Matt Krook

Matthew Edward Krook (born October 21, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. A native of Hillsborough, California, Krook pitched for the Oregon Ducks and was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the first round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft and the San Francisco Giants in the fourth round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. Krook stands 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm) tall and weighs 225 pounds (102 kg).

Krook was a highly decorated pitcher for St. Ignatius College Preparatory High School, where he played for coach Matt Stecher. In his senior year he went 2–1 with a 1.65 ERA.He was named a First Team All-American and All-Region by Perfect Game and was named to the All-State team by MaxPreps, and was considered one of the top ten prep pitchers for the 2013 draft.

Krook was selected by the Marlins in the Competitive Balance Round of the 2013 draft with the 35th pick. Although he had originally intended to sign with the team, and the two sides had agreed upon a contract, a failed physical forced the Marlins to withdraw their offer. Krook then chose to honor his college commitment to the University of Oregon, where he would pitch for George Horton's Ducks.

Even though Krook's freshman year was cut short due to injury, he was named a Louisville Slugger First-Team Freshman All-American. He pitched to a 2–1 record and a 1.79 ERA, with 60 strikeouts. Among his highlights that year were an 11-strikeout performance against Loyola Marymountand a quality start where he allowed only five hits in seven innings against Hawaii.

Krook's season ended unexpectedly after he felt arm stiffness in a game against Washington State. He elected to undergo Tommy John surgery on April 22, with the procedure done by noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews.

Krook did not pitch his sophomore season, although he had expressed interest in playing in the 2015 NCAA Tournament and would have agreed to burn his redshirt had the Ducks made it past the Springfield (IL) Regional.He made his debut that summer for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod League. He pitched to an 0–1 record with a 6.35 ERA and 15 strikeouts in six starts.

Krook was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the fourth round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. Krook signed with the Giants, was assigned to the AZL Giants, and was later promoted to the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. He posted a combined 1-4 record with a 5.53 ERA in 13 games (11 starts) between both teams. He spent 2017 with the San Jose Giants where he went 4-9 with a 5.12 ERA in 25 games (17 starts).

On December 20, 2017, the Giants traded Krook, Christian Arroyo, Denard Span, and Stephen Woods to the Tampa Bay Rays for Evan Longoria and cash considerations. Krook spent the 2018 season with the Montgomery Biscuits, pitching to a 4-2 record with a 4.26 ERA in 37 games (six starts). He returned to Montgomery to begin 2019.