French baseball prospect Mathias Lacombe has taken a major step toward the major leagues after being promoted to the Double-A Birmingham Barons by the Chicago White Sox, according to reports from the French Federation of Baseball and Softball (FFBS). The 24-year-old right-handed pitcher advanced to Double-A following an exceptional first half of the 2026 season with High-A Winston-Salem, positioning himself within striking distance of a historic milestone for French baseball.
An Accelerated Path Through the Minor Leagues
Lacombe’s ascent to Birmingham follows a strong performance in High-A, where FFBS reports indicate he routinely touched 99 mph with his fastball while pairing it with a sharp slider to overwhelm opposing hitters. The right-hander missed time early in the 2026 season due to shoulder discomfort, but quickly proved he had outgrown the High-A level upon his return to the Winston-Salem Dash.
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Selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 2023 MLB Draft, Lacombe dealt with multiple injuries that slowed his initial professional introduction. He rebounded during the 2025 campaign by logging 53.1 innings split between the Arizona Complex League and Single-A Kannapolis, posting a 3.04 earned run average while striking out more than 12 batters per nine innings. Those numbers earned him a spot in the organization’s top 30 prospects list, a ranking that has since climbed to 16th within the system, according to FFBS data.
The Significance of Double-A Birmingham
Assignment to Double-A serves as a critical proving ground across Major League Baseball organizations. At Birmingham, prospects face advanced hitters with extensive professional experience, often standing just one tier away from Triple-A Charlotte or a direct promotion to the major league roster. International baseball observers, including analyst Jeff Duda, noted via social media that Lacombe’s arrival at Double-A marks a historic first for a player born and raised in France.
With his promotion confirmed in July 2026, Lacombe enters a vital stretch of his development.
What Comes Next for Mathias Lacombe
Lacombe is scheduled to continue his 2026 minor league season with the Birmingham Barons as they navigate their Double-A schedule.
