Louis Taggart | July 10, 2024
Drafted in the third round of last year’s MLB Draft, Jack Mahoney had lofty expectations for his first full season of pro ball but has exceeded those expectations.
A couple of weeks ago, he became the second player in Fresno Grizzlies history to throw a complete game shutout, when he did so against the Stockton Ports. This performance was one of the best in minor league baseball all season and shined a light on his talent.
Scouting Report
An athlete who can do anything, Jack Mahoney played every sport in high school and was even the starting QB for his high school football team.
His high school baseball coach, Mike Manno gave his athleticism high praise when he said “This kid is legit, and he was only 14. The first time you saw him throw the ball, you knew he had the ‘it’ factor. The best part about it is he is an unbelievable baseball player, but an even more unbelievable human being.”
-via Journal and Topics
Jack Mahoney is a middle-of-the-rotation prospect with a sturdy floor. Mahoney can work two different fastballs that sit 92-95 mph, can reach up to 97, and are great at inducing weak contact and ground balls. Alongside his heaters, Mahoney throws a changeup and a slider, which both sit in the mid-80s.
The changeup has plus (60-grade) potential. He would benefit massively if he improved his fringe-average slider and/or worked to add a curveball to his arsenal. At worst, Mahoney looks like a swingman/long-reliever but there is potential to sit in the middle of an MLB rotation.
Timeline
Growing Up
Born in Arlington Heights, Illinois, Mahoney grew up watching his uncle play catcher for his hometown team, the Chicago Cubs, a team that he says was his favorite team growing up. Baseball was always in his blood. In high school, Mahoney played football and basketball along with baseball for St. Viator High School.
As a freshman, he helped his team, which included, the likes of Cole Kmet win the state championship. In Mahoney’s remaining years, he would become one of the most decorated athletes in school history. His impressive play as a two-way baseball star got swarms of attention from high-profile DI programs.
Although he’s now a pitcher, schools were enamored by his fielding ability, and he was touted as one of the best shortstops in his high school class. Despite being an Illinois kid, Mahoney would commit to The University of South Carolina.
2021: Freshman at South Carolina
In his first season for the Gamecocks, Mahoney suited up once as a position player, in what would end as a hitless outing. Mahoney made 14 appearances on the mound but was primarily used as a reliever, only collecting five starts. Tragedy struck in early May, as he would get a serious injury to his throwing shoulder. Despite this injury cutting his season short, he still logged 33.1 innings, with a brilliant 1.62 ERA.
Mahoney said after the season, “Looking back on it now, it was kind of frustrating to have the freshman year that I had and then have to take my medicine with the injury.”
2022: Sophomore at South Carolina
Sadly, the fate of Mahoney’s sophomore season was determined before the season even got started, as he underwent Tommy John surgery to repair his right elbow. This meant Mahoney did not pitch at all and was stuck to limited position play action. He only started one game this season at second base but was often used as a pinch bat late in games. In 16 at-bats, Mahoney hit two home runs, including a three-run bomb vs. the Tar Heels.
2023: Junior Season and Draft Day
His third and ultimately last season in a Gamecock uniform, Mahoney took over a full-time starting role for the first time. He pitched to the tune of a 4.16 ERA–a fair mark for his first season coming off Tommy John. Mahoney was also a workhorse, throwing 17 more innings than anyone else on the team. This workload and the impressive arsenal coming off an injury was a positive sign for Mahoney’s future development as a starting pitcher.
As a prospect, Mahoney was considered a top-100 pick, who could develop into a good middle-of-the-rotation starter. His pitching performance intrigued teams, but Mahoney was praised by every coach he’s ever been around and was on the SEC Honor Roll every season at South Carolina. Throughout the process, the Rockies had their eye on Mahoney, meeting with him for interviews multiple times.
In the third round of the 2023 MLB draft, the Rockies selected Mahoney with the 77th pick.
After the pick, Mahoney voiced his appreciation for the Rockies,
“It’s been such a cool experience. The Rockies are a great organization. I’m familiar with them and have sat in on meetings with them. It’s a great fit.”
The good news didn’t stop there for Mahoney. On the second day of the draft, good friend and South Carolina teammate Braylen Wimmer called Mahoney and said, “watch this.” Thereafter, he tuned in to the draft and saw that the Rockies had selected Wimmer in the 8th round of the draft, and they would both be going into the Rockies organization together.
2024: Fresno Grizzlies
Starting the season in Fresno was always the plan, but not only was Jack Mahoney in the Fresno Grizzlies’ starting rotation, but he also earned the opening-day nod. In his first start, he pitched five innings of one-run ball, recording eight strikeouts and getting the win.
Much like in college, a Braylen Wimmer home run helped Mahoney get the run support needed to claim the win. This was just the tip of the iceberg for Mahoney. On June 21st, he became the second pitcher in Fresno Grizzlies history to throw a complete game shutout. A performance was highlighted by attacking the zone and inducing weak ground balls.
Despite making it look easy, Mahoney has had to adapt his game, when Stephen Rice asked him about what he’s learned, Mahoney said,
“The biggest thing is calling my own game now, never really had to call my own game”
Future Outlook
Jack Mahoney has been one of the best pitchers in all of Minor League Baseball. His ERA sits at 3.00 in a grueling 81 innings pitched. Despite the Fresno Grizzlies having multiple standout pitching seasons, Jack Mahoney currently sticks out as the most dominant pitcher in Fresno.
While the Rockies may take it slow with Mahoney in the second half as he approaches a career-high in innings, the former Gamecock is all but set to reach Spokane before the end of the season with a potential big league debut on the table as soon as 2026.
For a Rockies team with a pressing need for quality rotation arms, Mahoney figures to be one of the beacons of hope as a potential backend starter amidst a strong wave of pitching prospects set to join esteemed veterans on Blake St.
Leave a Reply