Former pitcher Brian Matusz, who spent the majority of his eight seasons in MLB with the Baltimore Orioles, died at age 37, the league announced on Wednesday morning. A cause of death has not been released.
A Grand Junction, Co., native, Matusz, after a standout college career at the University of San Diego, became the No. 4 overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft. He made his big league debut against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 4, 2009, striking out five batters across five innings while yielding just one run.
He pitched in 280 games in his career—all but one of which were with Baltimore—registering a 4.92 ERA. He made one appearance for the Chicago Cubs on July 31, 2016, a three-inning start for the eventual World Series champions. Some fans may remember Matusz for the success he enjoyed against Hall of Famer David Ortiz, holding the slugger to a .138 batting average with 13 strikeouts in his career.
He was a member of Baltimore teams that advanced to the postseason in 2012 and 2014.
The Orioles released the following in a statement.
Our hearts are heavy tonight as we mourn the passing of former Oriole, Brian Matusz.
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) January 8, 2025
A staple in our clubhouse from 2009-2016, Brian was beloved throughout Birdland, and his passion for baseball and our community was unmatched. He dedicated his time to connecting with any fan he… pic.twitter.com/wNN3WkO8l4
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Former Orioles Pitcher Brian Matusz Dead at 37.
