Matt Ponatoski is no stranger to the spotlight. The two-sport standout from Cincinnati Moeller just became the first player to officially sign on to play for new Kentucky offensive coordinator Will Stein, but that’s only half the story. While he’s diving into the Wildcats’ playbook this spring, he’s also gearing up for one last run on the baseball diamond-and potentially, a future in Major League Baseball.
Ponatoski isn’t just a talented quarterback; he’s also one of the top 50 high school baseball prospects in the country. That kind of pedigree has brought MLB scouts to his doorstep-literally. Over the past few months, 27 teams have visited him, many of them sitting down with him and his family in his own home.
“Something that I will never forget - you had your hometown Reds with three of their scouts, their scouting director, walk into your house,” Ponatoski said. “That doesn’t happen to a lot of people. I think it was a really cool experience.”
That moment with the Reds was special, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Kentucky plans to use Ponatoski in the infield, but some MLB clubs see him as a high-upside pitcher, thanks to a fastball that touches the high-90s.
It’s rare to see a player with this kind of arm strength and athleticism also command the huddle as a quarterback. But Ponatoski isn’t letting the pro attention distract him from his football dreams.
“I’ve always loved football,” he said. “And I want to play in front of 60,000 people at Kroger Field.
That’s my dream. That’s what I live for.
UK fans should be excited because I love football. I love baseball.
You can kind of do the best of both worlds at that school. That’s the opportunity that I have.
That’s a really hard opportunity to turn down.”
It’s clear Ponatoski isn’t just chasing one dream-he’s chasing two, and doing it at full speed. But before any decisions about the MLB Draft in July, he’s got some unfinished business.
His Moeller football team came up short in the Division I State Championship last fall, and the baseball team has dropped back-to-back state title games. For a competitor like Ponatoski, that’s fuel.
He wants to leave high school with a championship. And until then, he’s staying sharp in more ways than one. When he’s not studying Kentucky’s offense or working on his swing, he’s squeezing in time for golf, pilates, and even a few hours of highly competitive pickleball.
“I will go over to Pickleball Kingdom,” Ponatoski said. “My dad and my two uncles who have gotten really good, we will go play for two, three hours.
It gets competitive. My mom’s brothers - she has eight brothers and they don’t like to lose - they’re not taking it easy on me.
I’m definitely not taking it easy on them.”
Whether he’s launching fastballs, throwing touchdowns, or battling his uncles in pickleball, Ponatoski brings the same energy and edge to everything he does. Kentucky fans will be holding their breath until July, but one thing’s for sure: they’ve got a special athlete on their hands-one who’s already proven he can thrive in the middle of the spotlight.