Chris McMahon

McMahon has shown impressive athleticism and arm strength dating back to his high school days, when he was up to 95 mph and showed potential for two quality offspeed offerings. He was drafted by the Braves in the 33rd round but opted for Miami, where he emerged as the top pitcher in his class in southern Florida. McMahon has a solid track record with the Hurricanes, and scouts believe his pitch metrics will excite analytically-inclined evaluators. His fastball is a plus offering that regularly sits in the mid-90s with deception and solid riding life. Some scouts consider his slider the better of his two secondary offerings and call it a plus breaking ball, while others are higher on a changeup that draws plus grades as well. Neither is consistently plus, but both flash it. McMahon has also implemented a cutter, though some evaluators believe it is simply a more firm version of his slider. McMahon has a minor back injury on his resume, but he’s largely been successful when healthy. He was off to his best collegiate season in 2020 with a 1.05 ERA, 38 strikeouts and five walks over 25.2 innings. With his potent three-pitch mix and accomplished track record, McMahon is in the mix to go as high as the back of the first round, and it would be surprising to see him slide past the second round.