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Draft  | Story  | 1/14/2025

PG Draft Spotlight: Matthew Graveline

Tyler Kotila     
Photo: Matthew Graveline
Matthew Graveline - PG ID: 449118 

Position:  C/UTL 
Height:  6-1 
Weight: 195 
Bats/Throws: R-R 
Birthdate: October 27th, 2003 
High School: Centreville 
City, State: Centreville, Ohio 
College Team: Ohio State 



Frame/Setup 
Graveline is a physical and strong 6-foot-1, 195-pound frame and build. He has a well-proportioned build with plenty of strength in the lower half that helps both at the dish & behind the plate. For a backstop, he’s athletic, too, moving well behind the dish. It’s a compact look, but there’s strength throughout that projects well as he gets to the next level. Graveline’s a right-handed hitter with a simple stance, bent at the knees, with an even & slightly spread stance. He keeps his hands lower, with a lower back elbow and some coil to the barrel as he’s set. He lifts his hands slightly in the load, getting into a hitting position and using a leg lift on the front side to load up. Graveline shifts the weight well and strides hard into contact, allowing the hands to work to it on a short path. He’s compact with the hands and delivers the barrel with tons of hand speed. It’s a whippy path with some jump off of it. He can do damage out front and get the barrel to the ball on time with the quickness of the stroke. He can get everything in sync with the compact path & which allows him to be on time for velocity and adjust to stay on time for off speed. 

Tools 

Graveline has tools on both sides of the ball that will make him an attractive prospect for pro organizations in this cycle. He’s been on the radar for some time now, being an impact player for the Buckeyes since he arrived. He’s settled into the Buckeyes lineup & has emerged as one of two really high-level options behind the dish. The Buckeyes' staff will find ways to get Graveline’s bat into the lineup each day, whether it's behind the dish or sliding him over to first base or a corner outfield spot. He’s got the athleticism to move around the field positionally — but he can handle things behind the dish at the next level. As mentioned above, he’s got that shorter & compact path that allows him to do damage at the plate, especially pull-side. He can drive the ball in the air & does have some impact that allows him to manufacture runs by working the gaps. It’s not always “leave-the-yard” juice, but there’s real impact off the barrel that allows him to find the pull-side gap and hustle out extra-base hits. He’s athletic & can run well for a backstop, allowing him to leg out the occasional triple & hunt down the extra 90 on the base paths. It speaks to his athleticism, which is another reason the Buckeyes could move him out from behind the dish, at times, to lighten his workload back there.  

“The Buzz” 
The Ohio State staff is excited about what Graveline brings to the table. He will be an impact bat for them in 2025 and it's easy to see why. There’s plenty to like at the dish, with two seasons of production offensively for the Buckeyes. Last season he showed serious strides in terms of controlling the strike zone & showing good plate discipline — walking nearly as much as he punched out, limiting the strike outs nicely. He nearly doubled his walk rate from his freshman to sophomore campaign, cutting down on the K% slightly as well, keeping it closer to 20% than 25%. The Buckeyes are expecting big things once again in his junior campaign. He showed up in the lineup with some more impact last year, and another loud spring in the Big 10 could only help solidify his spot as an early target for teams in this year’s draft.  

Summation 

Graveline has two years under his belt with tools that speak for themselves. This year will be about proving it once again and, ideally, raising his ceiling with a loud performance. Solidifying his role as a backstop in his opportunities back there will be key. Showing off the arm and ability to manage the game would only solidify his role moving forward. He’s got the athleticism to move out from behind the dish and handle himself if that's the route an organization goes. The real draw, in my opinion, comes with the swing. He’s short to it with barrel whip that can lead to louder impacts. Another spring filled with barrels will only help his draft stock & keep him in that third-round range. 
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