31-Year-Old Former Mets Pitching Prospect Dies of Sudden Heart Attack
Former New York Mets minor league pitcher Matt Pobereyko died at the age of 31 on Sunday of a suspected heart attack.
NBC News reported Pobereyko was in his apartment in a Chicago suburb on Friday when he collapsed. He died two days later and his family is searching for answers.
The relief pitcher’s brother Daniel Pobereyko told NBC News his brother was found by his girlfriend in the apartment. The family expressed shock and described the young talent as in good health.
Daniel Pobereyko said the family visited Matt just a week before his death and nothing about him was out of the ordinary.
“For what we know now, there’s really no leads,” the brother stated. “They saw him earlier in the week and he seemed to be perfectly fine.”
The family is awaiting the results of an autopsy, but Daniel said his brother “dropped” out of nowhere.
“He just dropped and that’s all we know,” Daniel said. “We don’t know. There’s nothing outstanding on the autopsy. But from what I understand he would have gotten a clean bill of health if he had a pulse.”
According to NBC, it could take the DuPage County Coroner nearly months to pin down an official cause of death. For now, Powereyko’s sudden death is listed as a heart attack “pending further investigation.”
The 6’3″ college standout from Indiana had been a member of the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League just before his death.
The team honored him on Twitter:
Informamos la lamentable noticia del fallecimiento de Matt Pobereyko, debido a un infarto que termino con su vida.
Matt tuvo excelente invierno donde figuró como el rey del ponche.
Directiva, personal, cuerpo técnico y jugadores nos unimos por su eterno descanso.— Saraperos de Saltillo (@ClubSaraperos) February 25, 2023
“We report the unfortunate news of the death of Matt Pobereyko, due to a heart attack that ended his life,” a translation of the tweet reads.
The team added, “Matt had a great winter where he was listed as the punch king. Directive, staff, coaching staff and players unite for his eternal rest.”
He was also honored online across the minors:
The Blue Wahoos join the baseball community in mourning the passing of Matt Pobereyko.
A member of our 2021 team, Matt was beloved on and off the field. Our prayers and love are with his family, friends, and teammates. pic.twitter.com/ZaOrToZjsS
— Pensacola Blue Wahoos (@BlueWahoosBBall) February 26, 2023
It is with a heavy heart that we learned of the passing of former Saints pitcher (’20) Matt Pobereyko. He was an incredible teammate and fierce competitor, but an even nicer person. He will be missed by all that knew him. We send our love to his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/JbRwh1oAws
— St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) February 26, 2023
We mourn the loss of Matt Pobereyko. A great baseball player and an even better person. RIP Pobo
Read more about Pobereyko’s impact on the X’s: https://t.co/rHi8cwdeq4 pic.twitter.com/Ufr53uCP1L
— Sioux City Explorers (@SiouxCityXs) February 26, 2023
Pobereyko was born in Hammon, Indiana, on Dec. 24, 1991. He played his high school career at the Bishop Noll Institute in the city.
The righthander attended Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Kentucky.
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