MacKenzie Gore

BIOGRAPHY

MacKenzie Gore was born February 24, 1999, in Whiteville, North Carolina. He is a pitcher in the MLB.

Gore was considered one of the top prospects for the 2017 Major League Baseball draft. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres with the third overall pick. He signed a rookie contract on June 23, 2017. He spent 2017 with the Arizona League Padres where he pitched in seven games, posting a 0–1 record, a 1.27 ERA, and a 0.98 WHIP in seven starts. He spent 2018 with the Fort Wayne TinCaps, going 2–5 with a 4.45 ERA over 16 starts.

Gore began 2019 with the Lake Elsinore Storm, earning California League All-Star honors. That June, he was named to the 2019 All-Star Futures Game. After pitching to a 7–1 record and a 1.02 ERA over 15 starts, striking out 110 batters over 79+1⁄3 innings, he was promoted to the Amarillo Sod Poodles in early July. He produced a 2–1 record with a 4.15 ERA over 21+2⁄3 innings for Amarillo.

At the start of 2020, MLB Pipeline rated Gore as the best pitching prospect in minor league baseball and the fifth best prospect overall. 

On November 19, 2021, the Padres added Gore to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Gore made his MLB debut on April 15, 2022, pitching against the defending champion Atlanta Braves. He threw 5+1⁄3 innings while giving up 3 hits and 2 runs. He recorded his first career strikeout against Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies with a 96-mile-per-hour (154 km/h) fastball. He earned his first win on April 20. Gore stayed up with the Padres even after Snell and Mike Clevinger rejoined the club, operating out of what was at first a temporary six-man rotation that became regular usage by the end of May.

On August 2, 2022, Gore, along with C. J. Abrams, Luke Voit, Robert Hassell, James Wood, and Jarlín Susana were traded to the Washington Nationals in exchange for Juan Soto and Josh Bell. Gore made rehabilitation starts for the Rochester Red Wings, but did not pitch for the Nationals in 2022.