Mathias LaCombe

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 185 lb.

• School Cochise College

• Born June 12, 2002 in Libourne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine France

BR register page

Biographical Information

Mathias LaCombe was the first French-born and -raised pitcher to be drafted by a MLB team.

LaCombe pitched for France in the 2014 U12 European Championship. He had a 1.31 ERA in two outings in the 2021 U23 European Championship, pitching against players several years older. He was 1-1 with a 6.52 ERA for the Toulouse Tigers that season in France, hitting .237/.275/.237 but going 5-for-5 in steals. He saved two games, one shy of the league lead. Coming to the US to develop his game, he was 1-1 with 3 saves and a 5.04 ERA as a freshman at Cochise (which had featured several French national team players over the years). He then suited up for the main French national team for the first time. In the 2022 European Championship Qualifier, he got the win over Bulgaria and Evgenii Chernozemsky, allowing one hit and one walk in three shutout innings while whiffing six. He had a 1-3, 4.30 record for Toulouse in 2022.

He next suited up in the 2022 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers. He made one appearance, relieving Esteban Prioul in the 4th with a 3-1 deficit against Great Britain, one on and two out. He allowed a RBI single to Anfernee Seymour, walked Harry Ford and threw a wild pitch but recovered to strike out Matt Koperniak. In the 5th, Nick Ward singled and Justin Wylie hit into a force, then Alex Crosby whiffed. After D'Shawn Knowles doubled in a run, he was replaced by Robinson Maestre. He was 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA in brief action for Toulouse in 2023 but was 5-3 with two saves and a 1.74 ERA for Cochise; he whiffed 97 in 67 1/3 IP and walked only 14. He was slated to join the University of Louisiana - Lafayette as the second French player in NCAA Division I history (after Léo Jiminian) but was then drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 12th round of the 2023 amateur draft. He was the second French-born and -raised player to be drafted by a MLB team and the first pitcher; Joris Bert had been the only position player to that point (some French players had signed as undrafted free agents).