With the 112th overall pick in the second-round, the White Sox have selected right-handed pitcher Kade Mechals from Grand Canyon University.
Previously drafted in the 40th round (1191st overall) in 2019 by the Miami Marlins, Mechals is in the process of recovering from Tommy John surgery. In 2019, he went 11-1 in 15 starts (16 appearances) with 100 strikeouts, 35 walks, .193 opposing batting average, 2.16 ERA, and 1.080 WHIP over 90.1 innings. He continued that success, by posting a 2.35 ERA through three games this season.
The 5-11, 22-year-old becomes the fourth pitcher to be drafted by the organization and appears to be another money-saver.
First Look
MLB Pipeline Grades: Not available
Draft Rankings: Not ranked
Pros vs. Cons
The Good: Mechals has proven to be an effective arm throughout his college career. He doesn’t throw especially hard, with a fastball clocked in around 87-90 mph. He manages to command it decently, though, and mixes in a changeup with some fade to it.
The Not-So Good: Mechals is recovering from Tommy John surgery so he’ll be out for the next year. We’ll have to wait to get our first glimpse of him late next season or early 2022.
Why it makes sense
It’s the same story as with the third-round pick Adisyn Coffey. The White Sox are limited in how much they can spend due to money being used towards second-rounder Jared Kelley. In an article by Shotgun Spratling for D1Baseball.com, a summer league coach described Mechals as being a bulldog on the mound and a competitor. That’s the type of guy you want in your organization from mentality standpoint. Once he fully recovers, we’ll see if he can match that with results on the field as he begins his journey at the bottom of the system.
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