Top star has been battling for a spot on the Boston Red Sox roster for years, but injuries have repeatedly stalled his progress.
Once considered one of Boston’s top pitching prospects, his development faced constant setbacks. After the 2024 season, the Red Sox designated him for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft. However, he quickly re-signed with the team, and his long-awaited MLB debut could finally happen in 2025.
The 25-year-old right-hander threw a 20-pitch live batting practice session in early March, impressing Red Sox executives. According to Peter Abraham and Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, he struck out three batters, including Alex Bregman, and forced Rafael Devers into a flyout.
He has yet to appear in a spring training game due to a calf strain that has slowed his progress. Abraham and Speier report that he’s likely to begin the season in Triple-A, but with his fastball reaching 97 mph during live BP, he could emerge as one of Boston’s top bullpen options—if he can stay healthy. He has long been fighting for a spot on the Boston Red Sox’s roster, but injuries have always prevented his rise.
He was once heralded as one of the best pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system, but his development was stifled every step of the way. The Red Sox went as far as designating him for assignment after the 2024 season to make room on the 40-man roster to protect prospects from the Rule 5 Draft. But Mata quickly re-signed with Boston, and his big league debut may finally come in 2025.
The 25-year-old righty threw a 20-pitch live batting practice early in the week of March 2. According to Peter Abraham and Alex Speier of The Boston Globe he fanned three batters, including Alex Bregman, and retired Rafael Devers on a fly ball to catch the eye of the Sox executives in attendance.
Mata hasn’t appeared in a spring training game because he arrived to camp with a calf strain that has kept him slow-played. Abraham and Speier report that he’s likely to begin the season in Triple-A, but his fastball was sitting at 97 miles per hour during the live BP — if he can stay healthy, he could be among Boston’s best depth relief pitching options.
Former top pitching prospect Bryan Mata may finally make his Red Sox debut in 2025
Mata signed with the Red Sox out of Venezuela in 2016 and put together four strong minor league seasons, posting an ERA between 2.80 and 3.74 each year. However, his injury troubles began in 2021 when he missed the entire season and part of 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. The cancellation of the 2020 minor league season due to COVID-19 also kept him out of game action for an extended period.
In 2023, Mata was limited to just 27 innings due to a teres major strain, and he struggled in that short span, posting a 6.33 ERA with 30 walks and 28 strikeouts. This was a stark contrast to his 2022 Double-A performance, where he recorded a 1.85 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 48.2 innings.
Despite the setbacks, the Red Sox remain high on Mata’s potential. Manager Alex Cora has continued to express confidence in his talent, and he still ranks among SoxProspects.com’s top 60 prospects. Health has been his biggest challenge, but if he can stay on the field for a full season, he could finally live up to his early prospect hype.