Starting professional baseball journey now is 'Option 1A' for Kentucky signee Matt Ponatoski

The MLB Draft is just a month away. Numerous Kentucky players will be selected. Shortstop Tyler Bell will likely come off the board in the first round. However, there is one prospect that both Will Stein and Nick Mingione will be watching closely. What will Matt Ponatoski decide? No one really knows.

The Cincinnati (Ohio) Moeller quarterback and pitcher sat down with Over-Slot’s Joe Doyle over the weekend to discuss his upcoming draft decision. This two-sport star wants it known that his top goal is to become a professional baseball player sooner rather than later.

“The goal has always been how do I get drafted…It’s what I want to do. I want to be a professional baseball player,” Ponatoski said. “And I don’t know who I need to sell myself to, but I want to be a professional baseball player. That’s been my dream since I was a little kid.’

Matt Ponatoski called his commitment to Kentucky last July “a baseball first decision” with the plan always being to become a Major League Baseball player. Ponatoski said he fell in love with baseball when he was a t-ball player and that passion has not gone away. The football opportunity presented itself late. While a great option, Ponatoski plans on making a baseball-first decision.

“I came on late with the recruiting in football, and now I think it portrays that I want to be a football player. And yes, that’s a great option if I don’t go to the draft,” said Ponatoski. “But I want to be a professional baseball player as fast as possible. That’s where my heart’s been and where it’s always been.”

“Option 1A is to go be a draft pick.”

Matt Ponatoski has been sitting between 92-95 while reaching 96 mph with his fastball this baseball season. Ponatoski says this was accomplished without ever having full-individual instruction from a pitching coach. Ponatoski believes he has a ton of room to improve as a pitcher and that upside will be met once he begin a professional baseball journey.

This has been a long waiting game for Ponatoski, Kentucky football, and Kentucky baseball. A final decision will be made once the draft arrives in July. If Ponatoski likes where he’s drafted and what an organization is financially offering, it sounds like he will jump at the opportunity to begin a minor league career. If that doesn’t occur, there is the fallback option of playing two sports at Kentucky.

Ponatoski currently sounds like a prospect that is ready to make the jump to professional baseball this summer.