Teenaged flame-throwing Pittsburgh Pirates prospect getting buzz as future closer

Since prime David Bednar in 2022 and 2023, the Pirates have not had a dominant closer that they can rely on late in games. Although a closer is far from the Pirates' biggest issue at this stage in the franchise, every team needs one, and it's nice to have a bullpen arm to rely on when you have a lead in the ninth instead of ... whatever they currently have. The Pirates' farm system is full of elite pitching prospects from Bubba Chandler to Hunter Barco, but one prospect is gaining traction as a potential future ninth-inning arm for the Buccos instead of a rotation solution: David Matoma.

The Pirates' No. 30 prospect David Matoma may be the closer of the future

MLB.com writers Sam Dykstra, Jim Callis, and Jonathan Mayo wrote an article on Wednesday covering one prospect with closer potential from each team. That prospect was Matoma, the Pirates' No. 30-ranked prospect, when it came to Pittsburgh's farm.

Matoma is a 19-year-old pitcher for the Single-A Bradenton Marauders in the Pirates' farm system. He was acquired by the Pirates during the 2023 international signing period. Matoma is just the third Ugandan-born player to play MLB affiliate baseball.

In his young career in rookie and Single-A ball, Matoma has been dominant. In 45.0 innings, he has struck out 51 batters and given up just three earned runs for an ERA of 0.60. Of course, he hasn't played high-level minor league ball yet, but these stats are otherworldly for the Ugandan.

The MLB.com writers love Matoma's stuff, and see him as that future closer for the Bucs.

"He also has a fastball that has touched triple digits in the past that he’s leaned on heavily so far this year," said the MLB.com writers. "He misses bats and gets ground-ball outs with the heater and a gyro-like slider."

The only downside to Matoma being the Pirates closer of the future is that he is far from making his MLB debut. At just 19 years old, Matoma's ETA for the big leagues is set at 2029, according to MLB.com, so the Bucs will have to find another closer while they wait for him to climb the ranks.

It's fair to expect Matoma to stay in Bradenton for the remainder of the regular season, before possibly making a move to Double-A Altoona next season. While 2029 seems a while away, if the Ugandan can keep up the dominant pitching, 2028 or sooner is not out of the question.

Regardless of how bad the hitting has been for the Pirates in the past decade, one thing is for certain: the Pirates have a wealth of dominant pitching prospects.