Alex McFarlane

McFarlane ranked as the No. 186 prospect in the 2019 class out of high school as an upside projection righthander who hailed from the US Virgin Islands. The Cardinals drafted him in the 25th round but instead of signing, he went to Miami, where he has mostly pitched out of the bullpen. Now listed at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, McFarlane has shown impressive natural arm talent and ‘wow’ stuff, but his performance has never quite matched what scouts have seen coming out of his hand. He was used as a starter early this spring but moved back into a reliever role after allowing five runs in 2.1 innings against Clemson in March. On the season, McFarlane posted a 4.00 ERA over 45 innings, with 68 strikeouts (34.3 K%) and 20 walks (10.1 BB%). His high-spin fastball sits 95-96 mph and has been up to 99, and he has also flashed a wipeout slider and swing-and-miss changeup—both in the mid 80s with plus grades when they are on. McFarlane’s command can waver and his career walk rate at Miami is below-average, but for a team that thinks it can help him get more consistent in that area, his stuff is explosive.