30-year-old Power pitcher clocks 99 mph, grabs attention of MLB scouts
The scouts were out at Palm Springs Stadium Friday night to watch a 30-year-old pitcher play for the Palm Springs Power, as he tries to make a return to professional baseball.
Matt Swilley last played in an independent league in 2015. He had Tommy John surgery, and since then, he's been giving pitching lessons in San Diego. Come to find out, the pitching program he's teaching is working for him. He's throwing harder than ever.
The right-handed reliever has been clocking in between 97 and 99 mph, according to Palm Springs Power President Andrew Starke. That'll get the attention of some MLB scouts.
Swilley was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2009 out of El Camino High School in Oceanside. Despite his age, he's looking for another opportunity to give his professional career a go and a handful of scouts have taken notice.