Ask BA: How Good Was Patrick Mahomes' Arm In Baseball

Q:

How good was Patrick Mahomes’ arm when he was scouted in baseball? —PATRICK MOLLETTE, @PATRICKMOLLETTE

BA:

Before he became an NFL star as the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes Jr. was a top baseball prospect who had the option of following in the footsteps of his father, Pat Mahomes, himself a top baseball prospect who ranked No. 25 overall in 1992.

Coming out of high school, Mahomes Jr. ranked No. 419 among draft prospects in 2014. The Tigers picked him in the 37th round, but his draft ranking and his draft selection were heavily influenced by the fact that he was going to focus on football at Texas Tech.

Our draft report on Mahomes from when he was a Whitehouse (Texas) High senior:

“Mahomes’ father of the same name spent parts of 11 seasons in the major leagues and was still pitching in independent ball until 2009. His son has a bigger, more physical frame at a listed 6-foot-2, 214 pounds and has shown a low-90s fastball on the mound while also showcasing excellent arm strength when he plays right field. Some evaluators like him better as a hitter who is an average runner with plus raw power from a raw offensive approach. Mahomes appears to prefer football, however, with good reason. He’s a quarterback committed to Texas Tech.”

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Mahomes touched 94 mph off the mound as a rising high school senior and also showed the flashes of a plus curveball. He also showed off a plus arm in the outfield, but in neither case did he show the top-of-the-scale arm he has now. As he matured, he has added arm strength.