Twins MLB Draft Preview: MacKenzie Gore, LH SP

His name is MacKenzie Gore out of the state of North Carolina, and he is arguably the more advanced of the two. So why isn’t he being talked about as much?

Who Is He?

Gore enters the draft out of Whiteville High School in his home state as the top prep lefty in the nation. It also has been quite a week for him before even considering his draft prospects on June 12^th. First, he was named the Gatorade North Carolina and National Player of the Year. Then, a few days later he helped his team to the class 1A State Championship, pitching the first game of the three-game championship series. However, it wasn’t just his six shut-out innings that contributed to that 10-0 victory before they took home the trophy the next day.

Listed around 6’2” and 180 pounds, Gore has been a steady climber on draft boards throughout the spring as he tacked on some velocity in his senior season. MLB.com lists him at number four on their top 50 along with some eye-popping numbers from his junior season. Matt Eddy from Baseball America compared him to some of the best left-handed prepsters ever drafted in the first round, demonstrating how he fits the mold due to his physical maturity and measurements.

He is being considered in the top five of picks, so even though he’s committed to play at East Carolina University there’s no reason to doubt that he’ll sign a contract.

Why The Twins Will Pick Him

Gore rests on the advanced part of the spectrum for a high school pitcher, as he brings both fastball velocity and multiple secondary offerings that already provide plus potential. John Sickels of MinorLeagueBall.com cites his deep arsenal of advanced pitches for his age in a glowing scouting report. Though his mechanics are atypical as he employs a high leg kick in his motion (like, really high), there are no major concerns about working through any of the normal kinks due to his athleticism. Take a look for yourself in the video below (in case you don’t notice, the first hitter he strikes out is Hunter Greene).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLkZukR_QSI

As far as his stuff goes, he employs a full arsenal of pitches with a fastball, slider, curve, and changeup. He uses all of them liberally and each grades out as at least above average. Depending on the report, his curveball or changeup will get plus marks along with his mid-90’s fastball. Sickels even mentions that due to his maturity and pitching acumen, he won’t need as much time in the minors as most high schoolers.

He is also left-handed, so the fear of picking the first ever such player at number one isn’t a consideration Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have to worry about. I don’t think anyone in their positions would, but in their first crack at leading a draft room it would be a story played up in the media and remembered.

There is also a final consideration, as discussed by Twins Daily’s Jeremy Nygaard earlier in the week. The Twins likely could save a good amount of money going with Gore at number one, opening numerous possibilities for deal-making at picks 35 and 37 if and when other top players fall.

Why The Twins Will Not Pick Him

There is always the injury risk with prep hurlers who throw 90+ MPH pitches as their bodies are still developing. While there are not glaring flaws with Gore’s mechanics and his athleticism projects a lower injury risk, it is still a significant hurdle to overcome. The last four high school left-handers to be taken first in the draft include Braxton Garrett, Kolby Allard, Brady Aiken, and Trey Ball. Allard and Aiken have both already undergone Tommy John surgeries, and now it appears Garrett will too. Trey Ball has avoided the knife, but has also only reached AA and has a career 4.61 ERA and 4.3 BB/G walk rate in the minors. It’s scary company to be in.

There is also the issue of his advisor. While most of the perceptions brought up when the name Scott Boras is invoked are tied to the former regime led by Terry Ryan, many Twins fans do revile his mere presence. With the new front office this shouldn’t really be a concern (it wasn’t really one with Ryan, either) as Levine knows him quite well from his time in Texas and Boras praised the duos hiring last November—but he is an agent with a reputation. Any attempt at below-slot money at number one to make deals later may not go as well as they hope.

Perhaps the most important reason why Gore would not be the choice at number one is that he isn’t number one on any pre-draft lists you might scour. The Twins have the choice of anyone they want, and it is hard to argue with the “best player available” strategy in such a position. This being their first year at the helm, the new front office may not want to take that risk with their first ever draft selection.

One thing we do know about Derek Falvey is that he has a well-respected reputation in pitcher development. With the number one overall pick in his first draft as chief baseball officer, he has a great opportunity to make a good first impression for his legacy. It could just be that Gore’s combination of youth, stuff, projection, and maturity is the picture Falvey want to be on the canvas of his first draft choice. Maybe it even helps him leverage another top talent later in the draft (like pick 13 in Law’s latest mock). We will find out on Monday if that is indeed the case. Would you like Gore at the number one overall pick?

Follow MacKenzie on Twitter, if you want.

Previous Draft Profiles:

Hunter Greene, SP/SS by Nick Nelson

Brendan McKay, SP/1B by Cody Christie

Royce Lewis, SS/OF by Nick Nelson

Pavin Smith, 1B by Tom Froemming

Kyle Wright, SP by Jeremy Nygaard

My 10-round Mock Draft