Jeff Mathis

Did You Know?

• Mathis was a preferred catcher for pitchers Jose Fernandez and Zack Greinke.
• He excelled in pitch framing and catching base stealers.
• Despite his defensive reputation, he was among the league worst in many batting statistics.

Early life and education

Mathis was born and raised in Marianna, Florida, to Danny and Bunnee Mathis. He has one brother, Jake, who played in the minor leagues for the Angels. At Marianna High School, Mathis played football and baseball, winning four district titles and a regional title. He appeared in the 1999 state baseball title game and the 2000 state football championship game. After his playing career, the Jackson County School Board renamed the road leading to the high school's baseball field in his honor.

Professional career

Mathis was drafted in the first round by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim out of high school in 2001, forgoing attendance at Florida State University. By 2005 he was at Triple-A with the Salt Lake Bees, batting .276 with 21 home runs in 111 games and earning the Angels' minor league Defensive Player of the Year award. After the 2005 season the Angels let free agent catcher Bengie Molina leave, opening a spot for Mathis. In 2006 he struggled and was demoted to the minors about a month into the season, replaced by Mike Napoli; he was recalled on September 1 and finished with a .145 batting average in 23 games. In 2007 he again split time between the minors and majors, recalled in early July after Napoli sustained a high ankle sprain. On July 21, José Molina was traded to the New York Yankees, leaving Mathis and Napoli as the Angels' catchers. Mathis played 59 games that season, batting .211 with 36 hits. On July 23, 2008, he had 4 hits and 6 RBI in a 14-11 win over the Cleveland Indians. He played a career-high 94 games in 2008 but batted .194.