Former MLB Minor League Pitcher Dies Suddenly of Heart Attack at 31

Former New York Mets pitching prospect Matt Pobereyko, 31, passed away Friday reportedly due to a heart attack.

Pobereyko competed most recently in the Mexican League and Dominican Winter League.

Former New York Mets pitching prospect Matt Pobereyko, who most recently played in Mexico, died suddenly of a heart attack on Friday. He was 31https://t.co/T9f39IceoE

— DiedSuddenly (@DiedSuddenly_) February 27, 2023

Young, healthy people keep dying of heart attacks. Who forced them to get the jab and why? This will not go away. It will get worse. And we will wonder how we ever let this happen. https://t.co/VwffAh8gtk

— Eric Metaxas (@ericmetaxas) February 27, 2023

Several of Pobereyko’s former teams confirmed his tragic death.

“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,” the St. Paul Saints said in a statement.

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

“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,” the Pensacola Blue Wahoos said.

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

Fox News reported:

“The Sioux City Explorers regretfully announce the passing of pitcher Matt Pobereyko on February 24, 2023,” the Iowa-based professional minor league team where Pobereyko spent time between 2019 and 2022, said in a statement.

“Words cannot express the grief and sorrow we feel today for Matt’s family, friends, teammates and his fans,” Explorers manager Steve Montgomery said.

“He truly loved being an Explorer and being a part of this community. He was as fierce of a friend as he was as a competitor. We will miss him as a baseball player, but even more so as a friend.”

Born on Christmas Eve in Hammond, Indiana, Pobereyko played college baseball at Kentucky Wesleyan College before signing a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2016.

The right-handed pitcher first joined the Mets organization in 2017 and spent several seasons in the minors. He also spent time with the Miami Marlins organization.

NBC News provided additional details:

Pobereyko was in his apartment in a west Chicago-area suburb when he collapsed Friday, and he was later discovered by his girlfriend, his brother, Daniel Pobereyko, said Monday.

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“He just dropped, and that’s all we know,” Daniel Pobereyko 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.”

Pobereyko, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound pitcher, was found “unresponsive on his kitchen floor” and “pronounced dead on the scene,” Warrenville Police Chief Sam Bonilla said in a statement.

“There were no suspicious circumstances to report, and an autopsy conducted the following day did not reveal anything further,” Bonilla said.

A cause of death is “pending further investigation,” a DuPage County coroner’s spokesman said. It will likely take 7½ more weeks for a formal cause to be determined, the spokesman said.

Pobereyko’s death came as a shock to loved ones, his brother said.

“For what we know now, there’s really no leads,” Daniel Pobereyko said. “They saw him earlier in the week, and he seemed to be perfectly fine.”