Outside of the postseason run he had, his career has never been very good. Granted his main problem last night was being wide of 2B by a considerable margin.
It's funny, of all the things in baseball that should be relatively "easy" but somehow is not, pitchers throwing to 2nd base always seems to top the list. It makes me nervous every time I see it about to happen. I guess it's a combination of nerves since by definition it only happens when runners are on base, ie when the stakes are a little higher but also because they are typically starting their throw before the fielder gets there, which is different than the 1000s of other pitches they throw to the catcher most of their career. But on its face, they are making a regular throw 65-70 ft and it really doesn't have to be THAT accurate or even fast...but pitchers screw it up all the time.
To be fair to Maton, I actually don't think he pitched that poorly last night. But his own defense doomed him, and Bregman didn't do him any favors either. The one real pitching mistake he made in the outing was the HBP, which barely got Marsh. The pressure seemed to get to him, though, which is the opposite of the guy we saw in the playoffs last year. He's got some work to do the rest of the season to prove he belongs on the playoff roster again.
Shouldn't have needed Stanek to start the 7th inning of a 5-1 game when the other team has had 1 hit. All the runs were unearned so it wasn't the pitching that failed the Astros that inning.
It was a 5-1 lead at the time, late. That is not usually a call to Stanek situation. Maton should be expected to be productive with that kind of a cushion.
Only a half game back of the WC, and they play us very well. Not someone I want to match up with in the postseason. Then again, I said the same thing about Oakland in 2020 and we spanked their ass in the ALDS.
Maton seems to be either getting too much work or too little work. He's not the official 7th or 8th inning guy in a save situation. He is usually the first out of the bullpen when the starter either doesn't go 5 or barely goes 5 (which hasn't happened all that much this season... but when it does, seems to happen a few games in a row). I suppose he's Dusty's "lefty specialist" if the last out of the inning that is not the 7th-8th-9th relies upon getting a lefty out. And he's the guy when one of Nerris-Stanek-Montero needs a day off. Its a tougher role... but still not the worst guy to have (talent wise) to fill one of those roles.
He's kind of in the Will Harris role, but he's not as good in the Will Harris role as Will Harris was.