Loud? Proud? Matt Steinberg is ready to show off quieter pitching side for St. Laurence East. ‘I'm really excited.'

Chicago Tribune

21-03-2025

It's something St. Charles East pitcher Matt Steinberg wishes he had done a long time ago.
In the offseason, the senior right-hander put in extensive work to quiet down his maximum-effort delivery on the mound and become more efficient.
The results of that work have Steinberg poised for a big season.
'I was really working with the guys at Athletes HQ (in Elgin) to really hone in on my mechanics, work on some detailed stuff to hopefully bring to the mound,' Steinberg said. 'So far, it's worked out. My velocity has jumped. My control has jumped. My off-speed has been amazing.
'I'm really excited.'
The Saints are excited too. After Steinberg established himself on the varsity level in the spring, the Manhattan recruit helped pitch the Saints to a summer state championship.
Now, St. Charles East pitching coach Mark Foulkes sees a different person on the mound.
'Everything about him last year at times was so violent, his windup,' Foulkes said. 'Last summer he just slowed it down and really started to trust himself a lot more.
'This whole preseason, he's looked really, really good.'
Steinberg's high school career was derailed as a sophomore when he tore his ACL. Following that rehab, he was back on the mound last spring, getting his first taste of varsity action.
Fully healthy and returning with experience in big games, Steinberg wants to take the next step.
'He's a guy who you hope his hard work pays off,' St. Charles East coach Derek Sutor said of Steinberg. 'As a sophomore he tore his ACL, so he's had to come back from that.
'He's always had his head up. He's always been positive. He's put in hard work. You just hope for a kid like him that it finally pays off.'
College coaches started to take notice over the summer. While the Saints were winning state at North Central College, Tim Stoddard began looking into Steinberg and teammate Nathan Beers.
Stoddard, a former MLB pitcher, is NCC's pitching coach. Beers ended up committing to NCC.
Derek Shomon, co-owner of Athletes HQ, was also impressed by workouts. He contacted friend Steven Rosen, who's Manhattan coach. Rosen hooked up with Steinberg, and the rest is history.
Manhattan is a Division I program located in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx in New York.
'They liked my film, liked my build,' Steinberg said. 'I went out in late October, gorgeous campus. It was a great experience. I'm blessed to have the opportunity to go out there and play.
'Last season, it's kind of all you can think about as someone who wants to play at the next level.'
The 6-foot-3 Steinberg sits in the upper 80s with his fastball. He also has a breaking ball that he said he grips like a curveball but plays more like a slider thanks to his delivery.
The pitch that sets him apart, however, is his change-up. Often the pitch that takes the longest to master, Steinberg said he started work on it as a kid.
'I always want to give myself an advantage in any way I can,' Steinberg said. 'It's a pitch that, for the most part, we know doesn't hurt your arm, so I developed it around the age of 10.
'It's always stuck with me.'
He'll unleash that arsenal as part of a potent, veteran top three of the rotation for the Saints.
Xavier-bound Joey Arend, the staff ace, is one of the most experienced players in the area. Steinberg and Beers slot in behind Arend in what Sutor calls the strength of the team.
'Winning the (summer) state tournament put a target on our back,' Steinberg said. 'We really hope to live up to those expectations and prove to everybody that we deserved the recognition.
'We hope to make a state run and get a state trophy in the trophy case at the end of the year.'