Steven Matz
#32 Active2026 Fantasy Baseball Player Profile
Steven Matz enjoyed a resurgent 2025 campaign, primarily operating out of the bullpen and as a swingman for the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox. In a unique role, Matz appeared in 53 games (only 2 starts) and logged 76.2 innings, posting a sharp 3.05 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. His transition to shorter stints seemed to revitalize his stuff, as he limited opponents to a .247 average and maintained a solid 46.3% groundball rate. He was particularly effective after a mid-season move to Boston, where he posted a sparkling 2.08 ERA in 21 appearances. This versatility and effectiveness earned him a two-year, $15 million contract with the Tampa Bay Rays in the offseason, a team renowned for maximizing pitcher value.
Entering 2026, Matz is an intriguing late-round flier or waiver wire monitor, depending on his usage. The Rays have indicated he will get a chance to crack the starting rotation, where his fantasy ceiling is highest. If he secures a rotation spot, he offers the potential for 120+ innings with solid ratios and wins on a competitive team. However, fantasy managers should be wary of the "Rays effect"—he could just as easily be used as a bulk reliever or "opener," which complicates his weekly value in traditional leagues but boosts it in formats that reward efficiency and holds. Projections see his ERA regressing to the low-4.00s as a starter, so he is best viewed as a matchup-dependent streamer or depth piece rather than a set-and-forget starter.
DFS Last 5
Game Log
2026 Regular Season| DATE | OPPONENT | DEC | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | WHIP | PC | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 23 | @ New York Yankees | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5.45 | 1.25 | 23 | L 2-9 | |
| Sep 20 | vs. Boston Red Sox | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5.52 | 1.24 | 14 | W 1-5 | |
| Sep 17 | vs. Las Vegas Athletics | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5.59 | 1.24 | 14 | W 1-10 | |
| Sep 13 | vs. Houston Astros | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.67 | 1.26 | 10 | W 4-14 | |
| Sep 9 | @ Atlanta Braves | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5.75 | 1.26 | 30 | W 7-2 | |
| Sep 6 | @ Texas Rangers | L | 1.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5.91 | 1.29 | 33 | L 6-8 |
| Sep 2 | vs. New York Mets | 2.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5.74 | 1.25 | 30 | L 10-4 | |
| Aug 31 | vs. New York Mets | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5.94 | 1.28 | 22 | L 3-2 | |
| Aug 28 | vs. San Diego Padres | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6.03 | 1.26 | 22 | W 4-9 | |
| Aug 18 | vs. Toronto Blue Jays | 1.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6.22 | 1.30 | 17 | L 10-5 | |
| Aug 16 | vs. Baltimore Orioles | 0.2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6.06 | 1.28 | 31 | L 10-2 | |
| Aug 14 | vs. Baltimore Orioles | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5.40 | 1.22 | 21 | L 6-5 | |
| Aug 12 | @ Las Vegas Athletics | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5.49 | 1.24 | 9 | W 8-4 | |
| Aug 9 | @ Seattle Mariners | SV | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.58 | 1.26 | 14 | W 4-1 |
| Aug 8 | @ Seattle Mariners | W | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5.68 | 1.28 | 20 | W 3-2 |
| Aug 4 | @ Colorado Rockies | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5.88 | 1.32 | 16 | W 9-7 | |
| Aug 2 | vs. Chicago White Sox | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.02 | 1.34 | 13 | L 9-1 | |
| Jul 30 | vs. Texas Rangers | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.13 | 1.36 | 12 | W 2-3 | |
| Jul 28 | vs. Texas Rangers | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.24 | 1.39 | 3 | L 4-1 | |
| Jun 23 | vs. Kansas City Royals | 2.0 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6.28 | 1.40 | 43 | L 12-5 | |
| Jun 19 | vs. Washington Nationals | HLD | 1.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5.65 | 1.33 | 25 | W 2-5 |
| Jun 15 | @ Los Angeles Dodgers | L | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5.84 | 1.36 | 20 | L 3-4 |
| Jun 10 | vs. Boston Red Sox | 0.1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.89 | 1.37 | 9 | W 5-7 | |
| Jun 7 | @ Miami Marlins | 1.0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5.55 | 1.34 | 38 | L 1-4 | |
| Jun 2 | vs. Detroit Tigers | L | 1.2 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5.48 | 1.33 | 53 | L 8-0 |
| May 27 | @ Baltimore Orioles | L | 3.0 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4.67 | 1.24 | 62 | L 2-11 |
| May 20 | vs. Baltimore Orioles | 4.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3.70 | 1.11 | 67 | W 3-5 | |
| May 3 | vs. San Francisco Giants | 6.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3.86 | 1.10 | 89 | W 1-2 | |
| Apr 27 | @ Cleveland Guardians | W | 7.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4.31 | 1.12 | 95 | W 3-2 |
| Apr 21 | vs. Cincinnati Reds | L | 3.0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4.81 | 1.23 | 77 | L 12-6 |
| Apr 16 | @ Chicago White Sox | 5.1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3.80 | 1.03 | 74 | W 5-3 | |
| Apr 10 | vs. New York Yankees | W | 5.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 3.94 | 0.94 | 88 | W 3-5 |
| Apr 4 | @ Minnesota Twins | W | 6.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4.09 | 1.00 | 97 | W 7-1 |
| Mar 29 | @ St. Louis Cardinals | W | 5.0 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7.20 | 1.40 | 81 | W 11-7 |
| No games against that opponent. | |||||||||||||
| Total | 5-5 | 76.0 | 71 | 47 | 46 | 13 | 24 | 55 | 5.45 | 1.25 | 1,272 | ||
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 | 0.50 | 30 | |
| Total | 4 games | 0-1 | 8.2 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 12.46 | 2.19 | 181 | |
| Total | 2 games | 0-0 | 1.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13.50 | 2.25 | 23 | |
| Total | 2 games | 0-0 | 6.1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2.84 | 1.11 | 87 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-1 | 3.0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 12.00 | 2.67 | 77 | |
| Total | 1 game | 1-0 | 7.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2.57 | 0.71 | 95 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 0.75 | 16 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-1 | 1.2 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 27.00 | 3.60 | 53 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 10 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 2.0 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22.50 | 3.00 | 43 | |
| Total | 2 games | 0-0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 23 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-1 | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4.50 | 1.00 | 20 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 1.0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9.00 | 2.00 | 38 | |
| Total | 1 game | 1-0 | 6.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1.50 | 0.67 | 97 | |
| Total | 2 games | 0-0 | 3.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.00 | 0.90 | 52 | |
| Total | 2 games | 1-0 | 6.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 3.00 | 1.00 | 111 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 22 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 6.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1.50 | 1.00 | 89 | |
| Total | 2 games | 1-0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 34 | |
| Total | 1 game | 1-0 | 5.0 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7.20 | 1.40 | 81 | |
| Total | 3 games | 0-1 | 2.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7.71 | 1.71 | 48 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 1.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13.50 | 2.25 | 17 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 1.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 0.60 | 25 | |
AVG, OBP, SLG, ERA and WHIP are season-to-date through each game, not that game alone — so the column reads as a trend and its last value is the season figure. They stay season-to-date when the log is filtered by opponent; the figure for the filtered games is the one in the Total row. The second game of a doubleheader is marked (2).
