Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Mathison is the best prospect to come out of Homestead HS (Fort Wayne, Ind.) since former big league catcher Rob Bowen was a second-round pick in 1999. He ranked among the national prep home run leaders this spring with 16 in 33 games. However, he may not have been scouted extensively enough to warrant a bonus high enough to divert him from attending Indiana. 

Mathison possesses plus raw power and can drive the ball out of the park to all fields. There are some concerns about how much he'll tap into it against better pitching because he has a long, uphill left-handed swing that is better suited for launching balls than making consistent contact. He didn't participate in many national showcases and didn't stand out at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship last fall. 

While he can post some plus run times, Mathison figures to slow a bit once he fills out. If he loses some quickness and range, that probably will dictate a move from center field. He has average arm strength and owns the power potential to profile on the corners. 

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Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Arm: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40

Mathison surged late in his season as an Indiana high schooler in 2021 to finish among the national prep home run leaders with 16 in 33 games. But he wasn't crosschecked enough to warrant a bonus that would lure him away from his college commitment to Indiana, where he set a school freshman record with 19 homers. Once projected as a top-three-rounds pick, his stock has dropped after his performance dipped the last two years, and he didn't hit for power with wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer.

Mathison is a streaky hitter with plus raw power that plays to all parts of the ballpark and gives him 25-homer upside. He doesn't chase or swing and miss excessively, but he takes too many hittable strikes and falls behind in counts, leading to strikeouts. He will draw some walks, but his left-handed swing can get long and uphill, and there are questions about his ability to consistently do damage against pro pitching.

A 6-foot-2, 215-pounder with quality athleticism, Mathison has plus speed but isn't much of a basestealer. His quickness plays better in center field, where he's a solid to plus defender. With average arm strength, he's capable of playing all three outfield positions.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Arm: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40

As an amateur, Mathison showed off some legitimate pop at various stops, first as a high school senior and then when he stayed in-state to play college ball for the Hoosiers, homering 19 times as a freshman. He was more inconsistent his next two years but he still finished sixth on Indiana’s career home run list with 42 and the Phillies took the power potential in the fifth round of the 2024 Draft, going a little over slot to sign him and sending him to full-season Clearwater for a very brief pro debut. 

It remains to be seen what kind of impact Mathison can ultimately have at the plate. The left-handed hitter has plus raw juice and can drive the ball to all fields, but while he was willing to take walks in college, he also got too passive at times and took too many strikes. His swing also got long and he’ll have to show he can be dangerous with a wood bat after not doing much during his time in the Cape Cod League in 2023.

Mathison has plus speed but wasn’t much of a basestealer with the Hoosiers, but his wheels were a definite asset in the outfield. He has every chance to play center field for a long time and might be plus there when all is said and done. He can play all three outfield spots well, something he did during his debut and which should continue while he works to develop his offensive game.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Arm: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40

As a senior in the Indiana high school ranks, Mathison found a groove and finished among the national prep home run leaders with 16 in just 33 games in 2021. He wasn’t seen enough by scouts to convince a team to try and sign him away from his commitment to Indiana, so he headed to Bloomington and set a school freshman record with 19 homers. His performance wasn’t as strong in his next two seasons, though he did hit 13 homers as a junior, enough for the Phillies to take him in the fifth round of the 2024 Draft and go a bit over slot to sign him for just shy of $450,000.  

A left-handed hitter, Mathison can be streaky, but when he’s on he can get to his plus raw power that plays to all fields, giving him the potential to hit 25 homers annually. While he didn't chase often or swing and miss excessively, he had a tendency to get passive and take too many strikes to fall behind, which led to more K’s. He’s willing to draw walks, but his swing can get long, and he’ll have to show he can do damage with a wood bat against better pitching after not driving the ball much during his Cape Cod League stint in 2023.

Mathison is a very good athlete and has plus speed, which plays better in center field than on the basepaths. He has the chance to stick up the middle long-term with at least above-average defense, and he can play all three outfield spots, which might be his future unless he can become a more consistent offensive performer.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/13/2025	OF Carter Mathison assigned to Philadelphia Phillies.
	08/07/2024	Clearwater Threshers placed OF Carter Mathison on the 7-day injured list.
	08/06/2024	Clearwater Threshers activated OF Carter Mathison.
	08/01/2024	OF Carter Mathison assigned to Clearwater Threshers.
	07/24/2024	Philadelphia Phillies signed OF Carter Mathison.
	06/16/2024	College Workout activated OF Carter Mathison.
	06/08/2023	OF Carter Mathison assigned to College Workout.