South Side Sox Top Prospect No. 62: Mark McLaughlin

Mark McLaughlin

Right-Handed Relief Pitcher
6´3´´
205 pounds
Age: 22
2022 High Level Arizona (Rookie)
Age relative to high level -0.2 years
SSS rank among all right-handed relief pitchers in the system 11
2022 college stats 2-1 ⚾️ 27 games ⚾️ 1 SV ⚾️ 31 1⁄3 IP ⚾️ 2.11 ERA ⚾️ 1.085 WHIP ⚾️ 45 K ⚾️ 12 BB

At No. 221 in the 2022 MLB draft, the White Sox picked University of Tennessee righty reliever Mark McLaughlin. If he makes the majors with the big club, he’ll be perfect for those promotional valentines the White Sox like to roll out: McLaughlin is a Valentine’s Day baby.

While not possessing the velo, McLaughlin immediately reminds of Zack Burdi, as a high-profile reliever who could be ready to make fast moves through the system.

The fastball doesn’t overwhelm, but McLaughlin is doing something right, with 45 Ks in just 31 1⁄3 innings during his junior year (2022) for the Volunteers.

He dipped his toe in for just one game with the ACL White Sox after signing, striking out one in his lone inning.

McLaughlin’s Baseball Cube player ratings
Hittable 97
vs. Power 97
Strikeouts 88
K/BB 66
Durability 53
Walks 45
Team Winning Percentage .765

As alluded above, McLaughlin is 22 and has three seasons as a high-leverage reliever for a top SEC program (to a 1.90 ERA over 47 NCAA games), so there is no reason he should not be given the chance to move swiftly through the system. There’s a possibility he skips Kannapolis entirely, but anything short of spending at least the bulk of 2023 at High-A Winston-Salem would be a disappointment.

2023 South Side Sox Top 102 White Sox Prospects

62. Mark McLaughlin, RHRP
63. Terrell Tatum, LF
64. Shawn Goosenberg, 2B
65. Randel Mondesí, LF
66. Emerson Talavera, RHRP
67. Declan Cronin, RHRP
68. Fraser Ellard, LHRP
69. Colby Smelley, C
70. Ethan Hammerberg, RHRP
71. Lincoln Henzman, RHRP
72. Vince Vannelle, RHRP
73. Brooks Baldwin, 3B-2B
74. James Beard, CF
75. Gabriel Rodríguez, RHSP
76. Ronny Hernandez, C
77. Troy Claunch, C
78. Brooks Gosswein, LHSP
79. Tim Elko, 1B
80. Yoelvín Silven, RHRP
81. Trey Jeans, LHRP
82. Jerry Burke, RHSP
83. Carlos Jiménez, 1B
84. Mason Adams, RHSP
85. Frankeli Arias, LHSP
86. Ernesto Jaquez, RHSP
87. Laz Rivera, 3B
88. Xavier Fernández, C
89. Álvaro Agüero, CF
90. Ben Norman, RF
91. Erick Bello, RHRP
92. Adisyn Coffey, RHRP
93. Arnold Prado, RF
94. Alsander Womack, 2B
95. Johan Domínguez, RHSP
96. Evan Skoug, C
97. Noah Owen, RHSP
98. Javier Mora, 2B
99. Will Kincanon, RHRP
100. Yohemy Nolasco, RHSP
101. Billy Seidl, RHRP
102. José Rodulfo, RHRP