Matt Festa

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Seattle Mariners #16 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Signed for $5,000 after being drafted in the seventh round out of Division II East Stroudsburg, Festa turned out to be first Mariners 2016 draft pick to reach the big leagues. He made eight relief appearances for Seattle in 2018, capping off a rapid ascent. Festa's 2018 season was delayed by a hip flexor issue, but he proved to be effective at Double-A Arkansas.
  
  Scouting Report: While he has a more diverse mix than most relievers, Festa is at his best when using his 92-94 mph fastball in conjunction with his plus slider. The latter is a harder pitch with glove-side cut that typically sits around 87 mph, and he uses it often as a strikeout pitch against righthanders. He also uses a sinker, most notably against lefthanders, and mixes in a changeup and 12-to-6 curveball in the low 80s, albeit less frequently than the rest of his repertoire. Festa's above-average control is the difference-maker for him. He delivers his pitches with a loose, high three-quarter arm slot that he repeats.
  
  The Future: After getting a taste of the big leagues in 2018, Festa will go to spring training with a chance to break camp in the Mariners' bullpen. He doesn't have the velocity to profile as a closer but should be effective in high-leverage situations.
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  Ranked Seattle Mariners #7 prospect in 2018
  The Mariners drafted Festa in the seventh round in 2016 after he went 11-2, 2.35 for Division II East Stroudsburg (Pa.). Signed for just $5,000, Festa jumped from short-season Everett in 2016 to high Class A Modesto in 2017 and dominated at the end of games for the California League champions, posting a 99-to-19 strikeout-to-walk mark. Festa's fastball velocity ticked up during the season, eventually sitting 94-96 mph at the top end with darting action, sink and run. He's very aggressive with the pitch and commands it well. Batters are frequently behind on his heater, and it draws an eye-opening amount of swings and misses from lefthanded batters. His wipeout slider in the 87-89 mph range earns plus grades, and he is developing an 87-90 mph cutter with armside action some evaluators like even more. He also has an 80-81 mph changeup and upper-70s curveball in his back pocket. Festa repeats his high three-quarters delivery with a loose arm and moderate effort, pounding the strike zone and frequently turning in 10-pitch innings. Festa has the stuff, control and mentality to be a high-leverage reliever. He'll move up to Double-A to begin 2018.

• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  Festa’s season got a slightly late start due to a hip flexor issue, but since then he’s been an effective cog in the Double-A Arkansas’ bullpen. His fastball has been 92-94 mph, with a plus slider being his money pitch. He should get to Triple-A before the end of the summer and it’s not unreasonable to envision him helping out in the Mariners’ bullpen late this season.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The Mariners drafted Festa in the seventh round in 2016 after he went 11-2, 2.35 for Division II East Stroudsburg (Pa.). Signed for just $5,000, he jumped from short-season Everett in 2016 to high Class A Modesto in 2017 and dominated at the end of games for the California League champions, posting a 99-to-19 strikeout-to-walk mark. Scouting Report: Festa's fastball velocity ticked up during the season, eventually sitting 94-96 mph at the top end with darting action, sink and run. He's very aggressive with the pitch and commands it well. Batters are frequently behind on his heater, and it draws an eye-opening amount of swinging strikes from lefthanded batters. His wipeout slider in the 87-89 mph range earns plus grades, and he is developing an 87-90 mph cutter with armside action some evaluators like even more. He also has an 80-81 mph changeup and upper-70s curveball in his back pocket. Festa repeats his high three-quarters delivery with a loose arm and moderate effort. The Future: Festa has the stuff, control and mentality to be a high-leverage reliever. He'll move up to Double-A to begin 2018.