Player Overview
The Yankees signed Richard Matic on January 16, 2024, committing $850,000 Spotrac to secure the then-16-year-old third baseman out of La Romana, Dominican Republic. While he didn't come in as a headline name from the international class, he quickly showed enough raw traits to earn notice from prospect evaluators as someone with a physical profile and bat-speed combination worth monitoring closely.
Matic's first pro season in 2024 was a difficult one statistically, but context matters enormously: he was just 16 for all but the last few weeks of the 2024 DSL season. Repeating the DSL in 2025 produced one of the more eye-catching developmental leaps in the entire Yankees system.
Between 2024 and 2025, Matic increased his exit velocity by 6.2% on his very best days — the fourth-largest such gain of any prospect in the minors — and his surface numbers matched: he hit .336 with a .487 OBP and 1.053 OPS in 143 at-bats in the DSL.
Hitting / Offensive Profile
Matic is a passive hitter who runs a ton of deep counts simply because he rarely swings — his underlying contact data is closer to average than his surface numbers suggest. That passivity has a silver lining: it translates into elite walk rates for a teenager. His walk rate climbed from 12.4% in 2024 to 18.9% in 2025, and his wOBA jumped from .320 to .466. That kind of plate discipline from an 18-year-old in the DSL is genuinely uncommon.
The contact rate, however, remains the primary development flag. He must learn to pull the trigger more consistently against quality fastballs and tighten his swing decisions as he faces better pitching. The upside case is that his patience-first approach gives him a foundation that many aggressive young hitters lack — you can teach aggression more easily than you can teach a player to stop chasing.
Power
Matic had the fourth-largest exit velocity increase of any prospect in the minor leagues between 2024 and 2025, a gain of 6.2% on his hardest-hit balls. That kind of measurable jump in raw power from an 18-year-old still filling out his 6'0", 200-lb frame is a significant signal. He hit the first two home runs of his professional career in just 10 games in 2025, after going homerless across 186 plate appearances in 2024. He posted a .336/.487/.566 slash line with a 20.9% walk rate across his 2025 DSL campaign. The power projects as potentially plus if his frame continues to develop and he can make more consistent contact to tap into it in games.
Defense
Matic has a shot to stick at third base even though players his size tend not to. His athleticism works in his favor — he has uncommon athleticism for a player his size — but as he continues to fill out physically, a move to first base or a corner outfield spot is possible down the line. For now, the Yankees are developing him at third, where his arm strength is considered serviceable. His footwork and range at the position are still raw, as is expected from any teenager in the DSL. Defensive development will be a key subplot of his journey through the lower levels.
Speed / Baserunning
Matic stole 11 bases in 2025, which is a meaningful indicator of both straight-line speed and baserunning instincts for a
corner-positioned prospect. That hint of speed suggests more overall utility than a typical corner-only teenager. As he adds mass to his frame — which is likely, given his projectable build — some of that speed will naturally diminish. Whether he can maintain even average run grades at maturity will depend on how his body develops over the next two to three years.
Strengths
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Elite walk rate for his age (18.9% in 2025), indicating advanced zone awareness
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Legitimate, measurable raw power with one of the biggest exit velocity gains in the minors
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Projectable athletic frame with room to add strength
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Surprising speed and baserunning utility for a corner bat (11 SB in 2025)
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Consistent prospect reports point to a projectable frame, big raw power, and a patient approach that typically gives prospects multiple chances to fail and adjust.
Weaknesses / Development Areas
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His contact rate of 65% was below league average, reflecting a "violent" swing geared toward maximizing exit velocity (which jumped 6.2% this year) rather than prioritizing consistent barrel-to-ball frequency.
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Evaluators note that while the contact rate is a point of concern, it is often offset by his elite 20.9% walk rate and his ability to damage the ball when he does make contact, as evidenced by his 1.053 OPS.
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Too passive at the plate — rarely swings, which creates deep counts but also results in too many called strikes
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Long-term defensive home at third base is uncertain as his body fills out
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Still very raw overall; nearly all tools are projection-based at this stage
Player Comparisons (style):
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Ceiling: A right-handed, power-oriented corner bat with on-base skills in the Eugenio Suárez mold
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Style: Patient, physical hitter who will need to trade some passivity for contact as pitching improves
Development Track
The next major step in Matic’s development will likely be a transition to stateside baseball, potentially beginning in the Florida Complex League. That move typically represents a significant challenge for international prospects as they face stronger competition and adapt to a new environment.
If his offensive approach continues to hold up against more advanced pitching, he could progress through the lower levels of the Yankees’ system over the next several seasons.
YankeesFarm Projection
Matic remains a high-risk prospect due to his youth and distance from the major leagues, but the early signs in his offensive profile are encouraging. His plate discipline and raw power potential provide a foundation that could allow him to develop into a legitimate corner infield prospect if his hit tool continues to improve.
At his ceiling, Matic could develop into a power-hitting third baseman capable of producing strong on-base numbers and extra-base power. More realistically, he projects as a bat-first corner infielder whose long-term role will depend heavily on the progression of his contact ability.
Sources
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MiLB.com — Richard Matic Player Page
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Baseball Reference — Richard Matic Minor League Stats
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FanGraphs — New York Yankees Top 45 Prospects (January 2025)
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Pinstripe Alley — Yankees Rookie Ball Primer (June 2025)
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Yanks Go Yard — Hidden Prospect Exit Velocity Leap (December 2025)
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Pitcher List — 2026 Yankees Top Dynasty Prospects (January 2026)
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Prospects1500 — New York Yankees Top 50 Prospects 2026
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The Baseball Cube — Richard Matic Player Page