Dylan Mathiesen, the Montour High School product selected by his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates in the Major League Baseball draft earlier this month, signed his first professional contract Thursday at PNC Park.
Mathiesen, the Pirates’ 13th-round selection, received a $150,000 bonus to sign.
The 5-foot-10 right-hander, who as a high school senior in 2022 was named the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Class 4A player of the year when he led Montour to a PIAA championship, pitched at the collegiate level the last three years.
He spent his first season at California University in Pennsylvania before transferring to Liberty University, where he pitched the last two seasons.
Mathiesen had a solid junior season for the Lynchburg, Va., school, ranking among the NCAA leaders in innings pitched and strikeouts before sustaining a season-ending injury in mid-May.
He finished with a 2-4 record and a 5.07 ERA in 17 starts, striking out 84 batters in 65 2/3 innings.
Mathiesen underwent reconstructive elbow surgery on July 1, so it will be more than a year before he’ll be able to throw a competitive pitch.
However, Mathiesen said Thursday night he’s undaunted by the prospect of a long rehab process.
“I’m fine with it,” said Mathiesen, who is scheduled to fly Friday morning to the Pirates’ Florida facility in Bradenton, where he will do most of his rehab work.
“Honestly it’s been fun so far. I’ve been enjoying it.”
Prior to signing his contract Thursday, Mathiesen underwent some medical testing at a nearby Allegheny Health Network facility, had a tour of PNC Park and met with Pirates’ HR representatives.
Mathiesen was one of four players who signed contracts Thursday with the Pirates. Also inking their contracts were third-round selection Easton Carmichael, a catcher from the University of Oklahoma; seventh-round pick Brent Iredale, a third baseman from the University of Arkansas; and ninth-round selection Jared Jones, a first-team All-American first baseman from LSU
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