Like his teammate Jud Fabian at the University of Florida, Tommy Mace had a chance to be one of the top picks in the MLB draft. However, Mace had a tough end to his season. He started as the Friday night starter for Florida but saw himself moved around the rotation and finished his junior season with a 6-2 record along with a 4.38 ERA.
A former 12th round draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds, Mace went and got played at UF for three years after being a second-team All-American after playing high school ball at Sulake High School in Tampa. At 6-foot-6, Mace won 22 games and had a save in college.
Scouting Grades/Report (20-80 grading scale)
Fastball:55, Curveball: 50, Slider:45, Changeup:50, Control: 50, OverallL: 50
Strengths
There are very few players in this draft class that are going to out-compete Mace. He is not willing to back down against any hitter he faces and is one to show his emotion when he succeeds. With his size, Mace throws in the mid-90s with his downhill fastball.
Tommy Mace getting out of a jam and pitching with 🔥🔥🔥🐊
♥️⚾️ pic.twitter.com/t6lVat3t2b
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 19, 2021
His cutter is equally as effective as he can start the pitch in the zone. It has transitioned into a bit more of a slider but has terrific movement Mace is a ground ball pitcher and has a heavy spin rate on his curveball, and can throw his changeup for strikes.
When he struggles, he does a great job of keeping his composure in large part to the great coaching he received at Florida with Head Coach Kevin O’ Sullivan. While his numbers were not where he would like, he has a chance to successful if he can continue to put in thew work he does on and off the field.
Weakness
When he does not spot his fastball, he can be hittable. Mace also really struggled toward the end of the season as a junior. He is still working on fine-tuning his pitches. Mace has a great spin rate on his curveball, but he is still trying to develop it into a pitch he can use more often.
Mace also needs to limit the home run ball as he allowed 10 in 90.1 innings and had three games as a junior where he allowed multiple home runs. It is pretty clear on days when he has his stuff working, but he could be in for a short night on the mound on days where he does not.
MLB Comparison
Tommy Mace has a similar mentality to Matt Harvey in 2015. While Mace does not throw as hard as Harvey did, both pitchers are not willing to back down from anyone. Both pitchers have seen their off-speed pitches improve over time. Mace is a bit taller than Harvey, but they can each rack up strikeouts in a hurry when they are on.
As someone who played baseball in the SEC, Mace can be a top of the rotation arm in the big leagues. However, he is going to have to work his way up through the minor leagues and is certainly a few years from being major league ready.
Players mentioned: Jud Fabian, Tommy Mace, Matt Harvey
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
