Max Rajcic

Rajcic became famous as the ace of national prep power Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High and was the top starter on USA Baseball’s 18U National Team that won a silver medal at the 2019 18U World Cup in South Korea. He served as UCLA’s closer as a freshman and pitched well as a starter in the Cape Cod League before taking over as the Bruins’ No. 1 starter this spring. Rajcic is a cerebral, polished righthander whose control and feel for pitching make up for a lack of pure stuff. His fastball sits 90-91 mph, touches 94 and is a hittable pitch when he doesn’t locate it precisely. His fastball mainly serves to set up his above-average, low-80s power curveball with vertical break and solid depth. His low-to-mid-80s changeup is an average offering he’s comfortable throwing to both righties and lefties. None of Rajcic’s offerings stand out in a vacuum, but he fills up the strike zone with plus control and mixes and matches to keep hitters guessing. He limits walks and is efficient with his pitch count to last deep into games. Rajcic is more solid than exciting, but he knows how to pitch and has a long track record of success. He projects to be a useful depth starter or long reliever.