Remember when the Blue Jays traded fan-favourite Teoscar Hernández for Erik Swanson and prospect Adam Macko?
Well, Adam Macko who has had quite an under the radar season in 2023, just won the last Northwest League pitcher of the week of the season. In his September 5th start, he threw five no hit innings with two walks and two strikeouts. However, the big question is how has he done this season?
As it stands, the left-handed hurler has a 4.81 ERA and a 3.97 FIP in 86 innings pitched. Coming into this season, there were two big hurdles for the Slovakian-born, Irish-raised, Canadian-drafted player to face. For starters, he has only pitched 95 innings professionally, despite being drafted in 2019. This season, he has pitched 86 innings while avoiding the injured list.
The other big obstacle he faced was lowering his walk rate. His lowest BB% at any level with more than three innings pitched was 11.7% in his rookie season, while posting a 13.5 BB% in 2021 and a 12 BB% in 2022. The stuff was always there (his lowest K% prior to this season was 33%), but his command and control were an issue. Well, his BB% has dropped to 10.8%, which is still high, but a definite improvement.
In fact, Macko has been spectacular over the last month and a half. Since July 26th, the 22-year-old lefty has a 2.51 ERA and a 2.50 FIP, while striking out 39.7% of batters in 32.1 innings pitched.
The stuff is phenomenal. He features a 91-95 mph fastball, but has touched 97 mph, which is great from the left-side. His curveball is his best pitch, as it generates a ton of swing and miss, and the slider has a lot of sweep to it. The changeup is his worst pitch, but even that could be average as it continues to develop.
Macko’s good season may force the Blue Jays to add him to their 40-man roster, as he’s Rule 5 eligible after the season is up. Either way, the 22-year-old is an exciting prospect to keep an eye on. He ranked as Blue Jays Nation’s 21st best prospect in the mid-season update.
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