Ex-Mets pitching prospect dead at 31
Former New York Mets pitching prospect Matt Pobereyko passed away Friday at age of 31.
Former Mets minor league pitcher Matt Pobereyko passed away at the age of 31 due to a heart attack. He had pitched in the Mexican League and Dominican Winter League this offseason.
One of his former clubs, the Sioux City Explorers, posted an update on : “We mourn the loss of Matt Pobereyko. A great baseball player and an even better person. RIP Pobo”
The Explorers, who compete in the independent American Association of Professional Baseball, posted a longer message on their website:
The Sioux City Explorers regretfully announce the passing of pitcher Matt Pobereyko on February 24, 2023. The exact cause of death is still unknown, he was 31 years old.
Pobereyko spent parts of three seasons with the Sioux City Explorers from 2019 to 2022. He appeared in 74 total games for the X’s, totaled 101.1 innings with a 2.75 ERA. Pobereyko was a premier closer, he collected 38 saves and totaled 153 strikeouts to only 25 walks.
“Words cannot express the grief and sorrow we feel today for Matt’s family, friends, teammates and his fans.” Said Sioux City Explorers manager Steve Montgomery. “He truly loved being an Explorer and being a part of this community. He was as fierce of a friend as he was as a competitor. We will miss him as a baseball player, but even more so as a friend.”
In 2019 the Hammond, Indiana native was named a South Division American Association All-Star. He tied the league lead in appearances with 47 and tied the Explorers single season franchise record with 24 saves.
In his second season in Sioux City, Pobereyko appeared in 21 games and racked up 14 saves before his contract was transferred to the Miami Marlins organization.
Pobereyko’s final season with Sioux City was in 2022 when he joined the team in August as a starting pitcher. He started in five games and pitched in relief in another going 2-1 with a 1.73 ERA and struck out 42 batters and walked only seven.
Want to bet on MLB?
According to Baseball Reference, Pobereyko spent parts of two seasons in the Mets organization.
In 2017, he pitched for the Single-A Columbia Fireflies, going 2-2 with a 3.15 ERA in 23 appearances.
In 2018, Pobereyko started with the High-A St. Lucie Mets, going 2-3 with a 3.19 ERA in 36 appearances. He made five appearances for Double-A Binghamton, going 1-0 without giving up an earned run. Pobereyko made one appearance for the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s, giving up six runs in three innings of work.
