Major League Baseball teams covet top-of-the-rotation starting pitchers. The Washington Nationals had two in Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer in recent years. And they did big things. Scherzer won two Cy Young Awards in 2016 and 2017 and the duo helped the Nationals to the 2019 World Series championship. Now, Scherzer plays for The Mets, and injuries have derailed Strasburg’s career.
Left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore, a native of North Carolina, is the Nationals’ best hope for another dominating pitcher.
Gore was hyped as one of baseball’s top prospects for years. San Diego drafted him 3rd overall in the 2017 MLB draft. He made his major league debut with the Padres in April of 2022, going 4-4 that season with 66 hits allowed in 70 innings while striking out 72 and posting a 4.50 ERA.
The Washington Nationals thought so much of Gore, who is 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, that he headlined the seven-player blockbuster trade in July of 2022 that sent him and four prospects to D.C. for sluggers Josh Bell and Juan Soto.
Gore pitched a full season with Washington in 2023, going 7-10 overall, but lowering his ERA to 4.42. Expectations are high for the 2024 season.
“He is going to be really, really good,” says Nationals manager Dave Martinez, who is in his seventh season with the club. “He is so talented. His stuff is electric.”
Gore reaches 95 miles-per-hour with his fastball, has a curveball that sinks to the dirt, a swing-and-miss change-up, and a devastating slider.
“He has four unbelievable pitches,” Martinez says.
We spoke with Gore about his trade from San Diego, the pressure of being a high draft pick, how he uses veteran Nationals’ lefty Patrick Corbin as a mentor, and his relationship with Martinez.
What is the difference between playing on the West Coast versus the East Coast?
When you are on the West Coast, it can be a little more difficult for your family to watch games. Being here, you can communicate with them a little more. They get to drive five hours up from North Carolina and watch me play.
It’s great to be closer to home. I went to Whiteville High School in North Carolina. It’s cool for the family. They didn’t get to see me pitch much in the minors because I was on the West Coast. They get to see me a lot now.
Can you talk about your relationship with Nationals’ pitcher Patrick Corbin?
He has been great to me. He took me under his wing when I got here. It’s really been great to watch a guy like him pitch. He’s been one of the best left-handers in the game. In spring training, he let me stay in his guest house. We became really good friends. We talk a lot about baseball. The starters spend a lot of time together. I learned from watching him and how he goes about his business every day. Being able to watch his routine has been cool.
How would you describe your relationship with Dave Martinez? And is Jim Hickey, a longtime MLB pitcher and pitching coach, a good resource?
Dave really has trusted me, which is nice. He let me go out there and pitch a lot of innings. We talk about what I need to do to pitch well and be consistent. Hickey has been around a long time and has seen a lot of really good pitchers. We have been building a relationship and it has been great.
Martinez says you have a great four-pitch mix, which is uncommon for starters. Tell me about your pitches.
I am still trying to figure out when to use them at the right time. I have been working on the change-up and want to use it more. Perfecting it is going to be the next step. I have used it more in the minors than up here. My best pitch is my fastball. I also use the curveball and slider a lot.
Why do you wear No. 1. Only six pitchers in major history have done that. Is there some superstition involved?
I wore it in high school and [San Diego General Manager] AJ Preller saw me play in high school and asked me, “Do you want number one?” I said, “Sure.” I wore it as a freshman, and we won a state championship. I didn’t want to change numbers. I have stuck with it.
Looking back, being the third overall pick must have been pretty exciting. Did you get a lot of media attention? Did you enjoy it?
It was a great time for me, and also for everyone that helped me get to that point. That was amazing. I got a lot of press in San Diego. It’s part of the job. We have to do interviews. I don’t mind being in the spotlight, and it’s something I don’t get too caught up in.
