Matt Eckelman

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2016
R+:  5-3-0, 2.76 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 62.0 IP, 1.3 BB/9, 8.0 K/9

Eckelman was the most effective starter at Bristol.  In fact, until Mike Wallace moved out of the bullpen, he was the only effective starter and nearly the only effective pitcher.  Eckelman held opposing hitters to a line of 223/254/367, helped by a somewhat low BABIP of .266.  His K/9 was passable; league average was 8.5.

2017
A:  5-6-0, 4.63 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 72.0 IP, 3.3 BB/9, 7.9 K/9

The performance of college draftees in the Appalachian League has to be viewed with a great deal of caution.  Eckelman did pitch well; among pitchers with at least ten starts he was third in ERA in 2016.  He moved up to West Virginia in 2017 and had less success.  He pitched mostly in long relief, but made three starts late in the year.  He got off to a rough start, posting an ERA of 6.29 in April and May, then settled down in June and July, with a 3.14 mark.  He struggled again in August.  Eckelman had a reverse platoon split.

2018
A+:  4-0-6, 2.28 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 23.2 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 10.3 K/9
AA:  1-1-11, 1.82 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 24.2 IP, 5.5 BB/9, 6.2 K/9

Eckelman pitched out of the Bradenton bullpen until the end of June, then moved up to Altoona.  He served primarily as a closer at both stops.  He was very effective at Bradenton, with excellent walk and K rates.  Despite the impressive ERA, he was less effective at the higher stop.  His walk and K rates, in particular, got dramatically worse, possibly because hitters were less inclined to chase pitches a little off the plate.  At Altoona, Eckelman benefited from an unsustainable batting average on balls in play of .233.  His xFIP, which is a better indicator than ERA, was 4.93 in AA.

2019
AA:  1-5-23, 3.33 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 48.2 IP, 4.6 BB/9, 8.3 K/9
AAA:  0-0-0, 15.43 ERA, 4.29 WHIP, 2.1 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 7.7 K/9

Other than filling in briefly a couple times at Indianapolis, Eckelman spent the season at Altoona, mainly as the closer.  He pitched decently but not well, with an opponents’ OPS that was higher than the league average, .722 vs. .677.  He had trouble with left-handed hitters, allowing them an .812 OPS compared to .613 for right-handed hitters.

2020
DNP

2021
AAA:  3-5-0, 4.91 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 66.0 IP, 1.9 BB/9, 7.4 K/9

Eckelman spent the season in the Indianapolis bullpen, serving the same role there that James Marvel and Beau Sulser did in the rotation.  He gave the team innings, often when the starter left early.  Eckelman threw strikes, but opponents batted .303 against him and he gave up a dozen home runs.

2022
A+:  1-0-0, 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 18.0 IP, 7.0 BB/9, 5.5 K/9
AA:  1-0-0, 2.25 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 12.0 IP, 3.8 BB/9, 3.8 K/9
AAA:  0-3-0, 7.67 ERA, 1.96 WHIP, 31.2 IP, 4.5 BB/9, 7.7 K/9

Eckelman’s 2022 season got off to a terrible start for Indianapolis.  Hitters blasted him for a 1.183 OPS in April and .990 in May.  In late July the Pirates sent him down to Greensboro and he began working on a knuckleball.  He had a lot of trouble with walks at first, but got better results in four September games for Altoona.

Eckelman became a minor league free agent after the 2022 season, but re-signed with the Pirates for 2023.  It’ll be interesting to see where the knuckleball experiment goes.