POBEREYKO NAMED PITCHER OF THE MONTH
League Saves Leader Is Pitcher of the Month for June
Sioux City, IA (July 1, 2021) – Sioux City Explorers relief pitcher Matt Pobereyko has been named the American Association Rawlings Pitcher of the Month for June.
Excelling at the role of Sioux City closer, Pobereyko appeared in twelve games in June compiling a 1.20 ERA with 23 strikeouts and only two walks with opponents hitting just .137 off him. He led the league in saves in that time with eight, with the next closest total being five.
In those twelve appearances, Pobereyko collected at least one strikeout in eleven of them while collecting multiple strikeouts in seven and did not allow a base runner in five of those games.
On the season, the Hammond, Indiana native is leading the American Association with 12 saves and ranks third in 18 games pitched. He has a slender ERA of 0.86 and holds opponents to a batting average of .101. Over 27 innings of work, he has struck out 33 total batters while walking just two. Between the seven hits allowed, a hit batter and a pair of walks, Pobereyko has allowed only ten total baserunners.
The right hander is currently in his sixth season of professional baseball and his second with Sioux City. In 2019 with the X’s, the right hander led the league in appearances with 47 and tied the Sioux City single season franchise record with 24 saves and earned a spot on the South Division All-Star team.
Prior to joining Sioux City, Pobereyko was undrafted out of Kentucky-Wesleyan. He started his professional career with the Florence Freedom of the Frontier League. In two tours with the Freedom, he had his contract purchased twice. First by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2016 and then by the New York Mets in 2017 where he spent two years with the Mets reaching as high as Triple-A.
The 29 year old becomes the first X’s pitcher to win the award since Justin Vernia won it in June of 2018. And not since the Explorers own, Rob Wort in August of 2015, has a reliever taken home the monthly honors.