Former Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Steven Matz is officially in the 2026 World Series with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Rays advanced to the World Series with a 4-2 series victory over the Cleveland Guardians when they defeated Cleveland 7-3 on Monday night to clinch the franchise’s third World Series berth. The Rays lost the other two times they were in the World Series, so they are looking to get past the Milwaukee Brewers in this year’s finals and capture the club’s first-ever World Series trophy.
Steven Matz Looking for World Series Ring
For Matz, he is looking to collect his first World Series ring after previously being part of the New York Mets’ World Series team in 2015, which ended up losing in the finals to the Kansas City Royals.
The 35-year-old Matz has pitched just once in the postseason for Tampa Bay, but he nonetheless was a positive contributor to their World Series ambitions, as he pitched two innings for the Rays on October 15.
This season, Matz has pitched in 36 games for the Rays, including 11 starts, with a 5.49 ERA in 80.1 IP. He was worth -0.7 bWAR during the regular season as he struggled for the Rays, but despite his regular-season struggles, the Rays put the veteran left-hander on their playoff roster.
Matz is in the first year of a two-year, $15 million contract with Tampa Bay that pays him $7.5 million per season.
Steven Matz Played 1 Season for the Blue Jays in 2021
Matz is a former Blue Jays pitcher who played one season in Toronto in 2021. That year, Matz went 14-7 with a 3.82 ERA in 29 starts for the Blue Jays, while tossing 150.2 IP that season with a 2.2 bWAR.
Despite having a very strong season for Toronto, the only year he played north of the border, the team did not retain him after 2021, as Matz signed a four-year, $44 million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals after that.
Overall, in his MLB career, Matz is 66-68 with a 4.29 career ERA in 1084.2 IP. He has been worth 10.4 bWAR during his career.
Matz, along with Tampa Bay closer Bryan Baker, are two former Blue Jays players in the World Series.
Former Blue Jays 14-Win Pitcher in 2026 World Series for Rays