Sophomore Matthew Barrett (10) is a left fielder for the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School men’s JV baseball team. The tenth grader has been a standout performer in his team’s 16-1 season. 

Barrett started playing baseball when he was five. Throughout the years,  he has played for Gonzales Sports Academy, The Show San Diego, West Boca Panthers, Parkland Pokers and Hof-Fitz since he was eight.

Barrett’s stats this year would match those of a perennial MLB All-Star. Someone Barrett looks up to is San Diego Padres Shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. Last season Tatis put up insane numbers, with 17 home runs, 45 runs batted in, a .277 average and a .366 on-base percentage in only 59 games. 

“I love [Fernando] Tatis Jr. he is my favorite player in baseball, I love to copy his slides and style, along with the athleticism he presents on the field,” Barrett said. 

So far Barrett has played in 12 out of the 17 games for the Eagles. In those games, Barrett holds a .240 average and a perfect 1.000 fielding average.

The Eagles are off to a great start at 16-1 with their latest loss to Flanagan High School with a score of 8-7 giving up multiple runs in the seventh inning. 

“I feel like we could be 17-0 but we have to stay locked in till the last out of every inning,” Barrett said.

Barrett has been working on a balanced routine over this past year with COVID-19 restrictions in mind. Since students at MSD got to pick between online or in-person school, Barrett decided to take the online path. 

“School has been more comfortable from home, not as interactive as in being in school but we gotta do what’s necessary to get back to normalcy, but with school and baseball it’s been better to balance out,” Barrett said. 

With baseball being a focal point of Barretts’  life, he practices five days a week on the field with the team. Other than that, he joins the boys for a workout at the gym, following MSD baseball games on Saturday.

“Working out is part of getting better for the game,” Barrett said.

Barrett sees himself as more of a utility player, someone who can play many positions, but he plays out in left field for the time being. 

Barrett moved to Florida from California when he was younger and has really enjoyed his time here since then. Going from the West to the East Coast may be hard for most, but for Barrett, he fits in well, doing very well in classes and on the diamond

Barrett has been a valuable asset to the Eagles since the start. Taking over a leading role, Barrett keeps the team locked in each and every game to push the Eagles to a strong record.

Next school year Barrett hopes to “Continue with baseball and balance it out with school and continue to do well.” 

With an upcoming game on Saturday, April 17 against Archbishop McCarthy High School, Barrett is ready to help lead the team to another victory. 

Barrett has a bright future ahead of him whether it be for baseball or something else. He is a great assist to the team and has great support from his peers.

Second baseman Jacob Herzberg (6) stated, “He is a great teammate and a amazing player. He always works hard on and off the field.” 

After all, Barrett is a great teammate to those around him and has shown he is a leader on and off the baseball field.