Matt Canterino
| IP | 85 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 1.482 |
| WHIP | .859 |
| BB/9 | 3.706 |
| SO/9 | 13.765 |
- Full name Matthew James Canterino
- Born 12/14/1997 in Southlake, TX
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 222 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Rice
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Drafted in the 2nd round (54th overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2019 (signed for $1,100,000).
View Draft Report
Canterino is one of the funkier pitchers in this year’s draft class. As he gathers on the rubber, he raises his arm in a pump, in-sync with his lead leg, brings his arms back to his body, pauses, and then explodes to the plate. While it looks unconventional and seems very segmented, Canterino’s arm is on time with his body and he repeats it well. Not to mention, it’s been very effective. Canterino has been Rice’s ace almost since the day he arrived on campus. He’s been durable, consistent and hard to hit, limiting opponents to a sub-.200 batting average for his three-year career as an Owl. It’s that consistency and solid stuff that appeals to scouts, who also like his solid, 6-foot-3, 222-pound frame. In a draft class without many potential front-of-the-rotation options, Canterino is a potential late first-round pick as a solid back-of-the-rotation arm. His low-90s fastball will bump up to 95 mph at times, and his slider has gotten better and better, to the point where it not earns above-average grades. Even when his slider isn’t at its best, he will still show four average pitches thanks to a decent curveball and changeup. He’s steadily improved his control and now shows the potential for above-average control. Canterino is one of the better high-floor options among the college arms in this year’s draft class.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: When he has been healthy, Canterino has shown some of the best stuff in the Twins’ organization, but staying healthy has been a struggle. Drafted in the second round in 2019 out of Rice, Canterino tried to rehab an elbow injury multiple times, but the elbow pain kept returning, limiting him to 23 innings in 2021. He finally decided to have Tommy John surgery to reconstruct his elbow ligament in August 2022, which caused him to miss the entire 2023 season.
Scouting Report: Canterino’s delivery has always been effortful and funky, but that’s part of what makes him effective. He’s not easy to time, especially when he’s ripping off plus 94-97 mph fastballs with above-average hop. He has long had a plus slider as well. Before surgery, it was a high-80s pitch that was effective because of its top-tier velocity. As a pro, Canterino found a changeup grip that works for him, and it’s now a plus-plus weapon. Until 2022, Canterino showed above-average control, but with a balky elbow, he struggled more to throw strikes. Often, command and feel are slow to return after Tommy John surgery. Despite his funky delivery, Canterino should have at least fringe-average control.
The Future: It’s easy to forget about Canterino because he’s been injured, but he’s among the organization’s best pitching prospects. The Twins will face a decision on how to develop him. If they are willing to move Canterino to the bullpen, he could make a quicker impact, but he has a starter’s assortment. He should be ready to go for spring training. After dominating Double-A Wichita in his short stint in 2022, he’s ready to head to Triple-A St. Paul.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 70 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Track Record: Canterino demonstrated flashes of dominance at Rice, although his fastball/slider approach and funky and deceptive but unorthodox delivery led many to see a future in the bullpen. He found a new changeup grip that transformed that into his best pitch, and when healthy he's dominated, but a balky elbow has bothered him since 2021. He was shut down again in 2022 and eventually had Tommy John surgery in August.
Scouting Report: Elbow reconstruction surgery requires a difficult, taxing rehabilitation process, but Canterino's surgery also hopefully puts a nagging problem in his rearview mirror. Elbow issues limited him to 23 innings in 2021 and he never topped 70 pitches in a start in 2022. When healthy, Canterino has the best stuff of any Twins minor leaguer. His mid-90s, plus fastball has life and arm-side run, but it's sometimes his third best pitch, as Canterino can carve up lineups with his low-80s, plus-plus changeup and high-80s, plus power slider. Both are able to generate plenty of whiffs and are deadly with two strikes. His control faltered in 2022, but he's generally been a fringe-average strike thrower.
The Future: Canterino will likely miss all of 2023 recovering, but once healthy, he has the stuff to make an immediate impact. He has the weapons to close if the Twins want to speed up his path by moving him to the pen, but he also has enough control to be a funky, somewhat dominating five-inning starter.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 70. Control: 45. -
Track Record: Canterino ranked as the No. 34 prospect in the 2019 draft class as a productive starter with plenty of funk. The Twins signed him for $1.1 million in the second round and he’s been highly effective on the mound in his pro career (1.13 ERA), but was limited to just 23 innings in 2021 after dealing with multiple elbow strains.
Scouting Report: Fans will love watching Canterino pitch thanks to his high-energy approach on the mound. He has an intense and effortful delivery, but he’s always shown impressive touch and feel, and in pro ball his spin rates and extension have been exceptional. This year, Canterino pitched in the 94-95 mph range with his fastball and touched 97, but the induced vertical break of the pitch is what truly sets it apart and allows it to play up. Canterino throws a hard vertical slider and a curveball with more depth in the low 80s. Both breaking balls have a chance to be solid-average or above-average. His best secondary might be a changeup that he improved dramatically after entering pro ball, a low-80s offering that has solid arm-side movement and depth. He has shown impressive command of his entire pitch mix and in his six starts before going down struck out 45 batters to just four walks.
The Future: Canterino’s fastball quality, four-pitch mix and command give him middle-of-the-rotation upside, but his elbow injuries this year and the fact that he still hasn’t pitched above High-A add plenty of risk to the profile. He has yet to pitch more than 25 innings in a season since being drafted.
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Fastball: 60. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Curveball: 60. Control: 50.
TRACK RECORD: Canterino was one of the most consistent and effective starters in the 2019 draft despite an unorthodox delivery. The Twins grabbed him in the second round and signed him for $1.1 million. Canterino reached low Class A in an impressive pro debut and was a late addition to the Twins’ alternate training site in 2020.
SCOUTING REPORT: Canterino throws a standard four-pitch mix that includes a fastball, slider, curveball and changeup. His fastball is his lone plus offering, averaging 93 mph and playing up with additional life and cutting action as a result of a tweak in his thumb placement. Canterino’s 83-85 mph slider is his best secondary. The pitch occasionally flashes plus, while his slower, upper-70s curveball has more top-to-bottom action and projects as an average pitch. Canterino added 8-10 inches of depth to his changeup this summer after changing the grip and becoming more comfortable with the pitch. His delivery has plenty of moving parts and could be high-maintenance longterm, but he has a good track record of throwing strikes and staying in sync.
THE FUTURE: Canterino doesn’t have loud stuff, but the way he mixes his offerings with solid control helps him project as a potential back-end starter. -
TRACK RECORD: A high school teammate of Padres' 2016 first-round pick Hudson Potts, Canterino was a part of the Rice weekend rotation for three years and he held opponents to a sub-.200 average while leading the team in strikeouts all three seasons.
SCOUTING REPORT: Canterino has an atypical delivery. Starting from a high hand set, he pumps his hands up over his head as he coils into his back leg. It leads to an unusual high hand break, but his arm is usually on time at foot strike. His delivery adds deception and he has above-average control. Canterino tweaked his fastball grip as a pro to help give his plus 92-95 mph fastball more carry up in the zone. He also rediscovered his average curveball that was his most effective offspeed pitch in 2018. Canterino was able to throw that 11-to-5 slow curve for strikes early in the count and the pitch sometimes lock up hitters late in counts, though it lacks the power to be a true bat-misser. It paired well with his elevated fastball allowing him to work up and down in the strike zone. His above-average 83-85 mph slider had moderate depth and tilt and he can bury it. He'll mix in a fringe-average changeup sporadically.
THE FUTURE: Canterino doesn't have overwhelming stuff, but he is coachable, durable and consistently effective. If either his curveball or slider can be tweaked to give him a second plus pitch, he could exceed his current back-end starter upside. After dominating in a short stint in the Midwest League, he should be ready for the Florida State League in 2020.
Draft Prospects
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Canterino is one of the funkier pitchers in this year's draft class. As he gathers on the rubber, he raises his arm in a pump, in-sync with his lead leg, brings his arms back to his body, pauses, and then explodes to the plate. While it looks unconventional and seems very segmented, Canterino's arm is on time with his body and he repeats it well. Not to mention, it's been very effective. Canterino has been Rice's ace almost since the day he arrived on campus. He's been durable, consistent and hard to hit, limiting opponents to a sub-.200 batting average for his three-year career as an Owl. It's that consistency and solid stuff that appeals to scouts, who also like his solid, 6-foot-3, 222-pound frame. In a draft class without many potential front-of-the-rotation options, Canterino is a potential late first-round pick as a solid back-of-the-rotation arm. His low-90s fastball will bump up to 95 mph at times, and his slider has gotten better and better, to the point where it not earns above-average grades. Even when his slider isn't at its best, he will still show four average pitches thanks to a decent curveball and changeup. He's steadily improved his control and now shows the potential for above-average control. Canterino is one of the better high-floor options among the college arms in this year's draft class.
Scouting Reports
-
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Track Record: Canterino demonstrated flashes of dominance at Rice, although his fastball/slider approach and funky and deceptive but unorthodox delivery led many to see a future in the bullpen. He found a new changeup grip that transformed that into his best pitch, and when healthy he's dominated, but a balky elbow has bothered him since 2021. He was shut down again in 2022 and eventually had Tommy John surgery in August.
Scouting Report: Elbow reconstruction surgery requires a difficult, taxing rehabilitation process, but Canterino's surgery also hopefully puts a nagging problem in his rearview mirror. Elbow issues limited him to 23 innings in 2021 and he never topped 70 pitches in a start in 2022. When healthy, Canterino has the best stuff of any Twins minor leaguer. His mid-90s, plus fastball has life and arm-side run, but it's sometimes his third best pitch, as Canterino can carve up lineups with his low-80s, plus-plus changeup and high-80s, plus power slider. Both are able to generate plenty of whiffs and are deadly with two strikes. His control faltered in 2022, but he's generally been a fringe-average strike thrower.
The Future: Canterino will likely miss all of 2023 recovering, but once healthy, he has the stuff to make an immediate impact. He has the weapons to close if the Twins want to speed up his path by moving him to the pen, but he also has enough control to be a funky, somewhat dominating five-inning starter.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 70. Control: 45. -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Track Record: Canterino demonstrated flashes of dominance at Rice, although his fastball/slider approach and funky and deceptive but unorthodox delivery led many to see a future in the bullpen. He found a new changeup grip that transformed that into his best pitch, and when healthy he's dominated, but a balky elbow has bothered him since 2021. He was shut down again in 2022 and eventually had Tommy John surgery in August.
Scouting Report: Elbow reconstruction surgery requires a difficult, taxing rehabilitation process, but Canterino's surgery also hopefully puts a nagging problem in his rearview mirror. Elbow issues limited him to 23 innings in 2021 and he never topped 70 pitches in a start in 2022. When healthy, Canterino has the best stuff of any Twins minor leaguer. His mid-90s, plus fastball has life and arm-side run, but it's sometimes his third best pitch, as Canterino can carve up lineups with his low-80s, plus-plus changeup and high-80s, plus power slider. Both are able to generate plenty of whiffs and are deadly with two strikes. His control faltered in 2022, but he's generally been a fringe-average strike thrower.
The Future: Canterino will likely miss all of 2023 recovering, but once healthy, he has the stuff to make an immediate impact. He has the weapons to close if the Twins want to speed up his path by moving him to the pen, but he also has enough control to be a funky, somewhat dominating five-inning starter.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 70. Control: 45. -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Canterino ranked as the No. 34 prospect in the 2019 draft class as a productive starter with plenty of funk. The Twins signed him for $1.1 million in the second round and he's been highly effective on the mound in his pro career (1.13 ERA), but was limited to just 23 innings in 2021 after dealing with multiple elbow strains.
Scouting Report: Fans will love watching Canterino pitch thanks to his high-energy approach on the mound. He has an intense and effortful delivery, but he's always shown impressive touch and feel, and in pro ball his spin rates and extension have been exceptional. This year, Canterino pitched in the 94-95 mph range with his fastball and touched 97, but the induced vertical break of the pitch is what truly sets it apart and allows it to play up. Canterino throws a hard vertical slider and a curveball with more depth in the low 80s. Both breaking balls have a chance to be solid-average or above-average. His best secondary might be a changeup that he improved dramatically after entering pro ball, a low-80s offering that has solid arm-side movement and depth. He has shown impressive command of his entire pitch mix and in his six starts before going down struck out 45 batters to just four walks.
The Future: Canterino's fastball quality, four-pitch mix and command give him middle-of-the-rotation upside, but his elbow injuries this year and the fact that he still hasn't pitched above High-A add plenty of risk to the profile. He has yet to pitch more than 25 innings in a season since being drafted.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65. Curveball: 50. Slider: 55. Changeup: 55. Control: 55. -
Track Record: Canterino ranked as the No. 34 prospect in the 2019 draft class as a productive starter with plenty of funk. The Twins signed him for $1.1 million in the second round and he’s been highly effective on the mound in his pro career (1.13 ERA), but was limited to just 23 innings in 2021 after dealing with multiple elbow strains.
Scouting Report: Fans will love watching Canterino pitch thanks to his high-energy approach on the mound. He has an intense and effortful delivery, but he’s always shown impressive touch and feel, and in pro ball his spin rates and extension have been exceptional. This year, Canterino pitched in the 94-95 mph range with his fastball and touched 97, but the induced vertical break of the pitch is what truly sets it apart and allows it to play up. Canterino throws a hard vertical slider and a curveball with more depth in the low 80s. Both breaking balls have a chance to be solid-average or above-average. His best secondary might be a changeup that he improved dramatically after entering pro ball, a low-80s offering that has solid arm-side movement and depth. He has shown impressive command of his entire pitch mix and in his six starts before going down struck out 45 batters to just four walks.
The Future: Canterino’s fastball quality, four-pitch mix and command give him middle-of-the-rotation upside, but his elbow injuries this year and the fact that he still hasn’t pitched above High-A add plenty of risk to the profile. He has yet to pitch more than 25 innings in a season since being drafted.
-
Fastball: 60. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Curveball: 60. Control: 50.
TRACK RECORD: Canterino was one of the most consistent and effective starters in the 2019 draft despite an unorthodox delivery. The Twins grabbed him in the second round and signed him for $1.1 million. Canterino reached low Class A in an impressive pro debut and was a late addition to the Twins' alternate training site in 2020.
SCOUTING REPORT: Canterino throws a standard four-pitch mix that includes a fastball, slider, curveball and changeup. His fastball is his lone plus offering, averaging 93 mph and playing up with additional life and cutting action as a result of a tweak in his thumb placement. Canterino's 83-85 mph slider is his best secondary. The pitch occasionally flashes plus, while his slower, upper-70s curveball has more top-to-bottom action and projects as an average pitch. Canterino added 8-10 inches of depth to his changeup this summer after changing the grip and becoming more comfortable with the pitch. His delivery has plenty of moving parts and could be high-maintenance longterm, but he has a good track record of throwing strikes and staying in sync.
THE FUTURE: Canterino doesn't have loud stuff, but the way he mixes his offerings with solid control helps him project as a potential back-end starter. -
Fastball: 60. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Curveball: 60. Control: 50.
TRACK RECORD: Canterino was one of the most consistent and effective starters in the 2019 draft despite an unorthodox delivery. The Twins grabbed him in the second round and signed him for $1.1 million. Canterino reached low Class A in an impressive pro debut and was a late addition to the Twins’ alternate training site in 2020.
SCOUTING REPORT: Canterino throws a standard four-pitch mix that includes a fastball, slider, curveball and changeup. His fastball is his lone plus offering, averaging 93 mph and playing up with additional life and cutting action as a result of a tweak in his thumb placement. Canterino’s 83-85 mph slider is his best secondary. The pitch occasionally flashes plus, while his slower, upper-70s curveball has more top-to-bottom action and projects as an average pitch. Canterino added 8-10 inches of depth to his changeup this summer after changing the grip and becoming more comfortable with the pitch. His delivery has plenty of moving parts and could be high-maintenance longterm, but he has a good track record of throwing strikes and staying in sync.
THE FUTURE: Canterino doesn’t have loud stuff, but the way he mixes his offerings with solid control helps him project as a potential back-end starter. -
Fastball: 60. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Curveball: 60. Control: 50.
TRACK RECORD: Canterino was one of the most consistent and effective starters in the 2019 draft despite an unorthodox delivery. The Twins grabbed him in the second round and signed him for $1.1 million. Canterino reached low Class A in an impressive pro debut and was a late addition to the Twins’ alternate training site in 2020.
SCOUTING REPORT: Canterino throws a standard four-pitch mix that includes a fastball, slider, curveball and changeup. His fastball is his lone plus offering, averaging 93 mph and playing up with additional life and cutting action as a result of a tweak in his thumb placement. Canterino’s 83-85 mph slider is his best secondary. The pitch occasionally flashes plus, while his slower, upper-70s curveball has more top-to-bottom action and projects as an average pitch. Canterino added 8-10 inches of depth to his changeup this summer after changing the grip and becoming more comfortable with the pitch. His delivery has plenty of moving parts and could be high-maintenance longterm, but he has a good track record of throwing strikes and staying in sync.
THE FUTURE: Canterino doesn’t have loud stuff, but the way he mixes his offerings with solid control helps him project as a potential back-end starter. -
TRACK RECORD: A high school teammate of Padres’ 2016 first-round pick Hudson Potts, Canterino was a part of the Rice weekend rotation for three years and he held opponents to a sub-.200 average while leading the team in strikeouts all three seasons.
SCOUTING REPORT: Canterino has an atypical delivery. Starting from a high hand set, he pumps his hands up over his head as he coils into his back leg. It leads to an unusual high hand break, but his arm is usually on time at foot strike. His delivery adds deception and he has above-average control. Canterino tweaked his fastball grip as a pro to help give his plus 92-95 mph fastball more carry up in the zone. He also rediscovered his average curveball that was his most effective offspeed pitch in 2018. Canterino was able to throw that 11-to-5 slow curve for strikes early in the count and the pitch sometimes lock up hitters late in counts, though it lacks the power to be a true bat-misser. It paired well with his elevated fastball allowing him to work up and down in the strike zone. His above-average 83-85 mph slider had moderate depth and tilt and he can bury it. He’ll mix in a fringe-average changeup sporadically.
THE FUTURE: Canterino doesn’t have overwhelming stuff, but he is coachable, durable and consistently effective. If either his curveball or slider can be tweaked to give him a second plus pitch, he could exceed his current back-end starter upside. After dominating in a short stint in the Midwest League, he should be ready for the Florida State League in 2020. -
TRACK RECORD: A high school teammate of Padres' 2016 first-round pick Hudson Potts, Canterino was a part of the Rice weekend rotation for three years and he held opponents to a sub-.200 average while leading the team in strikeouts all three seasons.
SCOUTING REPORT: Canterino has an atypical delivery. Starting from a high hand set, he pumps his hands up over his head as he coils into his back leg. It leads to an unusual high hand break, but his arm is usually on time at foot strike. His delivery adds deception and he has above-average control. Canterino tweaked his fastball grip as a pro to help give his plus 92-95 mph fastball more carry up in the zone. He also rediscovered his average curveball that was his most effective offspeed pitch in 2018. Canterino was able to throw that 11-to-5 slow curve for strikes early in the count and the pitch sometimes lock up hitters late in counts, though it lacks the power to be a true bat-misser. It paired well with his elevated fastball allowing him to work up and down in the strike zone. His above-average 83-85 mph slider had moderate depth and tilt and he can bury it. He'll mix in a fringe-average changeup sporadically.
THE FUTURE: Canterino doesn't have overwhelming stuff, but he is coachable, durable and consistently effective. If either his curveball or slider can be tweaked to give him a second plus pitch, he could exceed his current back-end starter upside. After dominating in a short stint in the Midwest League, he should be ready for the Florida State League in 2020. -
Canterino is one of the funkier pitchers in this year's draft class. As he gathers on the rubber, he raises his arm in a pump, in-sync with his lead leg, brings his arms back to his body, pauses, and then explodes to the plate. While it looks unconventional and seems very segmented, Canterino's arm is on time with his body and he repeats it well. Not to mention, it's been very effective. Canterino has been Rice's ace almost since the day he arrived on campus. He's been durable, consistent and hard to hit, limiting opponents to a sub-.200 batting average for his three-year career as an Owl. It's that consistency and solid stuff that appeals to scouts, who also like his solid, 6-foot-3, 222-pound frame. In a draft class without many potential front-of-the-rotation options, Canterino is a potential late first-round pick as a solid back-of-the-rotation arm. His low-90s fastball will bump up to 95 mph at times, and his slider has gotten better and better, to the point where it not earns above-average grades. Even when his slider isn't at its best, he will still show four average pitches thanks to a decent curveball and changeup. He's steadily improved his control and now shows the potential for above-average control. Canterino is one of the better high-floor options among the college arms in this year's draft class.
Career Transactions
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Wichita Wind Surge placed RHP Matt Canterino on the 60-day injured list.
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Minnesota Twins optioned RHP Matt Canterino to Wichita Wind Surge.
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Wichita Wind Surge activated RHP Matt Canterino.
