He’s one of seven prospects the Houston Astros sent to the Arizona Fall League (AFL) in mid-September. The AFL Championship Game might be slated for October 26, but it’s this Saturday’s Fall Stars Game that has JJ Matijevic‘s attention. He’ll be the only Houston prospect plying his wares at the league’s mid-way point exhibition.

Matijevic’s fellow Astro farmhands on the Peoria (AZ) Javelinas of the AFL West Division include pitchers Forrest Whitley, Cody Deason, Carlos Sanabria, and Jojanse Torres. Joining first baseman Matijevic are position players Colton Shaver (catcher) and shortstop Jeremy Pena.

Along with these ‘Stros, the Javelinas are comprised of upper minor leaguers from the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, and San Diego Padres.

A Giant Comp

Matijevic, 23, is similarly profiled (just not as huge) as the Astros’ burgeoning DH, Yordan Alvarez: A left-handed power-hitting first-sacker working on his defensive game, so DH won’t be his only position.

Matijevic, a Latrobe, Pennsylvania native who attended the University of Arizona, stands six-foot-even at 206 pounds. The 2017 draft pick has outfielder on his resume, as well. In Tuesday’s (October 8) game, Matijevic went a solid three-for-four, improving his AFL average to .323. Houston’s 17th-ranked prospect leads the league with 20 hits in his 15 Peoria games.

The heavily-tattooed Matijevic reminds many of former San Francisco Giants’ six-time All-Star, the 6’1″, 190-pound Will Clark.

Exit Velos Rivaling Beast

Even Clark would’ve been impressed by the exit velocities Matijevic was throwing around in Tuesday’s game against the Scottsdale Scorpions. JJ drove in all three of Peoria’s runs in the 3-2 win.

Each of Matijevic’s three hits that game reached triple-digit exit velocity: His second AFL homer was a 106.9-mph solo blast that traveled over 400 feet, according to Statcast and MLB.com. He also hit a 106.3-mph single in the fourth and followed that up with the go-ahead, two-run single in the seventh inning that pinned the exit velo needle at 102.3 mph.

League Topper

Matijevic is fourth in the AFL in RBIs, with 11, through games of October 8. That number bests former Astro top prospect Seth Beer, now toiling for the Arizona Diamondbacks since the July 31 trade that sent him and three others west in exchange for the Astros’ #3 starter, Zack Greinke.

It’s been Matijevic’s diamond growth that made Beer ultimately expendable over the summer, as well as the latter’s similar lefty power bat and even more dubious defensive skills and projectable positions.

Matijevic, at 30 total bases, is just three behind the AFL leader. To go with his .323 AFL average, he’s worked to a .344 OBP and a .484 slugging percentage, for a healthy .828 OPS.

JJ: Climb Scene Investigation

JJ has stair-stepped Houston’s minor league system in a symmetrical climb that continued in 2019 by starting the season at the same level (Advanced-A) as he ended the year before. 2018 took in Class A Quad Cities at the start, with 2017 tackling rookie league, then Quad Cities.

Matijevic was slapped with a 50-game suspension in late April 2019 after he violated the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program after his second positive test for a “drug of abuse.”

The suspension ended on June 20. Matijevic spent a little more than a week playing back at Advanced-A Fayetteville before returning to the Corpus Christi Hooks, where he was actually assigned coming out of Spring Training.

“It was tough, it was very tough but I realize that mistakes happen,” Matijevic humbly told the Corpus Christi Caller Times in early July of the positive test. “I did not feel bad for myself, and did my best to stay as positive as possible about the situation, and do what I had to do to better myself and come back as strong as I can.”

Having finished 2019 with the AA Hooks, he should begin 2020 there, as well, if his past assignments are any indication.

Will Matijevic’s success in the Arizona Fall League prompt an April kickoff at AAA Round Rock? Maybe. Alternatively, after a .246 average for the Hooks in 281 ABs to close this season, Houston brass may see fit to have him spend his first few weeks back at Corpus. But, that would be after he picks up some valuable pointers at Spring Training.

His combined minor league career has brought forth a .256 average in 906 ABs, with 62 doubles and 40 homers. Matijevic has a 0.33 BB/K ratio, striking out nearly three times as often as he walks (283 Ks, 92 BBs).

But first, Matijevic has a showcase game on Saturday:

The AFL Fall Stars Game will take place at Salt River Fields near Scottsdale, AZ (Spring Training homes of the Colorado Rockies and the Diamondbacks), and will be streamed on MLB.com, October 12 at 708 pm CT.