2022 player report card: Nick Maton

Nov 29, 2022 - 5:00 PM
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Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images




A member of the 2022 Phillies Day Care, Nick Maton provided plenty of memorable moments on and off the field in 2022. However, his sophomore season in the bigs did not start so smooth for the young middle infielder.

The 25-year-old started the season in the minors, stuck behind Johan Camargo and Didi Gregorius as the two veterans stumbled. Maton finally received a chance in the majors in early June, but that was short lived as he injured his shoulder soon after.

Following up his debut, Maton spent the next several weeks recovering from the injured shoulder as Yairo Munoz stepped in for him. Finally, in early August, Maton rejoined the Phillies and was able to stick for the final two months, and parts of the postseason run.

Throughout the 2022 season, the 2017 seventh-round-pick filled in at second, short, third, left-fielder, and right-field, proving just how versatile he can be.

2022 stats: .250/.341/.514, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 34.1 K%, 11.8 BB%, 135 wRC+, 0.8 fWAR

The Good

This.

And this.

The kid can certainly play, as evident by his slugging, ops, and wRC+. Maton held up well defensively too, while being shuffled around multiple positions.

His ability to hit high fastballs helped him stay on the roster and make an appearance on the World Series roster. He came through numerous times for the Phillies this season, providing key hits in multiple wins.

He also homered off of the NL Cy Young twice in the same week, which accounted for 12% of the HRs allowed by Sandy Alcantara in 2022.

The Bad

The strikeout rate is a bit high, especially considering that he struck out approximately five percent less in 2021, in more at bats. It’s not a huge problem, as its unlikely the Phils will ask him to handle an everyday role in 2023.

Interestingly enough, he was playable against LHP as well. Although only given twenty-three plate appearances against southpaws,

Maton managed to walk three times, and notch two extra base hits. In a larger sample size, he may not handle left-handers as confidently, but that’s not what the Phils are asking him to do just yet.

The Future

Maton remains under team control and will likely remain in the organization at the very least for 2023. Barring a trade, expect to see plenty of the “teen wolf” in 2023, as the Phillies “do it all” utility player off the bench.

It remains to be seen if he will be used more in the absence of Bryce Harper. However, given his ability to hit RHP and high heat, Maton could see increased opportunities this season.

Final Grade: B+








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