Phillies Pick Toms River East’s Matt Ferrara in MLB Draft
Winning an NJSIAA sectional championship and being named the 2025 Shore Sports Insider Player of the Year was a great way for Matt Ferrara to cap his four-year varsity career at Toms River East.
There was just one more way to make his baseball career with the Raiders even better and one of the local Major League clubs made it happen on Monday.
The Philadelphia Phillies selected Ferrara in the ninth round of the 2025 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, capping a dream 2025 season for the recent Toms River East High School graduate. Ferrara, who is signed to play at the University of Pittsburgh, said he intends to sign with the Phillies.
“Last summer, I did good at all these events and that’s getting drafted is where my head started to go,” Ferrara said. “It was really just about trying to be the best version of myself and this felt like an opportunity to do that. Once my senior year came, it was all about winning. I put (the Draft) out of my head and just played hard for my team.”
Toms River East senior Matt Ferrara connects on a first-inning home run against Toms River South in the South Jersey Group 3 final. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)
Ferrara is coming off a spring season in which he batted .405/.485/.667 with 13 doubles, three home runs, 34 runs scored, 22 RBI and 26 stolen bases while leading the Raiders to championships in both the Ocean County Tournament and NJSIAA South Jersey Group III Playoffs. The OCT title was the second straight for Toms River East, while the sectional title was the first for the Raiders since 2006.
Not only was Ferrara the best player on the OCT and South Group III champions; he played like it in the championship games. In the OCT final, Ferrara went 3-for-4 with a game-tying solo home run and a go-ahead RBI single in a 3-1 Toms River East win over Brick Memorial. In the South Jersey Group III title against rival Toms River South, Ferrara set the tone with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning as the Raiders went on to win, 6-1.
Matt Ferrara knocks the proverbial roof off the park with a solo blast. Second championship game with a homer this year for Ferrara. Toms River East goes up 2-0 after 1. pic.twitter.com/L8bTUWkZDc
— Matt Manley (@Matt_Manley) June 5, 2025
On top of his offensive stats, Ferrara showcased high-end ability while playing shortstop, which is the position at which the Phillies listed him when they submitted their choice at No. 281 overall. On the MLB.com online broadcast, Jonathan Mayo cited scouts who believe Ferrara will end up playing third base or second base as a professional.
Ferrara already has experience playing at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia, which hosts the final two rounds of the annual Carpenter Cup. Ferrara played on the 2023 Jersey Shore team that won the Carpenter Cup championship and played the semifinals on the same field he hopes to play on after climbing the ladder within the Phillies organization.
“I have been on a couple of big league fields and honestly, (Citizens Bank) is pretty breathtaking,” Ferrara said. “I remember being out there and you can imaging it being packed with fans chanting and going crazy.”
One of those potential minor league stops Ferrara would make on his way to Philadelphia is just 10 miles from where he attended high school. The High-A affiliate of the Phillies is the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, which play their home games at ShoreTown Ballpark in Lakewood.
“Hearing it was the Phillies was great,” said Ferrara, who grew up a Yankees fan but estimates he has been to more MLB games in Philadelphia. “Being so close to home, especially if I’m in Lakewood, it gives my family a chance to come watch me play and it gives me a chance to visit home. It would be a great situation.”
The recommended slot value of the 281st pick, according to MLB.com, is $197,600 in signing bonus money. Signing high school players committed to Division I programs typically requires MLB clubs to pay more than the recommended slot value, although there are some exceptions. Ferrara will not be one of those exceptions, as he indicated he hoped to be picked earlier, but got the offer he and his advisor — Simon Sports — were seaking heading into the draft.
The Phillies are also expected to offer seventh-round selection, Matthew Fisher, a signing bonus well above slot to secure the services of the 6-foot-3 right-handed pitcher from Indiana, who is the No. 46 player in the class according to MLB.com. Philadelphia has a total signing bonus pool of $7,849,400, according to MLB.com.
“My advisor called me and told me the offer and it was what we were looking for, so I was really excited,” Ferrara said. “I told him it sounded good and I guess he called (the Phillies) back and then my name came up. It was not fun waiting around for two, three hours, but I’m happy with how it turned out.”
Ferrara and the Phillies have until approximately the end of the month to come to an signed agreement. Ferrara is still eligible to play in college until he officially signs his pro contract.
