Tanner McDougal

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #16 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: In his first year back from Tommy John surgery, McDougal began showing signs of why the White Sox signed the Nevada high school product in 2021 for an over-slot $850,000 bonus. After pitching in just six Rookie-level games in his draft season and then sitting out all of 2022 after surgery, McDougal was back on the mound at Low-A Kannapolis for a full slate of 21 starts in 2023. He struck out 80 batters in 69.1 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .218 average.
  
  Scouting Report: The arm and stuff are both there, but McDougal needs to become more consistent in all facets of pitching. His fastball averages 95 mph and touches 98-99. His curveball sits in the 79-82 mph range and has plus potential with two-plane break and significant depth and horizontal movement. McDougal’s third pitch is a hard changeup in the 88-90 mph range. He started working with a slider late in the 2023 season and will continue developing that fourth pitch when spring training rolls around. The White Sox staff worked with him to smooth out his mechanics during his rehab period. His delivery became much quieter and his head held a better line. He still has some issues repeating his arm slot and release point, which could inhibit his control.
  
  The Future: McDougal has worked hard since joining the organization, including adding more than 40 pounds. He’s got a high ceiling but with plenty of development ahead. He’ll move up one level to High-A Winston-Salem in 2024, where he could spend the entire season.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #15 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: The White Sox juggled bonus money early in the 2021 draft to grab McDougal in the fifth round for an over-slot bonus of $850,000. He got into six games in the Arizona Complex League in his first summer of pro ball before an elbow injury required Tommy John surgery in October 2021. He got back on the mound for bullpens and live batting practice sessions during the 2022 fall instructional league season, with a full recovery expected in time to break camp with a team in 2023.
  
  Scouting Report: McDougal has the potential for frontline quality pitches when healthy. His fastball was back up to 96 mph during the fall and an upper-70s curveball with tons of spin and depth looked like a future plus pitch. His 81-85 mph changeup is thrown with less arm speed than his fastball, which is an area for improvement once he's back on the mound regularly. McDougal's pre-injury crossfire delivery ended with a head whack, and White Sox coaches have been working with him during his rehab to smooth out the delivery. His command was off during the live BP sessions, which was not surprising considering how recently removed he was from TJ.
  
  The Future: McDougal should get to full-season ball in 2023 and will likely start the season in extended spring training to manage his innings. He has tantalizing stuff, and a better projection on his future will come after he's back on the mound in regular games.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 45
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #19 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: The White Sox saved bonus pool money on many of their top ten draft picks, allotting much of the savings to sign McDougal, a fifth-round selection. A projectable righthanded high school pitcher from Las Vegas, the White Sox signed McDougal for a well above-slot bonus of $850,000. The former Oregon commit appeared in six games in the Arizona Complex League. He suffered an elbow injury and had Tommy John surgery in late October.
  
  Scouting Report: With a tall, projectable frame and a loose arm, McDougal delivers a 92-94 mph fastball that touches 96. He lands his high-spin breaking ball that resembles a slurve at mid-80s slider speed, and has the makings of a plus pitch. He doesn’t yet have a lot of feel for his 81-85 mph changeup, too often slowing down his arm during his delivery. Amateur scouts were concerned with his crossfire delivery that culminated in a violent head whack. Due to ample moving parts and violence in his delivery, many evaluators foresee an eventual move to the bullpen. Prior to the injury, White Sox staff worked with McDougal to get better direction toward the plate in hopes it would help the command and the shape of his fastball.
  
  The Future: McDougal will spend the entire 2022 season rehabbing the elbow and will be 20 years old when he returns to the mound in 2023.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #146 prospect in 2021 draft
  McDougal, whose father pitched in the minor leagues, isn’t as well known in draft prospect circles because he didn’t play in a lot of the big events, other than the 2020 Area Code Games, leading into his senior high school season. With a solid, projectable frame, McDougal is still very much an intriguing project with a very loose arm that delivers a fastball in the 92-94 mph range, touching 96 mph. His breaking ball, best labeled as a slurve, has a wide range of speeds and can be a plus pitch when he consistently delivers it at mid-80s slider speed. He slows his arm and doesn’t have a lot of feel for an 81-85 mph changeup. He has below-average command, in part because of a delivery with a head whack and plenty of moving parts, which could indicate a future as a bullpen arm, and he doesn’t work out of the windup much. McDougal is committed to Oregon.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: The White Sox juggled bonus money early in the 2021 draft to grab McDougal in the fifth round for an over-slot bonus of $850,000. He got into six games in the Arizona Complex League in his first summer of pro ball before an elbow injury required Tommy John surgery in October 2021. He got back on the mound for bullpens and live batting practice sessions during the 2022 fall instructional league season, with a full recovery expected in time to break camp with a team in 2023.
  
  Scouting Report: McDougal has the potential for frontline quality pitches when healthy. His fastball was back up to 96 mph during the fall and an upper-70s curveball with tons of spin and depth looked like a future plus pitch. His 81-85 mph changeup is thrown with less arm speed than his fastball, which is an area for improvement once he's back on the mound regularly. McDougal's pre-injury crossfire delivery ended with a head whack, and White Sox coaches have been working with him during his rehab to smooth out the delivery. His command was off during the live BP sessions, which was not surprising considering how recently removed he was from TJ.
  
  The Future: McDougal should get to full-season ball in 2023 and will likely start the season in extended spring training to manage his innings. He has tantalizing stuff, and a better projection on his future will come after he's back on the mound in regular games.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 45
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: The White Sox juggled bonus money early in the 2021 draft to grab McDougal in the fifth round for an over-slot bonus of $850,000. He got into six games in the Arizona Complex League in his first summer of pro ball before an elbow injury required Tommy John surgery in October 2021. He got back on the mound for bullpens and live batting practice sessions during the 2022 fall instructional league season, with a full recovery expected in time to break camp with a team in 2023.
  
  Scouting Report: McDougal has the potential for frontline quality pitches when healthy. His fastball was back up to 96 mph during the fall and an upper-70s curveball with tons of spin and depth looked like a future plus pitch. His 81-85 mph changeup is thrown with less arm speed than his fastball, which is an area for improvement once he's back on the mound regularly. McDougal's pre-injury crossfire delivery ended with a head whack, and White Sox coaches have been working with him during his rehab to smooth out the delivery. His command was off during the live BP sessions, which was not surprising considering how recently removed he was from TJ.
  
  The Future: McDougal should get to full-season ball in 2023 and will likely start the season in extended spring training to manage his innings. He has tantalizing stuff, and a better projection on his future will come after he's back on the mound in regular games.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 45
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record:: The White Sox saved bonus pool money on many of their top ten draft picks, allotting much of the savings to sign McDougal, a fifth-round selection. A projectable righthanded high school pitcher from Las Vegas, the White Sox signed McDougal for a well above-slot bonus of $850,000. The former Oregon commit appeared in six games in the Arizona Complex League. He suffered an elbow injury and had Tommy John surgery in late October.
  
  Scouting Report: With a tall, projectable frame and a loose arm, McDougal delivers a 92-94 mph fastball that touches 96. He lands his high-spin breaking ball that resembles a slurve at mid-80s slider speed, and has the makings of a plus pitch. He doesn&#39t yet have a lot of feel for his 81-85 mph changeup, too often slowing down his arm during his delivery. Amateur scouts were concerned with his crossfire delivery that culminated in a violent head whack. Due to ample moving parts and violence in his delivery, many evaluators foresee an eventual move to the bullpen. Prior to the injury, White Sox staff worked with McDougal to get better direction toward the plate in hopes it would help the command and the shape of his fastball.
  
  The Future: McDougal will spend the entire 2022 season rehabbing the elbow and will be 20 years old when he returns to the mound in 2023.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The White Sox saved bonus pool money on many of their top ten draft picks, allotting much of the savings to sign McDougal, a fifth-round selection. A projectable righthanded high school pitcher from Las Vegas, the White Sox signed McDougal for a well above-slot bonus of $850,000. The former Oregon commit appeared in six games in the Arizona Complex League. He suffered an elbow injury and had Tommy John surgery in late October.
  
  Scouting Report: With a tall, projectable frame and a loose arm, McDougal delivers a 92-94 mph fastball that touches 96. He lands his high-spin breaking ball that resembles a slurve at mid-80s slider speed, and has the makings of a plus pitch. He doesn’t yet have a lot of feel for his 81-85 mph changeup, too often slowing down his arm during his delivery. Amateur scouts were concerned with his crossfire delivery that culminated in a violent head whack. Due to ample moving parts and violence in his delivery, many evaluators foresee an eventual move to the bullpen. Prior to the injury, White Sox staff worked with McDougal to get better direction toward the plate in hopes it would help the command and the shape of his fastball.
  
  The Future: McDougal will spend the entire 2022 season rehabbing the elbow and will be 20 years old when he returns to the mound in 2023.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  McDougal, whose father pitched in the minor leagues, isn't as well known in draft prospect circles because he didn't play in a lot of the big events, other than the 2020 Area Code Games, leading into his senior high school season. With a solid, projectable frame, McDougal is still very much an intriguing project with a very loose arm that delivers a fastball in the 92-94 mph range, touching 96 mph. His breaking ball, best labeled as a slurve, has a wide range of speeds and can be a plus pitch when he consistently delivers it at mid-80s slider speed. He slows his arm and doesn't have a lot of feel for an 81-85 mph changeup. He has below-average command, in part because of a delivery with a head whack and plenty of moving parts, which could indicate a future as a bullpen arm, and he doesn't work out of the windup much. McDougal is committed to Oregon.