Pirates Top 30 Prospects No. 22: David Matoma’s Intriguing Upside

This is one in a series of stories breaking down PBN’s Top 30 Pittsburgh Pirates prospects.

The Pirates made headlines when they signed Ugandan pitcher David Matoma, then just 16 years old, to an international free agent deal in January 2023.

Matoma, a lanky right hander who stands six feet tall and tips the scale at 154 pounds, became just the third player from the East African nation, which is about the size of Wyoming, to sign with a Major League franchise.

While one might expect a steep learning curve for someone hailing from an untapped baseball market—much less a teenager adjusting to the rigors of life as a professional athlete while nearly 8,000 miles away from home—Matoma tore through his competition during his first two years in the Pirates’ system.

During his first professional season playing with the Pirates’ Dominican Summer League teams, Matoma didn’t allow a single run in 16.2 innings, striking out 14 batters in nine appearances. Playing for the Pirates’ rookie ball team in 2024 went much the same way, as Matoma pitched to a miniscule 0.82 ERA in 22 innings, seeing his strikeouts leap to 28.

When Matoma first signed, his fastball sat in the low 90s, but he’s capable of hitting triple digits now as he continues to build strength. He also mixes in a slider and a changeup, giving him most of a traditional starter’s arsenal even as he continues to serve as a reliever.

Signed in January of 2023 out of Uganda 18 year old David Matoma had a loud appearance at Pirate City today. He sat 95-96 mph T97 mph w/ 17-19 inches of IVB, mixed harder gyro slider at 85-88 mph and a changeup, thought I saw a gyro CB at 82-83 as well. Just turned 18 in… pic.twitter.com/O5XigmmiTQ

— Geoff Pontes (@GeoffPontesBA) March 18, 2024

He’s as raw of a prospect as one can find but brimming with natural talent. At just 18 years old, it’ll be fascinating to see what Matoma can do as he continues to work on his craft.