Jon Matlack, baseball player, 1971-1983

Jon Matlack

Born: 1/19/1950 in West Chester, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1971-07-11 | Final Game: 1983-09-15

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 205 lbs

Full name: Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Jon Matlack, born in 1950, was a prominent left-handed pitcher who made a significant mark in Major League Baseball from 1971 to 1983. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 125 wins and 126 losses, with an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 3.18. Matlack was known for his exceptional ability to strike out batters, finishing his career with 1,516 strikeouts, showcasing his dominance on the mound during a time when pitching was pivotal to team success. Matlack's accolades included being named Rookie of the Year, TSN Rookie Pitcher of the Year, and earning the distinction of All-Star Game MVP. He was selected to the All-Star Game three times, reflecting his status as one of the top pitchers of his era. Matlack's playing style was characterized by a mix of finesse and power, making him a formidable opponent for hitters throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. His contributions to the game and the legacy he left behind continue to be remembered by baseball historians and fans alike.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
125 126 361 318 97 30 3 2363.0 2276 835 161 638 1516 3.18 0

Career ERA 3.18 vs. league average 3.72 across their career seasons — 14.4% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1971 NYN NL 0 3 7 6 0 0 0 37.0 31 17 15 24 4.14 3.47 (-19%) 369.0
1972 NYN NL 15 10 34 32 8 4 0 244.0 215 63 71 169 2.32 3.26 (+29%) 3887.2
1973 NYN NL 14 16 34 34 14 3 0 242.0 210 86 99 205 3.20 3.75 (+15%) 4846.0
1974 NYN NL 13 15 34 34 14 7 0 265.3 221 71 76 195 2.41 3.63 (+34%) 8472.6
1975 NYN NL 16 12 33 32 8 3 0 228.7 224 86 58 154 3.38 3.71 (+9%) 5050.2
1976 NYN NL 17 10 35 35 16 6 0 262.0 236 86 57 153 2.95 3.51 (+16%) 3240.1
1977 NYN NL 7 15 26 26 5 3 0 169.0 175 79 43 123 4.21 4.00 (-5%) 1992.5
1978 TEX AL 15 13 35 33 18 2 1 270.0 252 68 51 157 2.27 3.69 (+39%) 6981.8
1979 TEX AL 5 4 13 13 2 0 0 85.0 98 39 15 35 4.13 4.00 (-3%) 329.1
1980 TEX AL 10 10 35 34 8 1 1 234.7 265 96 48 142 3.68 3.84 (+4%) 4577.3
1981 TEX AL 4 7 17 16 1 1 0 104.3 101 48 41 43 4.14 3.58 (-16%) -1057.5
1982 TEX AL 7 7 33 14 1 0 1 147.7 158 58 37 78 3.53 3.86 (+8%) 676.9
1983 TEX AL 2 4 25 9 2 0 0 73.3 90 38 27 38 4.66 3.87 (-20%) -585.3

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
362 441 32 57 3 0 0 23 0 57 217 0.129 0.230 0.136 0.366 -3243.8

Career AVG .129 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 49.9% below league average.

Career OBP .230 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 28.9% below league average.

Career SLG .136 vs. league average .379 across their career seasons — 64.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.366 vs. league average 0.702 across their career seasons — 47.9% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1971 NYN NL 7 11 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 0.273 — — — — 0.0
1972 NYN NL 34 78 6 10 1 0 0 2 0 10 44 0.128 .243 (-47%) .310 (-27%) .353 (-60%) .664 (-45%) -521.8
1973 NYN NL 35 65 5 9 0 0 0 2 0 13 38 0.138 .256 (-46%) .325 (-13%) .378 (-63%) .703 (-40%) -388.4
1974 NYN NL 34 79 3 8 0 0 0 8 0 5 34 0.101 .256 (-61%) .324 (-53%) .369 (-73%) .693 (-63%) -825.2
1975 NYN NL 33 70 6 7 0 0 0 2 0 13 33 0.100 .257 (-61%) .327 (-26%) .374 (-73%) .701 (-51%) -559.7
1976 NYN NL 35 88 10 17 1 0 0 9 0 8 35 0.193 .255 (-24%) .320 (-16%) .360 (-43%) .681 (-31%) -404.9
1977 NYN NL 26 50 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 7 27 0.060 .264 (-77%) .329 (-47%) .401 (-80%) .730 (-65%) -543.7
1978 TEX AL 35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1979 TEX AL 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1980 TEX AL 35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1981 TEX AL 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1982 TEX AL 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1983 TEX AL 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
4 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 3 0.167

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1973 NLCS NYN 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.000
1973 WS NYN 3 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0.250

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2 2 4 4 0 25.7 12 4 8 20 1.40

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1973 NLCS NYN 1 0 1 1 0 9.0 2 0 3 9 0.00
1973 WS NYN 1 2 3 3 0 16.7 10 4 5 11 2.16

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 361 318 68 346 21 14

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1971 NYN P 7 6 1 2 0 0
1972 NYN P 34 32 8 33 1 1
1973 NYN P 34 34 4 40 1 3
1974 NYN P 34 34 5 40 0 1
1975 NYN P 33 32 3 28 3 1
1976 NYN P 35 35 10 35 1 0
1977 NYN P 26 26 4 27 1 1
1978 TEX P 35 33 17 42 5 2
1979 TEX P 13 13 3 16 2 1
1980 TEX P 35 34 5 25 4 0
1981 TEX P 17 16 2 20 2 0
1982 TEX P 33 14 4 24 0 1
1983 TEX P 25 9 2 14 1 3

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 361

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1975 All-Star Game MVP
1972 Rookie of the Year
1972 TSN Rookie Pitcher of the Year

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1976 Cy Young Award NL 6th 5.0 120 1
1972 Rookie of the Year NL 1st 19.0 24 19