Mat Latos

Mathew Adam Latos (born December 9, 1987) is an American former professional baseball pitcher.

Highly regarded for his talent before the 2006 MLB draft, he fell to the 11th round due to questions about his maturity.

After pitching at Broward College for a season, he was signed by the San Diego Padres for a $1.25 million bonus.

However, many scouts expected Latos to be a first-round pick in the 2006 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft.

SchoolSports.com ranked Latos the fifth-best high school pitcher available in the 2006 Major League Baseball draft.

As the Padres retained the right to sign Latos until the start of the 2007 MLB draft, they sent scout Joe Bochy to observe every start Latos made.

Latos had a 10–3 win–loss record and a 2.03 ERA.

Feeling that Latos was worth the gamble, the Padres paid Latos $1.25 million a few days before he would have re-entered the draft in 2007.

Latos started his professional career in 2007, minor league baseball with the Eugene Emeralds, the Padres' Class A-Short Season affiliate in the Northwest League.

Pitching in 16 games for Eugene, Latos had a 1–4 record and a 3.83 ERA.

In 2008, Latos started the season with the Fort Wayne Wizards of the Class A Midwest League, but missed playing time during the season due to abdominal and shoulder injuries.

He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres from 2009 through 2011, the Cincinnati Reds from 2012 through 2014, and the Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2015, the Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals in 2016, and the Toronto Blue Jays in 2017.

Born in Alexandria, Virginia, Latos' family moved to Florida when he was young.

He played baseball at Coconut Creek High School, where he became one of the best high school players in the state.

He debuted for the Padres in 2009, and established himself in their starting rotation.

The Padres invited Latos to spring training in 2009, but he suffered a minor ankle sprain that limited his appearances.

The San Diego Padres selected Latos in the 11th round (333rd overall).

He fell in the draft since his personality made him difficult to handle in high school, as he was considered immature, often yelled at teammates who made errors and reacted poorly when the umpire made a call with which he disagreed.

After the draft, Latos demanded a $3 million signing bonus from the Padres.

When the Padres did not meet his demands, Latos enrolled at Broward College, a junior college, to pitch for their baseball team.

The Reds traded four players, including three prospects, to acquire Latos before the 2012 season.

Latos suffered a knee injury in 2014, which reduced his effectiveness.

The Marlins traded for Latos before the 2015 season and then traded him to the Dodgers in July 2015.

He signed with the White Sox for 2016, but was released during the season, and finished the year with the Nationals.

He briefly appeared with the Blue Jays in 2017.

Latos is the only child born to Lisa and Rich Latos.

He is originally from Alexandria, Virginia.

When Latos was 12 years old, his grandfather insisted that he play in a baseball tournament rather than stay at his bedside the day he died.

Latos attended Coconut Creek High School in Coconut Creek, Florida, despite being recruited to attend high schools with more prestigious baseball programs.

He was named the ace starting pitcher of the Coconut Creek baseball team's as a freshman.

That year, he pitched to a 3–4 win–loss record and a 3.68 earned run average (ERA), with 41 strikeouts and 26 walks in 39 2⁄3 innings pitched.

His fastball reached 88 - 89 mph. He improved his fastball command and velocity as a sophomore, reaching 93 mph and his statistics improved to a 5–2 record, a 1.23 ERA, 89 strikeouts, and 21 walks in 68 innings.

Heading into his junior year, Latos improved his training regimen and diet.

He pitched to a 7–4 record with a 0.76 ERA as a junior with 128 strikeouts and 17 walks in 83 innings.

Eleven of his thirteen starts were complete games.

Coconut Creek reached the regional quarterfinals, and Latos was named an Aflac All-American and All-Broward County by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Miami Herald.

By his senior year, Latos could throw his fastball as high as 98 mph. He was an honorable mention by the Florida Sports Writers Association for the All-State team.

As a senior, Latos had a 7–3 record with 110 strikeouts and a 0.64 ERA in 69 2⁄3 innings pitched.

He appeared in the Broward County Athletics Association All-Star Game, and was named South Florida Sun-Sentinel's player of the year.

Latos committed to attend the University of Oklahoma to play college baseball for the Oklahoma Sooners baseball team.