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The MLB Draft is advancing quickly through the rounds this afternoon and the Twins were back on pick-up time # 159. With that, they returned to the ranks of college starting pitchers again and selected 6-foot-3 left-hander Christian MacLeod from university world series champion Mississippi State.
Hailing from Alabama, MacLeod was a staple in the Bulldogs’ weekend rotation which also included Giants first-round pick Will Bednar. For his college career, MacLeod struck out 148 of 442 (33.4%) hitters and kept opposing hitters to just a .226 batting average.
Last season, he struck out 113 batters against 33 walks in 82.2 innings pitched. Until the end of the regular season, his ERA was 3.14, but he struggled mightily in both SEC and NCAA tournaments. Those struggles included consecutive starts in the College World Series where he failed to make it through the second set. Those tough outings at the end of the season pushed his season ERA to 5.23.
MLB.com has this to say about its # 113 ranked prospect:
MacLeod’s best court is a more ’70s curveball with good depth that plays well with his fastball. Its heater has a below average speed at 87-93 mph but is efficient because it controls it, the tunnel well with its curve and it has high spin rates and a lifespan that keeps it from falling on the barrels. . It also has the makings of at least one medium change in the 80s with sink. MacLeod uses his 6-foot-4 frame and three-quarter high arm lunge to create a glide pattern on his throws and good extension in his delivery, which he easily repeats. His strength, durability, and efficiency in locating his offerings all increase his chances of making a rotation in the big league. He keeps hitters off balance with his ability to sequence his shots and move them around the strike zone.
Despite the difficult end to the college season, there is some reason to believe the Twins could have gotten a steal with MacLeod in the fifth round. As this season draws near, many prospect evaluators penciled it in the first round of the draft using the fastball and high spin curveball combination. But MacLeod’s speed dropped a few ticks this spring and he was available to the Twins at # 159.
MacLeod’s repertoire, delivery and experience indicate that he has a good chance of remaining a mid-to-back starting pitcher prospect and you have to imagine the Twins watching him with the intention of regaining the speed that made from him a possible first round. Even with the stuff down, ESPN’s outlook guru Kiley McDaniel got a third-round rating on MacLeod. It will be interesting to see how the Twins maneuver their bonus money to try and convince him to sign instead of returning to Starkville to try to improve his draft position next year.
Twins’ recruiting director Sean Johnson said ahead of the draft that the club believed the strength of this year’s draft class was college pitching. With three college starting pitcher selections already today, in addition to first-round pitcher Chase Petty yesterday, the Twins seem to be following that line of thinking.
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