WSC Birth Years: Mat Latos

Card #201 - Mat Latos

Born: December 9, 1987

Mat was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the eleventh round of the 2006 amateur draft. Scouts considered him a first round pick, but immaturity issues allowed him to slip down to the three hundred thirty-third overall pick. Latos didn't actually sign with the Padres until a few days prior to re-entering the 2007 amateur draft. Mat demanded three million dollars as a signing bonus, which San Diego balked at, but settled at $1.25 million, after watching all of his junior college starts.

Latos found success with the Padres and Reds, including a twenty-one game streak without a loss. After knee and elbow injuries, Mat has bounced around the majors, with erratic effectiveness. He spent time with the Marlins, the Dodgers and the Angels before he came to the White Sox. His first four starts with the White Sox were brilliant, ending up with an ERA of 0.74. Then, everything fell apart for Latos and he gave up twenty-nine earned runs over the next thirty-six innings. On June 9, 2016, Chicago designated Mat for assignment after acquiring James Shields.