Ranked Seattle Mariners #8 prospect in-season in 2022
BA Grade: 55/Extreme
Track Record: Born in Slovakia, Macko was introduced to baseball in the first grade when he began hitting balls off a tee at his elementary school. When he was 10, he began watching YouTube videos of Justin Verlander and David Price to teach himself how to pitch. Macko's family moved to Ireland when he was 11 and eventually settled in Canada, where he grew into the country's top high school pitching prospect. The Mariners drafted him in the seventh round in 2019 and signed him for $250,000 to forgo a Purdue commitment. Macko made his full-season debut with Low-A Modesto in 2021 and was limited to 33.1 innings by recurring shoulder tenderness, but he showed electric stuff when healthy.
Scouting Report: Macko has progressed rapidly given his unconventional background. After sitting in the upper 80s in high school, he now averages 93-94 mph and touches 97-98 with his fastball. His primary weapon is a sweeping, high-spin curveball in the low 70s with late tilt and bite that gets both swings and misses and called strikes on both sides of the plate. He has advanced feel to alter the shape and length of his curveball, making it a consensus plus-plus offering. Macko also has an average low-80s slider and fringy low-80s changeup, although he mostly just dominates with his fastball and curveball. Macko flashes average control but struggles with consistency. He often cruises for a few innings before suddenly unraveling.
The Future: Macko is frequently requested by other teams in trade discussions. His stuff and projection give him mid-rotation potential if he can stay healthy and tighten his control with more experience.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Slider: 50. Curveball: 70. Changeup: 45. Control: 45.