Mason McGwire, a son of former MLB slugger Mark McGwire, was selected in the eighth round of the 2022 MLB draft Monday.
The club that picked him might come as a surprise to fans of the elder McGwire. The Cubs, archrival of the team for which Mark finished his career, acquired Mason’s rights with the No. 233 selection.
Mark slugged his way to history by hitting a then-record 70 home runs as a member of the Cardinals in 1998. He finished his major league career with 583 homers, which ranks 11th in MLB history.
However, Mason is a 6'4", 190-pound right-handed pitcher from Capistrano Valley High School in Orange County, Calif. The 18-year-old’s fastball reportedly touches 92 mph. He’s ranked 104th in this year’s high school class and No. 28 among right-handed pitchers by Perfect Game.
The slot value bonus for McGwire will be $188,000. He’s committed to play college ball at the University of Oklahoma if he doesn’t sign with the Cubs. His older brother, Max, is currently an infielder for the Sooners.
Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks also played his high school ball at Capistrano Valley High.
