He was drafted without a set position in the field. He doesn’t have a true projected position he’ll employ through his minor league trek. But, no one in the Houston Astros’ front office cares, so potent, projectable, and prodigious is the bat of 22-year-old J.J. Matijevic.

In fact, J.J.’s landing spot pretty much had to be the organizational runway of an American League team. Notwithstanding extending the career of recently retired Boston Red Sox legend, David “Big Papi” Ortiz, you might say the DH role was invented for the left-hand batting (but righty throwing) Matijevic (pronounced matt-uh-JEV-ick).

States of the Union in 2100 Miles: From Keystone to Grand Canyon

Born in golf legend Arnold Palmer’s hometown of Latrobe, PA, Joseph John Matijevic first drew breath on November 14, 1995. He was a three-sport star at Norwin High School in North Huntingdon, PA, 22 miles west of his birthplace, and 20 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

Matijevic earned varsity letters for the Knights under coach Mike Liebdzinski at Norwin, starring as a shortstop, and became the first position player ever to be drafted out of Norwin High when the Boston Red Sox called his name in the 22nd round of the 2014 MLB draft. This followed his being named Greensburg Tribune-Review Baseball Player of the Year for 2014.

Triple Crown, The Captain, and Genre-Hopping Musical Tastes

Matijevic was named to the Baseball America High School All-American team as a senior, the same season he won the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) triple crown by hitting .567 with 10 home runs and 37 runs batted in. The three-time All-State honoree finished his career for the blue and gold as a .483 hitter with 88 hits, 18 home runs, and 90 RBIs in 66 games. He also left his mark at Norwin as a prominent basketball and football presence. He’s such a fan of the pigskin, in fact, he’ll tell you that “Friday Night Lights” is his favorite film.

Matijevic didn’t sign with the Red Sox, deciding instead to attend the University of Arizona on a scholarship because of Tucson’s beautiful scenery, and the Wildcats’ sports tradition. He majored in criminal justice.

“It was very tough decision,” Matijevic said at the time of that 2014 draft. “The Red Sox have been my favorite team, and it was an honor to be drafted by them. But I like the atmosphere and coaches at Arizona. Assistant coach Matt Siegel and I have a great bond, and I’m looking forward to playing with my new teammates. Hopefully in three years, I get drafted again.”

It was actually sometime in high school when he switched musical allegiances from rap to country. “My friends would be surprised about that,” he told the Tribune-Review in 2014. In that same interview, Matijevic revealed his greatest influence, growing up, was former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. “He’s a great leader and a great captain. He’ll be missed. That’s why I play[ed] shortstop in high school. Another person is my uncle. We lift together and he’s always pushing me.”

Patience and the Payoff

While waiting for his next potential draft day celebration, the 6-foot, 206-pound Matijevic threatened to re-write many Arizona baseball records. In 2016, for the Wildcats, he appeared in 71 games, continuing to exhibit his confounding schizophrenic fielding assignments, drawing 68 starting gigs at first base, second base, and designated hitter. And, this after starring at shortstop for his high school team.

A power bat normally reserved for the middle of the lineup, Matijevic was third on the team with 17 doubles and four home runs. He also scored 43 runs, batted in 37, and boasted a .411 slugging percentage to go with a .287 batting average.

In the College World Series, June 2016, Matijevic produced a three-hit game against Oklahoma State, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and a double. Arizona came up short, though, in the finals, losing to Coastal Carolina, who copped the crown that year.

In the summers of 2015 and 2016, Matijevic played on the Falmouth (MA) Commodores of the Cape Cod League, compiling 80 hits in 61 games for a .349 batting average. He accumulated 18 doubles, 6 home runs, and 30 RBIs, while posting a .391 OBP and .898 OPS.

For his 2017 season with Arizona, Matijevic was named First Team All-Pac-12, was a Golden Spikes Award semi-finalist, and enjoyed finishing the campaign as the Pac-12 batting champion, with a .389. He also led the conference in doubles with 29, and slugging with .650. Not content with those numbers, he also paced the Pac-12 with hits (88), RBIs (64), and total bases, with 147.

Matijevic finished his three-year Wildcat career with a combined .312 average, 59 doubles, 17 home runs, and 127 RBIs.

Where There’s a Will, There’s A Weigh

Scouts and other observers see an MLB comp for J.J. Matijevic of former five-time San Francisco Giants All-Star first baseman and lefty slugger Will Clark, citing J.J.’s swing path and bat speed.

The two share similar dimensions, with Clark’s 6’1″ and 190 pounds suggesting a leaner build than Matijevic, who gives up an inch to Clark in height, but outdistances Will the Thrill’s playing weight by 16 pounds. It’s safe to assume the difference in heft is due to muscle mass.

Houston Comes Calling….

The Astros selected Matijevic as the No. 75 pick overall, making him the final pick of 2017 Draft Day 1.

“Just pure happiness,” Matijevic said following his selection by Houston. “When (my name) was called, everybody just went crazy. Just smiles everywhere. Tears. It was pretty awesome.”

That 75th pick was part of Competitive Balance Round B, which came at the end of the second round. “It’s pretty special (to be a first-day pick),” Matijevic told the Tribune-Review. “But whether I was drafted (Monday), (Tuesday) or Day 3, it’s a humbling achievement. It’s an honor and something I’ve worked for my whole life. Just as long as I got my chance, that’s all I wanted.”

Curiously, the Astros drafted Matijevic as a second baseman, but for now, they’re zeroed in more on his bat, and the potential damage it can do. Where he’s played or could play seems to be immaterial at this point. Just hand him a bat, and slot him into DH.

“We like his bat. We like his power,” Houston’s assistant general manager Mike Elias told reporters on draft day.

Matijevic was recruited out of Norwin High to Arizona as a middle infielder, but played first base his junior season in a crowded Wildcats infield. He assured scouts at the time he could play second, first, or the outfield.

“Every meeting (with the Astros’ scouting team and front office), it was about positioning,” Matijevic said. “No one knew what position I would play, or could play, at the next level. It was always talked about, so we’ll see how it goes.”

….But, Just How Quickly?

In fact, in his first pro action, last summer, with Houston’s short-season Tri-City ValleyCats (New York-Penn League), and the final week with the full-season Quad Cities River Bandits (Midwest League), Matijevic was in the DH slot a combined 13 games, in left field 44 games, and first base once. At no time did J.J. see the middle part of the infield (at least with glove in tow).

In 222 plate appearances with Tri-City, he slapped 14 doubles, cracked six homers, and drove in 27. His .240 average for his first year of pro ball can be excused, as can his high strikeout rate (19 walks to 69 strikeouts, combined). Unexpected might be his speed on the bases, as he stole 11 of 15 bases for the two teams.

He’ll begin 2018 back at Quad Cities to build on his 24 ABs that closed last season there. A promotion to Advanced-A Buies Creek seems reasonable by June, with a possible peek at Double-A Corpus Christi to end the year. His rapid advancement will be predicated, though, on his success in making more consistent contact, while roaming left field, to expand his worth once he hits the parent club.

UPDATE: Matijevic went deep twice in a 3-for-4 performance that helped power Quad Cities past Kane County, 11-1, in early April. He cracked a solo homer in the third inning, and added a two-run shot in the seventh, both coming with two outs in the frame. Matijevic was just 1-for-9 at the plate prior to the April 9th outburst.

J.J. Matijevic will likely get his first taste of big league ball sometime during the 2019 season. For a player who lists traveling as a hobby, he’ll get the opportunity to do plenty of it in the coming months.

He just better not forget his bat.

Related: Astros 2018 Draft: Houston Connects Arizona Battery Cody Deason and Cesar Salazar