Matusz, Orioles’ top pitching prospect, in town as Keys battle Hillcats

Brian Matusz certainly doesn’t have the ego of a 22-year-old multi-millionaire. The Orioles’ top pitching prospect has an easy-going demeanor, his speech peppered with “yes sir” and “nice to meet you.” That’s all fine and good when dealing with teammates in the clubhouse or with fans seeking an autograph. Frederick Keys pitching coach Kennie Steenstra just wishes the young southpaw didn’t take that humility with him to the bump.

“If anything, I’d like him to get a little cockier out there on the mound,” Steenstra said. “At times, he doesn’t trust his stuff enough. I don’t think he realizes how good his stuff really is.”

The Orioles certainly do. Matusz went to Baltimore with the fourth overall pick in last year’s draft, two spots after the Pirates selected Pedro Alvarez. The draw was apparent. He was the best college pitcher in the draft, his arsenal of a low 90s fastball and devastating curveball helping him to a 12-2 record and a 1.71 ERA as a junior at San Diego.

The Angels picked Matusz, then a senior at St. Mary’s High School in Phoenix, in the fourth round of the 2005 draft. But Matusz elected to go to college instead of heading straight to the minors. The decision paid off. Matusz, who had never been away from home, gained valuable life experience and matured as a pitcher, further developing his slider and changeup.

It worked out monetarily, too. Matusz held out until the signing deadline last August and inked a $3.47 million major-league deal with the Orioles. Because he signed so late, he didn’t make his professional debut until April 9 when he allowed five hits and two earned runs in 4 2/3 innings in Salem.

“I need to work on locating my fastball a little better,” said Matusz, who won’t pitch in this series at City Stadium. He struck out a season-high eight batters in six innings in a rematch with Salem in Frederick Sunday and isn’t scheduled to start again until Friday at home against Potomac. “Mainly because of fastball location, I haven’t been getting ahead like I want to. But I’m still learning every day and just making the best of it.”

The fastball is the key to Matusz’s development, because his off-speed pitches are nasty. He’s thrown a plus curveball since his days at St. Mary’s, and he said he feels like he can use his changeup in any count to get batters out. According to Baseball America, Matusz “profiles as a middle-of-the-rotation starter who could be a No. 2 if he can dominate with his fastball as a pro.”

Fortunately Matusz — who earned an invite to Baltimore’s big-league camp in the spring — is part of an organization that is building its rotation for the future through the minor leagues. Baltimore is in a transition year and signed two place-holder veterans (Mark Hendrickson and Adam Eaton) to keep rotation spots warm until some the youngsters are ready. Of the top six prospects in the Baltimore organization, four are pitchers — the lefty Matusz and righthanders Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta and Brandon Erbe.

Tillman and Arrieta are good bets to be in Baltimore at some point this year.

“There are a lot of great ballplayers in this minor-league organization,” Matusz said. “Not just pitchers, but position players as well. They’re going to be up in the big leagues soon. It’s exciting to see. This is a team that’s taking a huge stride in developing guys. It’s worked in the past with Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis and now Matt Wieters. It’s very important. I think it’s going to be great for this organization.”

There’s certainly some pressure for Matusz to perform, and quickly. There’s a good chance Matusz will be with Baltimore’s Double-A club in Bowie the next time the Keys come to Lynchburg (June 9-11). And after the success of Baltimore’s last first-round draft pick — Wieters tore through the Carolina and Eastern Leagues last year and will likely be with the big club by summertime — expectations are high for the 6-foot-5 southpaw.

“I don’t look at it that way,” Matusz said. “I just go about my business and try to get better every day and do the things I need to do to move on. I don’t look at it as pressure. It’s more of an opportunity. All of the opportunity in the world is out there for me. I’m just trying to learn every day hopefully I’ll be able to pitch in the big leagues.”