Matt Mervis

Matthew Jared Mervis

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 225 lb.
• School Duke University
• High School Georgetown Preparatory School
• Debut May 5, 2023

• Born April 16, 1998 in Washington, DC USA

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Biographical Information

Matt Mervis has played in the minors and been on the Israeli national team.

Mervis hit .409 as a high school junior and posted a 0.10 ERA. His senior year, he had a 1.13 ERA, fanning 121, and hit .348. The [{Washington Nationals]] took him in the 39th round of the 2016 amateur draft but he did not sign. He was 2-2 with a 7.83 ERA in 21 games as a freshman at Duke, then improved to 3-0, 4.91 as a sophomore. In 2019, the junior was 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA in 7 games, but was used more as a corner infielder and hit .274/.358/.421.

He had a fine summer with the Cotuit Kettleers at .325/.418/.571 with 24 RBI in 30 games in the Cape Cod League, while going 1-2 with a save and a 3.24 ERA as well. His senior year was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic; he was doing well at .304/.458/.589 with 15 RBI in 16 games while pitching two shutout innings, continuing to be used more as a hitter than as a pitcher. The Chicago Cubs were impressed enough and he was signed by scout Billy Swoope (the 2020 amateur draft only went five rounds). The minor league season was wiped out by the pandemic that year.

The DC native split 2021 between the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (.204/.309/.367 in 69 G) and Iowa Cubs (4 for 14, 2B, BB), showing some pop but not enough contact. In 2022, he appeared for the South Bend Cubs (.350/.389/.650, 29 RBI in 27 G), Tennessee Smokies (.301/.370/.596, 51 RBI in 53 G) and Iowa (.297/.383/.593, 15 HR in 57 G), demolishing minor league pitching all the way up to AAA. He led Cubs farmhands in runs (92, 3 ahead of Pete Crow-Armstrong), doubles (40), RBI (119, 22 more than #2 Alexander Canario), total bases (310, 52 more than Canario) and OPS (85 ahead of Canario). Only Darius Hill had more hits and only Canario had more homers (37 to 36). Among all minor leaguers, only Julio Carreras (42) had more two-baggers while Mervis tied Hunter Goodman for third in dingers and he led in RBI. He then hit .262/.324/.590 with 6 homers in 17 games for the Mesa Solar Sox, tying Tyler Hardman for the Arizona Fall League in circuit clouts. He had finished the 2022 year with 43 home runs and 131 RBI.

Matt then made Israel's roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He made his major league debut shortly afterwards, when he started at first base for the Cubs on May 5, [[2023 Cubs|2023], going 1 for 4 against the Miami Marlins. He stayed with the Cubs through the middle of June but hit only .167 with 3 homers and 11 RBIs in 27 games. He spent the rest of the season with Iowa where he hit .282 in 100 games, with 22 homers and 78 RBIs. In 2024, his production went down in Iowa, as he hit .235 in 81 games, with 15 homers and 43 RBIs. He got another quick look in Chicago, appearing in 9 games in April and May, but went just 3 for 26 (.115). On December 29th that year, he was traded to the Miami Marlins in return for utility player Vidal Bruján.

Related Sites

• Matt Mervis on mlb.com
• BR Register page