South Carolina pitcher Jack Mahoney the first Gamecock selected in 2023 MLB Draft
The Colorado Rockies selected South Carolina right-hander Jack Mahoney in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft on Monday.
Picked No. 77 overall, Mahoney was the first Gamecock to hear his name called in this year’s draft.
Though he opened the season as USC’s Sunday starter, Mahoney evolved into the team’s ace by season’s end with fellow starters Noah Hall and Will Sanders dealing with injuries.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound pitcher from Arlington Heights, Illinois, went 7-4 with a 4.16 ERA in 17 starts for the Gamecocks last season, leading USC with 84 strikeouts (to 29 walks) in 84.1 innings.
Mahoney’s 2023 season was a triumphant return from Tommy John surgery, which wiped out his entire 2022 season on the mound — though he did appear in 15 games as a hitter. Mahoney’s injury was a blow to the pitching staff after he had shown promise as a midweek starter and reliever in his freshman season in 2021.
Mahoney showed no ill effects in his return from the injury, topping out at 96 miles per hour with his fastball. Mahoney primarily uses a power sinker, ranging from 92-94 mph, to jam hitters and force ground balls. A mid-80s slider and changeup serve as his main strikeout pitches, with both generating swings and misses throughout the season.
Head coach Mark Kingston raved about Mahoney’s leadership throughout the year, and it’s telling that the Gamecocks trusted Mahoney with the ball in the final game of their season in the Gainesville Super Regional.
“The fan base, the coaches, just the people in Columbia make this place so special,” Mahoney said after USC’s season ended. “Wearing this uniform has been without doubt the greatest honor of my whole life. Being able to be in a group of captains this year, it’s something I’m gonna tell my kids about.”
The second day of the MLB Draft included rounds 3-10. The draft concluded Tuesday with rounds 11-20.
South Carolina Gamecock draft picks
Will Sanders: The Chicago Cubs selected the USC right-hander in the fourth round of the 2023 MLB Draft on Monday, or No. 113 overall.
Noah Hall: The New York Mets drafted South Carolina right-hander Hall in the seventh round of the draft (No. 216 overall) on Monday after he was selected in the 20th round by the Milwaukee Brewers last summer.
Braylen Wimmer: Wimmer heard his name called in the eight round (232 overall) by the Colorado Rockies, improving on his 18th-round selection by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022.
This story was originally published July 10, 2023 at 2:09 PM with the headline "South Carolina pitcher Jack Mahoney the first Gamecock selected in 2023 MLB Draft."
