21 runs and 21 RBI in 27 games in '11. He hit .258/.314/.290 in the playoffs that season as the team won its first title. In the 2012 European Championship 21U, he was excellent - 10 for 17, 3 2B, 2 3B, HR, 10 R, 9 RBI in 5 G. He won the batting title (by .055 ahead of future indy leaguer Maxime Lefevre), led in slugging (.243 ahead of Lefevre), was second in OBP (.015 behind Lefevre), tied Arnošt Dubový for second in RBI, tied Adam Hajtmar for the most runs, tied for 2nd in doubles, tied for 2nd in triples (one behind Ferdinand Obed), tied for the most home runs and led in total bases (20, 2 ahead of Lefevre). Lefevre won tourney MVP as his France beat out Menšík's Czechs (who finished third).

Back in the Extraliga that year, he hit .330/.398/.489. In 2013, he batted .280/.379/.448 with 35 runs in 35 games. He was 7 for 16 with two doubles, two walks, five runs and three RBI in four games in the playoffs. He tied Richard Sázavský for 6th in runs, tied Petr Čech and Martin Schneider for 6th in extra-base hits (16), was 9th with 64 total bases, tied Čech for 3rd in doubles (11) and tied for 9th with five times plunked. During 2014, he produced at a .279/.367/.419 clip with 29 runs in 35 games, stealing 9 bases in 11 tries. He tied for 9th in steals.

In 2015, he was at .303/.378/.403 in the regular season and .357/.457/.536 with ten runs in eight postseason games. The next year, he hit .370/.437/.601 with eight homers, 37 runs and 40 RBI in 35 games. He was 3 for 18 with 3 walks, a homer, four runs and two RBI in the playoffs. He was among the league leaders in homers (tied for 6th), RBI (tied Martin Mužík for 3rd), hits (51, 4th, between Jakub Hajtmar and Daniel Vavruša) and total bases (90, tied Petr Síla for 9th).

Moving to Hrosi Brno in '17, he batted .235/.343/.370 in the regular season and .404/.420/.532 in the playoffs. He tied for 8th with four homers. In 2018, he hit .250/.345/.398 in the regular season, then .297/.382/.359 in the playoffs. He tied for second with three triples, one behind Petr Zýma. He returned to Technika Brno in 2019 but struggled at .215/.338/.308 as his career seemed headed in the wrong direction. That sure changed course in the COVID-19-shortened 2020. He hit .352/.446/.859 with 11 homers and 25 RBI in 18 games, scoring 23 times. He led the league in home runs (no one else had more than 5!), was third in OPS (behind Jakub Kubica and Mužík), led in slugging (.092 ahead of Mužík) and led with 13 extra-base hits (one double, one triple).

Matěj won his second pennant in 2021, this time with Arrows Ostrava. He did his share, chipping in a batting line of .406/.500/.750 with 22 runs and 23 RBI in 17 games. He was among the leaders in slugging (2nd by .021), OPS (2nd), homers (6, 4th), average (5th) and OBP (5th). His 2020-2021 performance earned him a spot on the Czech team for the 2021 European Championship. He debuted in a rout of Sweden, batting for Mužík and flying out against Moisses Pargas. His first hit was a double off Croatia's Karlo Kos. He finished the Euros at .364/.417/.455 with three runs and two RBI in five games. Backing up at LF and DH, he had a putout in his lone chance in the field.

He returned to Technika Brno for a third stint in '22, now also joining the Board of Directors.