2020 MLB Draft: Scouting Colorado Rockies second-round pick Chris McMahon

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MIAMI, FL – APRIL 14: The ball being used for the ceremonial first pitch by University of Miami receiver Braxton Berrios is shown before action between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on April 14, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by B51/Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

The Colorado Rockies’ selection of Chris McMahon in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft helped them score the third-best draft class, per MLB.com

When the Colorado Rockies entered the second round, everyone was talking about how they had not yet taken a pitcher yet with their first two picks and had chosen only high schoolers. Well, when the 46th pick rolled around, they quelled everyone’s thirst for a pitcher and a college player, helping secure the third-best draft class according to MLB.com. The same experts even believe Chris McMahon was Colorado’s best pick of the entire draft.

McMahon is no stranger to the MLB Draft as he was a 33rd-round draft pick by the Atlanta Braves in 2017. So when this year’s abbreviated version rolled around, he knew pretty much what to expect.

The University of Miami pitcher’s 31-round jump shows why, when you’re a late-round flyer pick out of high school, you should go to college and hone your craft.

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When he was coming out of high school, McMahon was throwing consistently around 92-93 and touched 95 with a heavy fastball and big curveball that he couldn’t consistently put in the strike-zone. Flash forward three years, and, boy, did he grow up. He now sits at 95-96 and can touch 98 with heavy sink on the fastball, and scrapped the curve for a high spin rate, big break slider. He also figured out his command, as evidenced by striking out 123 and walking only 37 during his three years in college (112.1 IP). That included 38 Ks to only five walks in just four 2020 starts. He also only gave up four total home runs during his entire Miami career.

I still haven’t mentioned his changeup (which is average-plus as well) to round out a full arsenal for a pitcher I believe will stick as a starter. The Rockies have shown a penchant for showing patience with arms some view as a “tweener” type and letting them fully develop a third pitch to complete their repertoire.

I believe the “tweener” label is misguided at best, and also the reason why this high-end arm was still available when the Rockies made their selection.

DENVER, CO – JULY 17: Jon Gray #55 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning of a game at Coors Field on July 17, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Most viewed McMahon as a first-round talent. He was ranked 29th overall by MLB.com in their top 200 prospects list. This to me also affirms that the Rockies have a type when it comes to starting pitchers at least: Big, heavy fastball and a nasty slider.

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Below you can see the comp I like best, which is Jon Gray, another big right-hander with big K and small walk potential drafted high. But it is more than that. Both pitchers were multiple time draft picks: Gray three times and McMahon twice. They both scrapped a curve during college to focus on a high-spin, big-break slider, came in with a great feel for the change (McMahon even more so than Gray), and made the most of time spent in college.

The similar build and no-nonsense intensity on the mound also jumps out at you. They are both Alpha-male bulldogs with a nasty disposition. I love it!

Below you can see a comparison via their scouting grades coming into the draft. The numbers for McMahon are from MLB.com, while the numbers for Gray are from Baseball Prospectus.

@SABRSkeptic Here's another one for ya. pic.twitter.com/VxAsahK1tA
— Daniel Wettstein (@DanWettsteinII) June 15, 2020

You can clearly see why Gray was considered a no-brainer with the third overall pick for the Rockies in 2013. But it makes you wonder how McMahon dropped all the way to the second round when you had the like of Nick Yorke going to Boston at 17th overall (when he was the 139th-ranked prospect). Or pitcher Jared Shuster going 25th overall to the Braves (when he was ranked 77th as a prospect). No matter how it happened, we in Denver are ecstatic to somehow come out of the first 46 picks, with three of the top-35 ranked prospects via MLB.com (Veen #9, Romo #35, and McMahon #29).

DENVER, CO – JUNE 02: Bud Black #10 of the Colorado Rockies looks over the lineup card during an 8-run inning by the Los Angeles Dodgers during a game at Coors Field on June 2, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

McMahon has the floor of a workhorse-like number three starter, with the ceiling of a future ace. The added bonus is that, with him being a junior and nothing left to prove at the college level, he should be an easy sign and hit the ground running.

It took Gray just two years to make his debut, and I see a similar trajectory for McMahon. So 2022 is not out of the question, but with all that is going on and this being a lost summer, spring of 2023 is when I believe he will lace up for his first camp.

Below you can see what MLB.com had to say about him before the draft.

The right-hander has more than enough stuff to succeed as a starter at the next level. His fastball is up to 95-96 mph consistently, with late action on it down in the zone, and he was up to 98 mph this fall. He knows how to spin a breaking ball, but it gets caught in between being a curve and slider, looking more like the former. He has a very good feel for his changeup that can miss bats and get ground-ball outs. When he’s on, McMahon combines athleticism, stuff, feel for pitching and command to make him a complete package. With an arm action that can be a little deep, he can get flat and gets hit more than he should. He got out front more consistently and didn’t leave pitches up for Team USA and early this spring, solidifying his spot as one of the more solid college arms in the class.

This all sums up to yet another A+ in my book. To come out of the first two rounds with three potential future starters and three players that were considered at least top five at their position isn’t just a home run, it’s a GRAND-SLAM (I told you, I’ll be here all week!).

Next. What Chris McMahon had to say about falling to the Rockies in the second round. dark

The Rockies needed an influx of talent to their system, specifically in the outfield, at catcher, and starting pitcher. They nailed all three in just two rounds of work in the 2020 MLB Draft. All three will come in as the most talented, if not most polished products, in the system at their respective positions. And now we not only got RyMac raking, but now a C-Mac cuttin’ ’em down.

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The Colorado Rockies’ selection of Chris McMahon in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft helped them score the third-best draft class, per MLB.com

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