August 1, 2023

By Melissa Verge

Canadian Baseball Network

Crushing baseballs onto the road at Skyway Park in Burlington, Ontario.

That’s just another day after elementary school for a 10-year-old Matt Duffy and his brother.

Everyone in the family has a role in helping Duffy practice - even the four legged one.

While their dad, Phil, throws him and his brother, Aaron, batting practice, his mom, Karen Wilson, and their dog are out recovering baseballs.

Running across the road to pick up the balls wasn’t ideal, so it wasn’t long after that they outgrew the fenceless field, he said. Thankfully there was another diamond close by – they moved to Sherwood Forest Park, five minutes from the house he grew up in.

Finding new diamonds that worked, hours of practice, never giving up - all that early hard work paid off, and the support of his relatives throughout.

It’s his family, the ones who have been there with him on this journey from the start, who are there to hear the now 21-year-old’s name be called on day two of the draft earlier this month. His mom, dad, brother and a few of his brother's friends crowd around a TV in an apartment in Jupiter, Fla., to hear the news.

The Ontarian was drafted in the fourth round by the Red Sox, 115th overall, and was the first pitcher selected by the organization in this year’s draft.

To have everyone there to hear the news was very special, Duffy said, especially his dad, who also played baseball professionally.

“He kind of taught me pretty much everything about baseball, and he also played pro baseball,” Duffy said. “So I think for him and me it was kind of a cool realization that I'm kind of continuing what he left behind.”

When his name was called, there were yells of excitement from his brother and friends, and a few tears from his parents.

As for Duffy - he couldn’t stop smiling, he said.

“I was just kind of not in shock, but it was just kind of like a self realization that I’ve made it in a way,” he said.

The right-hander had good pitchability and an excellent fastball that made him stick out to Red Sox scout Ray Fagnant when he first saw him play in August of 2022. Duffy took the field in the annual Red Sox vs. Yankees summer rivalry game in Hartford, Conn., where he caught Fagnant’s eye. The event serves as a preview for potential prospects who are eligible for next year's draft.

“There’s guys that throw 100 mph that can't miss bats, but he could be 91, 92, and guys did not hit his fastball,” Fagnant said. “And that’s huge, because at the end of the day in the major leagues it's about guys that can hit and throw fastballs, and he can pitch with his fastball.”

Fagnant, who has some Canadian roots himself, has always like Canuck players. They have what he calls “the hockey player mentality” - they grow up tough, and they’ve always competed well, he said. Duffy was no different, and both Adam Stern (London, Ont.) and Chris Robinson (Dorchester, Ont.) who coached Duffy with the Great Lake Canadians spoke highly of him.

The 6-foot-2 pitcher signed for $350,000. It’s a journey that hasn’t come without its challenges. In his freshman year at Canisius College, the young right hander was hit with COVID in the middle of their season. He was down for three weeks, he said, and ended up missing 12 games. He had to be quarantined in his room, and couldn’t throw baseballs or workout. However, he still found a way to make baseball part of his routine - playing a lot of video games, including The Show.

“I don't really get down by much so I was just kind of riding it through, because I knew when I got out, I'd be able to play,” he said. “So that's all I was kind of looking forward to.”

When Duffy finally got to take his place back on the diamond he still felt some of the effects of COVID, including shortness of breath. Returning was tough and getting back into it, but he made the most of it. He posted a 2.67 ERA in that freshman year, pitching 27 innings and striking out 30 while walking just five.

It’s his positivity and attention to detail that have helped him get to where he is today. Everybody gets a weight program, everybody gets a throwing program, but it’s what he’s done outside of it that Duffy said he believes has made all the difference.

He’s eaten healthy, made sure he’s gotten enough sleep and prioritized getting a good stretch in after every workout.

He currently has a fastball, changeup and slider he can throw for strikes. He’s going to focus on refining those and adding velocity to those pitches when he’s down in the Florida Complex League, he said.

During the next few months, he’ll be put on a throwing program, and build up to throwing bullpens and maybe some lives. He could throw a couple of innings for either one of the farm system teams or some live at bats in Florida.

No matter what the future holds, the young Canadian is going to take it one day at a time, proving he can pitch at the pro level, refining his game, and moving up the ranks.

And, he’ll have his family behind him, the ones who were there for him from the start at the ball fields in Burlington, chasing baseballs while he focused on big dreams.

“I mean I think it's just the continuous effort to get one percent better every day,” he said.