Matthew Joseph Carasiti (born July 23, 1991) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

and

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

, and in

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(NPB) for the

Tokyo Yakult Swallows The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams in Tokyo, the other being the Yomiuri G ...

. He was drafted by the Rockies in the sixth round of the

2012 Major League Baseball draft The 2012 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 4 through June 6, 2012, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Houston Astros, with the first overall pick, selected Carlos Correa from the Puerto Rico Baseball Ac ...

Early life

Born in

New Britain, Connecticut New Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately southwest of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The city is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol ...

, and raised in

East Berlin, Connecticut East Berlin is a section of the town of Berlin in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a ...

, Carasiti graduated from Berlin High School, where he was a standout baseball pitcher. Carasiti was originally drafted out of high school by the Texas Rangers in the 36th round (1084 overall) of the

2009 Major League Baseball Draft The 2009 Major League Baseball draft was held June 9 to June 11 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. The drafting order is as follows: First-round selections Key Supplemental first-round selections From Baseball Americ ...

. Carasiti declined the offer and accepted a baseball scholarship to St. John's University in

Queens, New York Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

. In 2011, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

in the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. Carasiti helped St. John's win its record seventh 2012 Big East Conference baseball tournament with a 7–3 championship game victory against

USF USF may refer to: Universities * University of Saint Francis (Indiana), Ft. Wayne, Indiana * University of San Francisco, California * University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida * University of St. Francis, Joliet, Illinois * University of Sioux ...

on May 27, 2012. Carasiti was named the Tournament Most Outstanding Player, earning the win in two of his team's four games.

Professional career

Colorado Rockies

On June 5, 2012, Carasiti was drafted by the

in the sixth round, with the 198th overall selection, of the

. In 2016, most of which he pitched for the

Hartford Yard Goats The Hartford Yard Goats are a Minor League Baseball team based in Hartford, Connecticut. The Yard Goats, which play in the Eastern League, are the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. The team was founded in 2016 when the New Britain Ro ...

for whom he was 0–2 with a 2.31 ERA with a league-leading 29 saves, he was named a mid-season Eastern League All Star, a post-season All Star, and an MiLB.com Organization All Star. Carasiti was called up by the Rockies on August 12, 2016, making his MLB debut the same day pitching 2 innings in relief in the Rockies 10–6 loss to the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

. In 19 appearances for the Rockies during his rookie campaign, Carasiti struggled to a 9.19 ERA with 17 strikeouts across innings pitched. On December 2, Colorado non-tendered Carasiti, making him a free agent. On December 15, 2016, Carasiti re-signed with the Rockies organization on a minor league contract that included an invitation to spring training. In 2017 he was named a mid-season

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

All Star.

Chicago Cubs

On June 26, 2017, Carasiti was traded to the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

in exchange for Zac Rosscup. In 19 appearances for the Triple-A

Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. T ...

, he logged an 0-2 record and 4.66 ERA with 25 strikeouts and 8 saves across innings pitched. The Cubs selected Carasiti's contract on November 6, to prevent him from reaching minor league free agency. However, he was released on December 1 to pursue a playing opportunity in Japan.

Tokyo Yakult Swallows

On December 5, 2017, Carasiti signed with the

(NPB). In 32 appearances for the Swallows in 2018, Carasiti compiled a 7-3 record and 4.18 ERA with 73 strikeouts across innings pitched. He became a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

following the 2018 season.

Chicago Cubs (second stint)

On January 2, 2019, Carasiti signed a minor league contract with the

. With the Triple–A

, he was 1–1 with one save, a 2.67 ERA, and 23 strikeouts in 16 relief appearances covering 27 innings. Carasiti was released by the Cubs organization on June 7.

Seattle Mariners

On June 7, 2019, shortly following his release from the Cubs organization, Carasiti signed a minor league contract with the

. On June 23, his contract was selected. With the Mariners, he was 0–1 with a 4.66 ERA in innings in which he struck out 10 batters in 11 games (5 starts). With the Triple–A

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, ...

of the Pacific Coast League, he was 1–0 with a 4.96 ERA in 15 relief appearances in which he pitched innings and struck out 17 batters. On September 8, he was outrighted off the

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

. Carasiti elected free agency following the season on November 4.

San Francisco Giants

On January 5, 2020, the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

signed Carasiti to a minor league contract that included an invitation to spring training. Carasiti was released by the Giants in March 2020 after undergoing

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's body, ...

Boston Red Sox

On January 26, 2021, Carasiti signed a minor league contract with the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

organization that included an invitation to spring training. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Worcester Red Sox The Worcester Red Sox (nicknamed the WooSox) are a professional minor league baseball team based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Beginning play in 2021, the team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, succeeding the Pawtucket Red Sox. Th ...

, and began the season on the

injured list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

. Carasiti did not appear in a game in 2021, and became a free agent following the season.

San Francisco Giants (second stint)

On January 27, 2022, Carasiti signed a minor league contract with the

. He was released on July 18, 2022.

Long Island Ducks

On August 13, 2022, Carasiti signed with the

Long Island Ducks The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "par ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...

. In 9 games of relief he went 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA and 14 strikeouts across innings pitched.

Colorado Rockies (second stint)

On December 21, 2022, Carasiti signed a minor league deal with the

. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an ...

to begin the 2023 season, for whom he made 16 appearances and logged a 4.00 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 18.0 innings of work. On May 21, the Rockies selected Carasiti's contract to the active roster. In 16 games for the Rockies, Carasiti struggled to a 6.29 ERA with 16 strikeouts and one save in innings pitched. On October 13, he was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to Triple–A Albuquerque. However, Carasiti subsequently rejected the assignment and elected free agency. On January 29, 2024, Carasiti re-signed with the Rockies on a minor league contract. In 20 games for Albuquerque, he compiled a 5.91 ERA with 26 strikeouts and 6 saves across innings. On May 24, the Rockies selected Carasiti's contract, adding him to their active roster. In 7 games for Colorado, he struggled to a 10.38 ERA with 7 strikeouts across innings pitched. On June 8, Carasiti was designated for assignment by the Rockies. He elected free agency after clearing waivers on June 10.

Atlanta Braves

On June 14, 2024, Carasiti signed a minor league contract with the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

. In 11 appearances for the Triple–A

Gwinnett Stripers The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia ...

, he compiled a 3.46 ERA with 19 strikeouts across 13 innings pitched. Carasiti was released by the Braves organization on August 1.

Coaching career

On January 15, 2025, the

hired Carasiti to serve as the pitching coach for their High-A affiliate, the

Everett AquaSox The Everett AquaSox are a Minor League Baseball team in Everett, Washington. The team is a member of the Northwest League and is the High-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The AquaSox play their home games at Funko Field, which has a seatin ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carasiti, Matt 1991 births Living people Albuquerque Isotopes players 21st-century American sportsmen American expatriate baseball players in Japan Arizona Complex League Rockies players Asheville Tourists players Colorado Rockies players Grand Junction Rockies players Gwinnett Stripers players Hartford Yard Goats players Iowa Cubs players Major League Baseball pitchers Modesto Nuts players Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Sacramento River Cats players Salt River Rafters players Seattle Mariners players Baseball players from New Britain, Connecticut St. John's Red Storm baseball players Tacoma Rainiers players Tokyo Yakult Swallows players Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox players