Matt Wieters
Matt Wieters
Baltimore Orioles Catcher
Matthew Wieters (born May 21, 1986 in Goose Creek, South Carolina) is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Baltimore Orioles. He was drafted 5th overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft.
Matt was ranked 12th by Baseball America on their 2008 Top 100 Prospects List and was the highest ranked catcher on the list. He earned the 2008 Minor League Player of the Year honors from Baseball America.
He played his first major league game on Friday May 29, 2009, against the Detroit Tigers. His first major league hit came the next night, a triple, off of Detroit's Justin Verlander.
He hit his first career home run June 17, 2009 against the Mets, it was a two-run home run off of Mets starter Tim Redding.
Now, Matt is ready to begin priming for his first full season in the major leagues. "This year I'm not trying to go in and trying to fit in, or trying not to do anything stupid," he said. "This year, I'm going in and trying to get better and get ready for a long season."
For the first time in his young major league career, Wieters is a virtual lock to break camp as the Orioles everyday starting catcher. And he earned it last season by tearing up the minor leagues and then, after a slow start, proving his worth in the majors.
Baltimore Orioles Official Website