2024 South Side Sox Top Prospect No. 26: Tanner McDougal

05.03.2024 21:12

South Side Sox

All things considered, **Tanner McDougal**’s return to the mound in 2023 after a year away was a triumph. | Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

A promising righty has gotten back on track after injury

Tanner McDougal
Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
6´5´´
185 pounds
Age: 20
2022 SSS Top Prospect Ranking 21
2023 SSS Top Prospect Ranking 22
2023 High Level Kannapolis (Low-A)
Age relative to high level -1.6 years
SSS rank among all right-handed starters in the system 7
Overall 2023 stats 0-3 ⚾️ 21 starts ⚾️ 69 1⁄3 IP ⚾️ 4.15 ERA ⚾️ 1.399 WHIP ⚾️ 80 K ⚾️ 43 BB

In 16 innings as a senior for Silverado H.S. in Las Vegas, Tanner McDougal fanned 33 while walking just three on his way to a 0.88 ERA and .109 OBA. Yet, it was difficult for scouts to gauge just how good he was based upon the fact that coaches would limit him to two innings per outing through his junior year so his young body could catch up to the velocity of his arm.

With a fastball running in the low 90s and touching 96 according to MLB Pipeline, McDougal’s age and size indicated he’s capable of even more. McDougal’s heater sat at 2500 RPM with big ride, according to Prospects Live. He averaged close to 19 inches of induced vertical break over 132 pitches at last June’s MLB draft combine. He showed good repeatability, rhythm and balance on the mound, which isn’t exactly common in pitchers his size — just ask Alec Hansen.

The curveball and changeup are McDougal’s primary secondaries, and they’re both pretty impressive. The bender is a super high-efficiency breaking ball with some hard sweeping action. He rips through it at more than 3000 RPM and generates -11.7 inches of induced vertical break. This curveball shape mirroring off the reasonably efficient fastball shape can be a nightmare for hitters, and runs mid-70s per MLB Pipeline. You’re talking about a two-pitch mix with serious tunneling, and a 30-inch and 20 mph differential!

McDougal’s changeup is also a really good offering. He kills spin really well, imposing 1500 RPM regularly. This pitch is however, in its nascent stage, as he never really needed to deploy it against his prep competitors. His release is highly-efficient, destroying lift: 5.22 inches of induced vertical break is already above average, but when you couple that off 19 inches of induced vertical break on the fastball, it fits into a killer quartet of pitches — so long as he can deploy them in any count. Let’s not forget the slider, which also topped 3000 rpm at the combine. The arsenal is kind of similar to someone like Zack Greinke, according to ProspectsLive.

Due to his lack of experience, and a strong commitment with the University of Oregon, McDougal slid to the fifth round where the White Sox gladly snatched him up. McDougal, the son of former minor leaguer Mike McDougal who reached as high as Triple-A Rochester in 2000, signed an over-slot bonus with the Sox for $850,000.

The White Sox took it easy on him, and McDougal thrived in his first three outings, where he produced a combined 3.60 ERA and 0.80 WHIP in a combined five innings with one walk and 10 strikeouts. He was roughed up in his fourth start, as he surrendered six runs via three hits and three walks in 1 1⁄3 innings. McDougal allowed four hits and two earned runs in three innings in his penultimate start, and sadly faced only one batter in his final September start to close the year. That last outing proved ominous, as it turned out he needed Tommy John surgery, which will mean he won’t be pitching until the 2023 season.

Due to his struggles in his last three starts, McDougal’s year-end totals ballooned to an 9.31 ERA and 1.55 WHIP, as he allowed 10 hits and five walks while fanning an incredible 17 hitters over 9 2⁄3 innings.

After sitting out of competition in 2022 to recover from TJS, McDougal returned to the mound for Kannapolis in 2023, throwing 21 starts and acquitting himself quite well for a pitcher so long idle. While not as dominant as he appeared in overmatching hitters in high school and even in the ACL as a pro, there’s is much to build on. It’s a tribute to the high regard McDougal is held in that in spite of pitching fewer than 100 innings as a pro, his prospect capital is still sky-high.

McDougal’s Baseball Cube player ratings
Hittable 77
vsPower 77
Strikeouts 65
Durability 59
K/BB 39
Walks 31
Average 58.00

It’s uncertain how much the White Sox will unleash McDougal, now 2 1⁄2 years post-surgery. He’s a safe bet to have a green light to at least 100 innings, which should begin next month in High-A Winston-Salem.

[Note: The makeup of the White Sox minors changes over the long course of this project, shifting ratings. The February 3 trades with Seattle and Arizona have added three highly-rated prospects to our list, sliding players down. The list below represents our updated rankings, although the stories they link to will retain original rankings (example, No. 56 Troy Claunch originally was our No. 55 prospect).]