J.J. Matijevic #61

Last name is pronounced as “matt-uh-JEV-ick”...Originally from Pennsylvania, Matijevic was born in Latrobe, Pa., and grew up in North Huntingdon, Pa., which is a southeastern suburb of Pittsburgh...Graduated from Norwin High School (PA) where he starred as a shortstop...was named a Baseball America High School All-American as a senior after winning his league’s triple crown by hitting .567 with 10 homers and 37 RBI...finished his high school career as a .483 hitter with 18 homers and 90 RBI...became the first position player to be drafted out of his high school when he was selected in the 22nd round of the 2014 draft by Boston...did not sign and elected for college...Went on to play three years at the University of Arizona...in his junior season at Arizona, he hit .383 (92x240) with 10 home runs, 65 RBI and a 1.070 OPS in 59 games...was named to the All-Pac-12 team after leading the Pac-12 in average, doubles, slugging, hits, RBI and total bases that season...Selected by the Astros in the Competitive Balance Round B as the 75th overall pick of the 2017 MLB Draft....signed by Astros scout Mark Ross...The competitive balance pick used on Matijevic, which followed the second round, was awarded to Houston from St. Louis by MLB after the Cardinals-Astros arbitration case was settled in January of 2017...that case exposed a Cardinals staffer illegally entering the Astros internal database as an act of corporate espionage...Houston was also awarded the No. 56 overall selection in 2017, which was used on RHP Corbin Martin...Recorded his first Major League hit, a homer, on June 19, 2022 vs. CWS off RHP Michael Kopech...the homer landed in the Crawford Boxes with 16-year-old Astros fan Rylan Freeman ending up with the milestone ball... Freeman, who’s a pitcher on his high school team in Corpus Christi, TX, and the Astros negotiated an exchange, getting the ball in the hands of Matijevic... Freeman and Matijevic would connect again this offseason, when the Astros and Matijevic visited Freeman’s local middle school on an Astros Caravan stop in Corpus Christi...Received his first-career invitation to Major League Spring Training camp in 2022 and added to the Astros 40-man roster on April 20, 2022...is currently signed to a one-year contract for the 2023 season.

2022

Had four Major League stints in his rookie season, accumulating 102 days of service...recalled for the first time on April 20 and made his MLB debut on April 22 vs. TOR (0x1)...Recorded his first MLB hit on June 19 vs. CWS, a homer off RHP Michael Kopech...in his next game played, recorded his second career hit on June 25 at NYY, a solo homer off RHP Gerrit Cole...his homer off Cole was the go-ahead hit in the Astros combined no-hitter at Yankee Stadium...also had a walk-off hit on July 21 vs. NYY (Game 1) off RHP Michael King...Finished his Major League season going 5x15 (.333) as a PH...made 14 Major League starts, six at 1B and eight at DH...the Astros went 9-5 in his starts...In 64 games at Triple A, hit .285 (70x246) with 16 HR and a .933 OPS...split his time between first base (41g), left field (19g) and DH (4g).

2021

In 2021, began the season with Double-A Corpus Christi, hit .275 (33x120) with 9 home runs, 27 RBI and a .912 OPS....was promoted to Triple-A Sugar Land on June 18...batted .245 (69x282) with 19 doubles, three triples, 16 home runs, 48 RBI and a .829 OPS...MiLB.com Organization All-Star.

2020

Did not appear in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season.

2019

Spent most of the 2019 season in Double A Corpus Christi (73g), also played in 5 games at High A Fayetteville...he batted .254 (102x402) with 67 runs, 23 doubles, three doubles, 25 home runs, 75 RBI and a .853 OPS in 78 games...was named an Arizona Fall League Rising Star.

2018

In his first full professional season in 2018, he hit .277 (106x383) with 66 runs, 26 doubles, four triples, 22 home runs, 62 RBI and a .888 OPS in 101 games between Low A Quad Cities (13g) and High A Buies Creek (88g)…Carolina League, Player of the Month for August....Carolina League Post-Season All-Star.

2017

After being selected in the 2017 MLB Draft, he batted .228 (51x224) in 59 games between Class A Short Season Tri City and Low A Quad Cities.... smacked seven home runs with 31 RBI...New York-Penn League Mid-Season All-Star.