Matoma’s Miraculous Journey

Matoma’s Miraculous Journey

Marauders right-handed pitcher David Matoma enters the 2025 the season at the No. 30 overall prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates system, ranked by MLB Pipeline.

At 19 years old, he began the season with a 0.47 earned run average over 38.2 career innings to begin his professional career. His upper-90s fastball has also developed him into one of the Pirates most intriguing prospects to follow.

While the peripherals are impossible to ignore, Matoma’s journey to the game of baseball and Pirates organization undoubtably shines the brightest.

Matoma was raised in Kasana, a suburb in Luwero, Katikamu in Central Uganda. When he grew up, most locals were often playing sports like cricket and soccer, but baseball called his name from a young age.

“Baseball is a small sport,” he said. “Nobody knows about it. There was a soccer field where I played football and I saw people playing baseball outside and thought ‘let me see if I can play this game.’”

Matoma was signed as an international minor-league free agent in January of 2023, and spent his first season in the Dominican Summer League. Over 16.2 innings, he didn’t allow a run.

2024 marked his first year in the states where he spent the whole year at the Florida Complex League and made his home at Pirate City in Bradenton. His dominance continued, fanning 28 hitters over 22 frames while only allowing two earned runs.

Matoma recognized the difficulty of being nearly 8,000 miles away from home in a brand-new country, but noted he is up for the challenge.

“It’s been challenging coming far from home,” he admitted. “Coming to the states for the first time, everything was really different. It’s a new environment and new culture, but everything has been really cool, people are really nice, the game is really good.”.

Matoma generated buzz around the baseball world when he threw a 101 mile per hour fastball in an FCL game last summer. That same heater has touched 98 and 99 miles per hour several times to begin his 2025 season with Bradenton.

He made his Single-A debut on April 26 at Publix Field in Lakeland. After the lengthy jog from the right-field bullpen, Matoma hurled only fastballs to his first three hitters, with each at 96 miles per hour or harder. On the night, he reached 99 three times.

The opportunity to pitch in Single-A has been a positive experience for him.

“It’s been really good so far. I’ve been working for this and a chance to play in Single-A,” he added. “I’m working to get better every day and focus on pitching.”

Before he signed, Matoma originally missed his first chance to pitch in front of Pirates scouts, but after talking with a local coach who had been in contact with the organization, they were able to reconnect after sending video.

“When I went back home, I talked to my coach and he told me I missed the opportunity,” he remembered. “At first there was no feedback when I sent my first video, and then we recorded a video with a radar gun of me throwing 93, 94, and then sent him the video and he told me we got a deal to come and see you.”

If Matoma reaches the big leagues, he would become the first Ugandan-born player to play in Major League Baseball, and just the second from Africa, joining former Pirates Gift Ngoepe.

Matoma mentioned that he has previously spoken with their family, including Gift’s brother Tlou Victor Ngoepe who also spent time in the Pirates system.

For Matoma, the achievement of making it to the big leagues would mean a lot to him and his family.

“I think would be really good for me,” he said. “To set an example for first Ugandan in baseball. Not only for Uganda but all of Africa.”