Mathias LaCombe Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Mathias LaCombe
Born 06/12/2002 in Libourne, France
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 178 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Cochise CC
Drafted in the 12th round (359th overall) by the Chicago White Sox in 2023 (signed for $450,000).

View Draft Report

School: Cochise (Ariz.) JC Source: JC

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.1
The 2023 Cochise (Ariz.) JC roster has a heavy international flavor, and French-born Lacombe has become one of the most interesting pro prospects on the team. A 6-foot-2, 185-pound righthander, Lacombe was a late pop-up prospect for teams this spring. He posted a 1.74 ERA over 67.1 innings with 97 strikeouts and 14 walks. He averaged 90-92 mph on his fastball but has been up to 97 mph and in the mid 90s in shorter outings. Lacombe also throws a slow breaking ball in the upper 70s and has flashed a low-80s changeup—though the fastball/breaking ball combination is his bread-and-butter. Lacombe has a lean frame that should fill out with more strength, and there are velocity gains forthcoming as he learns to better utilize his lower half in his delivery.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Cochise (Ariz.) JC is located in southern Arizona, just 20 miles north of the border with Mexico. It’s about the same distance from the Wild West town of Tombstone, an unlikely location for a group of French natives to show up to play junior college baseball. One of those transplants was LaCombe, who started to attract attention in his second season at Cochise when he posted a 1.74 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 97-to-14 in 67.1 innings. A bullpen session for scouts who were in the Phoenix area for the Pacific-12 Conference Tournament generated interest. LaCombe was up to 96 mph that day, and the White Sox drafted him in the 12th round and signed him for $450,000. He didn’t pitch in games during the summer but logged a couple brief one-inning starts at instructional league in the fall.

Scouting Report: LaCombe throws a plus sinker that sits 90-92 mph in longer outings, touches 97, and sits in the mid 90s in shorter stints. His fastball has more run than sink, with plus movement and plus velocity. He has average secondary pitches, including a slider in the low-to-mid 80s, and a split-changeup in the low 80s. Both could become above-average offerings with more development. More velocity could be coming with LaCombe’s lean 6-foot-2 frame likely to add strength. Better utilization of his lower half in his delivery could also help.

The Future: LaCombe will turn 22 in June, and while it’s likely he will start the 2024 season in extended spring training, it’s not out of the question that he could hit Low-A Kannapolis by his birthday.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50

Draft Prospects

School: Cochise (Ariz.) JC Source: JC

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.1
The 2023 Cochise (Ariz.) JC roster has a heavy international flavor, and French-born Lacombe has become one of the most interesting pro prospects on the team. A 6-foot-2, 185-pound righthander, Lacombe was a late pop-up prospect for teams this spring. He posted a 1.74 ERA over 67.1 innings with 97 strikeouts and 14 walks. He averaged 90-92 mph on his fastball but has been up to 97 mph and in the mid 90s in shorter outings. Lacombe also throws a slow breaking ball in the upper 70s and has flashed a low-80s changeup—though the fastball/breaking ball combination is his bread-and-butter. Lacombe has a lean frame that should fill out with more strength, and there are velocity gains forthcoming as he learns to better utilize his lower half in his delivery.