MacKenzie Gore: San Diego Padres Most Improbable Breakout Candidate

At the conclusion of the 2019 minor league season, all signs pointed towards MacKenzie Gore becoming an integral part of the San Diego Padres future pitching plans. He checks all boxes you want in a No. 1 starting pitcher. But a lot can change over a course of a year. And the level of starting pitching talent added this offseason would make him the Padres most improbable breakout candidate for 2021.

Coming out of Peoria last March, it seemed like a symbolic gesture to have Gore start the season with El Paso Chihuahuas before he was anointed a spot in the Padres rotation. However, COVID-19 derailed all of the Friars’ plans for their prized prospect.

COVID-19 Forced Gore to Learn His Craft on Sidelines

The 2020 minor league season was canceled due to the pandemic, which forced Gore to spend his summer at the Padres alternate training site on the campus of the University of San Diego.

Oh, there was talk of him making a spot start during the shortened season, but that never came to fruition. Other pitchers in camp were promoted, but not Gore. The hold up might have been that Gore was not on the Padres 40-man roster. It would have forced them to move a player of value off the roster to create space for him. Plus, Gore’s promotion would begin his major league baseball service time clock, which determines when a player is eligible for salary arbitration and free agency.

Instead, Gore stayed at the alternate site and fine-tuned his pitching mechanics under the guidance of the Padres’ camp coordinators. Together, they worked on refining Gore’s delivery of his secondary (curveball, slider, and change-up) pitches to give them a different look off his outstanding fastball.

Gore is MLB’s Top Pitching Prospect

Let’s not forget that we’re two seasons removed from Gore rising through the Padres minor league system. He pitched at two levels (Class-A Advanced and Double-A) with a combined 1.88 ERA and 135/28 K/BB ratio for the season.

He is a power pitcher who has a high minor league strikeout (12 Ks per nine innings) ratio. His fastball sneaks up on hitters as their swings are often defensive in nature. All of the tinkering should help Gore develop into a more complete pitcher on the mound.

Confidence is Key to Pitching

To be an effective MLB starter, you better have a pitching repertoire that gives major league hitters a different look in each of their at-bats. Or you will get hit hard in your outing. Usually, that means a young pitcher must have confidence in throwing their secondary pitches for strikes. It is a small sample, but Gore has shown a propensity to miss bats in his starts. Still, questions remain if all four of his pitches can disrupt a batter’s timing at the plate.

It should not be forgotten that Gore has not played in an organized game since last spring training. No question, he is one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball, but that doesn’t preclude him from spending time in Triple-A this season. Albeit to gain more seasoning before making the jump to the majors.

Gore’s performance in spring training will decide if he is ready to compete at the major league level. The young pitcher’s outings must show that he can provide quality innings as the longman out of the bullpen. This role will aid in limiting the amount of innings thrown by him this season. Which has become a not so easy balancing act for organizations in preserving their prized pitching prospects.

However, sending Gore to El Paso to learn his trade could be beneficial for both sides as well. Patience might be the best course for the San Diego Padres to get a maximum return on their investment.

Time will tell.