Matthew Festa

Matthew Joseph Festa (born March 11, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2018. He has played for the Italy national baseball team.

Matthew Festa
Festa with the Arkansas Travelers
Seattle Mariners – No. 67
Pitcher
Born: (1993-03-11) March 11, 1993
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
July 14, 2018, for the Seattle Mariners
MLB statistics
(through April 3, 2023)
Win–loss record2–2
Earned run average4.52
Strikeouts94
Teams

Early life

Festa was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in the Bulls Head and Great Kills sections of Staten Island, New York. He grew up a fan of the New York Yankees, idolizing Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter. Festa attended St. Joseph by the Sea High School, graduating in 2011. He is close friends with actor and comedian Pete Davidson, as the two were high school classmates together.

College

He enrolled at Dominican College, where he played college baseball for the Dominican Chargers for one year, and transferred to East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, where he played college baseball for the East Stroudsburg Warriors for three years.

Career

The Seattle Mariners selected him in the seventh round, with the 207th overall selection, of the 2016 MLB draft.[1][2]

In 2016, Festa pitched for the Everett AquaSox of the Low-A Northwest League,[3] posting a 6–2 win–loss record with a 3.73 earned run average (ERA) in 14 games (eight starts). Festa pitched for the Modesto Nuts of the High-A California League in 2017, where he went 4–2 with a 3.23 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 69+2⁄3 innings pitched,[4] and appeared in the league's all-star game.[5] In 2018, the Mariners invited Festa to spring training.[6] He began the regular season with the Arkansas Travelers of the Double-A Texas League, and the Mariners promoted him to the major leagues on July 14.[7] He made his major league debut that day.[8]

Festa made the Mariners' Opening Day roster in 2019.[9] Festa was sent down to the Tacoma Rainiers of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League multiple times during the season, ending his 2019 season with just 20 appearances for Seattle. On February 3, 2020, Festa was designated for assignment and outrighted to Tacoma on February 10. On March 5, 2020, Festa underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his 2020 season before it began.[10] He returned to action in August 2021 for Tacoma, and pitched 21+1⁄3 innings of 2.95 ERA ball for the team, also appearing in four rehab games with the High-A Everett AquaSox and AZL Mariners.[11]

The Mariners invited Festa to spring training as a non-roster player in 2022. Starting in the 2022 season, Festa decided to go by his full first name of Matthew instead of his abbreviated name Matt.[12] On April 7, the Mariners selected Festa's contract, adding him to their Opening Day roster.[13]

International career; Team Italy

In November 2022, Festa committed to play for Team Italy in the 2023 World Baseball Classic in Miami starting March 11–15. He will be playing for Team Italy manager and hall of famer Mike Piazza, and alongside All Star outfielder Brandon Nimmo.

References
  1. Waggoner, Jim (June 10, 2016). "Ex-Sea pitcher Matt Festa taken by Seattle in 7th round". SILive.com. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  2. Greg Knowlden ESU Sports Information Director (June 10, 2016). "ESU's Matt Festa drafted by Seattle Mariners in 7th round - News - poconorecord.com - Stroudsburg, PA". poconorecord.com. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  3. "ESU grad makes pro baseball all-star game - The Morning Call". Mcall.com. June 20, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  4. "Matthew Festa Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  5. "ESU's Festa solid in California League all-star game - The Morning Call". Mcall.com. June 21, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  6. Johns, Greg (January 20, 2016). "Mariners invite 22 non-roster players to camp | Seattle Mariners". Mlb.com. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  7. "Mariners' promising relief prospect Matt Festa will make jump from Double-A and get first taste of MLB". The Seattle Times. July 14, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  8. "Staten Island's Matt Festa won't forget his MLB debut". July 26, 2018.
  9. "Surprising players set for Opening Day rosters". MLB.com.
  10. "Mariners' Matt Festa: Will miss 2020 season".
  11. "Mariners' Matthew Festa: Returns from Tommy John surgery".
  12. "Can a repaired elbow and improved slider help Matthew Festa pitch his way back into the Mariners bullpen?". March 12, 2022.
  13. "Mariners Select Matt Festa".
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