Ugandan Pirates Prospect Lighting Up Radar Gun
The Pittsburgh Pirates already have the distinction of being the only franchise in Major League Baseball history to have a player from Africa appear in a game. Could they eventually have the second player as well?
A recent article from MLB.com's Alex Stumpf provided plenty of hope that will happen. Stumpf's piece highlighted Ugandan 19-year-old pitcher David Matoma, who is turning heads this spring with his 100+ MPH fastball.
The best fastball in the #Pirates' system might belong to ... a 19-year-old born in Uganda?
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 19, 2025
More on the mold-breaking righty who has lit up the radar gun this spring: https://t.co/QaYSenXG5H pic.twitter.com/cYzZ8jrZNY
Originally signed as a 17-year-old in 2023, Matoma has had a slow but steady rise through the lower levels of the Pirates minor leagues system. He pitched all of last year in the Florida Complex Rookie League. When he did pitch, he was extremely effective. Matoma posted a 0.82 ERA and struck out 28 hitters over 22 innings pitched. He had multiple pitches clocked at 101 MPH. Standing at 6-foot and weighing around 180 pounds, Matoma does not have the typical look of a flame-throwing pitcher. But as the statistics show, plenty of hitters are having trouble catching up to his high-octane fastball.
This spring, Matoma is attempting to increase his workload and develop his off-speed pitches. According to Stumpf, the Ugandan is expected to start his season at Single-A Bradenton. We may not see Matoma in Pittsburgh for a few years, but he's carving a unique path to the big league level.
Matoma was the first player ever signed out of Uganda after the Pirates made a conscience effort to increase their scouting presence in the continent of Africa. Former Pirates infielder Gift Ngoepe, who debuted in 2017, is the only Major League player to come from Africa. He played in parts of two seasons, and has stuck around the game as a coach in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. So there is precedence for an African position player to play in the big leagues, but we have not seen any pitchers make the leap to MLB.
Matoma is not just a novelty, however. He has legitimate potential and it is not hard to foresee him one day running out of the bullpen at PNC Park for high-leverage innings. He was invited to this season's Spring Breakout game, and while he didn't appear in the game, it is proof that the league is watching.
Matoma ranks as the Pirates’ No. 30 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, which also awarded his fastball an impressive 70 grade. To put that into perspective, only one other pitcher in the organization — Bubba Chandler — shares that mark. Pair that elite fastball with a sharp gyro-slider and a developing splitter, and Matoma’s arsenal is already shaping up to be a formidable combination, anchored by a fastball that has clear potential to be elite.
“As much as he’s learning the game, we’re learning him too,” Pirates assistant director of coaching and player development Shawn Bowman told MLB.com's Stumpf at the Spring Breakout game, where he was the manager.
“It is so non-traditional that you can take the tradition of baseball and apply it to almost everyone, but then you also have to consider who’s in front of you. That’s both the ebb and flow of what he’s showing us and telling us, but we’re also trying to guide him in a way that makes sense for him as an individual. So hard to nail down, but yeah, it’s a unique one. 100 mph coming from Uganda, it’s something else," Bowman said.
Ethan Merrill is from Grand Rapids, MI, and brings with him a diverse background of experiences. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism, he worked with the Arizona Diamondbacks for three seasons before settling in the Pittsburgh area in 2020. With a passion for sports and a growing connection to his community, Ethan brings a fresh perspective to covering the Pittsburgh Pirates.