Jeff Mathis

Infobox MLB player
name=Jeff Mathis


width=250
position=Catcher
team=Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
number=5
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1983|3|31
debutdate=August 12
debutyear=2005
debutteam=Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
statyear=August 7, 2008
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.203
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=15
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=67
teams=
*Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (by|2005-present)

Jeffrey Stephen Mathis (born March 31, 1983 in Marianna, Florida) is a Major League Baseball catcher playing with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and made his Major League debut on August 12, by|2005, with them. He bats and throws right-handed.

After playing both football and baseball for Marianna High School (winning four district titles, a regional title and appearing in the state championship game in football in 2000, as well as a 1999 state title in baseball, on a team that featured fellow first-round pick Alan Horne), he became a first round draft selection by the Angels in by|2001, Mathis moved up the ranks to Triple-A Salt Lake by 2005. He earned the Angels' minor league Defensive Player of the Year award. Noted for his defensive skills at the catcher spot, he also had a career-best year with the bat, hitting .276 with 21 home runs.

Following the 2005 season, the Angels declined to pursue the return of their free agent starting catcher, Bengie Molina, ensuring Mathis would make the roster for the by|2006 season. [http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20051207&content_id=1278673&vkey=news_ana&fext=.jsp&c_id=ana] After a solid 2006 spring training, Mathis was expected to see substantial playing time at catcher, sharing the position with José Molina. However, once the regular season began, he struggled greatly on both defense and offense. With Mathis batting only .108 and the team compiling just a 2-9 record in games that he started, the Angels demoted him back to the minor leagues one month into the season. Mathis was replaced on the Angels roster by catcher Mike Napoli.

Mathis started stepping in for Napoli in the by|2007 season. Mathis and Napoli are sharing the starting catcher position in by|2008, splitting time evenly.

External links