Former Mets pitching prospect Matt Pobereyko dead at 31

Former New York Mets pitching prospect Matt Pobereyko, who most recently played in Mexico, died suddenly of a heart attack on Friday. He was 31. 

News of Pobereyko’s passing was first reported by MLB insider Hector Gomez, but several of his former teams have since confirmed his death. 

“The Sioux City Explorers regretfully announce the passing of pitcher Matt Pobereyko on February 24, 2023,” the Iowa-based professional minor league team where Pobereyko spent time between 2019 and 2022, said in a statement. 

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“Words cannot express the grief and sorrow we feel today for Matt’s family, friends, teammates and his fans,” Explorers manager Steve Montgomery said. 

“He truly loved being an Explorer and being a part of this community. He was as fierce of a friend as he was as a competitor. We will miss him as a baseball player, but even more so as a friend.”

Born on Christmas Eve in Hammond, Indiana, Pobereyko played college baseball at Kentucky Wesleyan College before signing a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2016. 

The right-handed pitcher first joined the Mets organization in 2017 and spent several seasons in the minors. He also spent time with the Miami Marlins organization. 

Pobereyko had most recently pitched in the Mexican League and Dominican Winter League this offseason, according to the report.