Diving deeper into the Pittsburgh Pirates' hardest throwing pitching prospects

Modern professional athletes push human bodies to their absolute natural limits, and this statement could not be truer when it comes to baseball pitchers. Sports Info Solution's pitch tracking data on FanGraphs dates back to 2002. Back then, the average fastball velocity was 89 MPH. Today, the average slider velocity is 84.5 MPH, and the average fastball is thrown 93.9 MPH.

Today's game is all about throwing gas. The Pittsburgh Pirates' system is loaded with pitching. They arguably have the game's best system when it comes to pitching talent, which certainly includes a few guys who can light up the radar guns with impressive numbers. But who are their hardest-throwing pitching prospects?

Pittsburgh Pirates' hardest-throwing pitching prospects entering 2025 MLB season

Carlos Mateo

One of the Pirates' highest-paid international signings in the 2022-2023 offseason was right-hander Carlos Mateo. Signed out of the Dominican Republic, Mateo inked a $800K deal, their international class's second-largest signing bonus. Mateo certainly brings the gas, but that's been about it so far.

Mateo has taken the saying "grip it and rip it" to heart. According to FanGraphs, Mateo sits at 97-99 MPH, topping out at 100 MPH. He is the hardest-throwing prospect on their top Pirates prospect list

. But Mateo has some of the worst command in the system. He has allowed 65 batters to reach via free pass in only 35 career innings. This also includes a 14.14 ERA and 3.09 WHIP. Sure, Mateo has a batting average on balls in play of .424, but his walk rate is 30%. For reference, Barry Bonds had a walk rate of only 28.6% from 2000-2004, which might be the most dominant five-year stretch in baseball history.

Mateo has two breaking pitches, including a sweeping slider and a changeup. The righty is only 18, and the list of teenagers who throw triple digits is short. Unfortunately, there have been some clear and obvious issues with his command thus far in his pro career.

Gavin Adams

The Bucs took right-hander Gavin Adams in the eighth round of the 2024 draft. Adams did not pitch during Florida State's 2024 season, as he underwent Tommy John surgery prior to the start of the year. Still, Adams was one of the top JUCO transfers in the country, giving him an interesting background, and if there's one thing for certain about Adams, it's that he has the stuff to be a potential future high-leverage reliever.

While active, Adams was touching 101 MPH with his fastball, according to Baseball America. Along with a flaming four-seamer, Adams mixes in an upper-80s slider that flashed solid potential, along with a changeup with similar velocity. His ability to hit the strike zone consistently remains a question, as he handed out 19 walks in 26.1 innings last year prior to transferring to FSU.

Adams should return sometime next season. The Pirates have done well in recent seasons helping young flamethrowers harness their electric stuff. Jared Jones is one example, as are Kyle Nicolas, Luis Ortiz, and Dennis Santana, as well as another young, MLB-ready arm that will be discussed later. Hopefully, Adams will join them by the end of next season.

David Matoma

Mateo isn't the only 2022-2023 international signing that appears on today's list. The second former international signing is Ugandan right-hander David Matoma. Matoma is arguably the Pirates' best relief pitching prospect and should get an extended look sometime next year for Bradenton.

Matoma pitched 22 innings for the Pirates' Florida Complex League affiliate team in 2024, working to an 0.82 ERA, 3.01 FIP, and 1.09 WHIP. He went on to strikeout just a touch over 30% of his opponents with a 30.4% strikeout rate. He had some other solid peripherals, including an 0.41 HR/9 rate, as well as a 9.8% walk rate.

Unlike his fellow international signee Mateo, Matoma has displayed better command thus far in his pro career. He also throws nearly as hard. Matoma sits in the upper 90s with his fastball and tops out at 100 MPH. He has also flashed a solid slider. His third pitch is a changeup.

Matoma has a 6-foot/155-pound projectable frame, and he is only 18 years old. There's still a lot of time for Matoma to develop more strength. Right now, Matoma projects as a potential high-octane reliever. It might not be out of the question he could start, but at the very least, he is someone the Pirates might find closing games for them in the near future.