P, Oklahoma State
MLB.com:
One of the better two-way prospects in the 2020 Draft, McLean also wanted a chance to play quarterback in college and turned down overtures from pro teams to enroll at Oklahoma State. After not getting on the field for the Cowboys' football team in his first year on campus, he decided to focus on baseball. Few players in this Draft can match his combination of raw power and arm strength, though he has had an up-and-down year at the plate while setting an NCAA Division I record with 107 strikeouts. Scouts initially preferred McLean as a pitcher but that changed in his senior season as a North Carolina high schooler when he cleaned up his right-handed swing and his body. His bat speed and strength allow him to produce high exit velocities and make him a threat to drive the ball out of the park to all fields. But he also struck out at an alarming rate this spring and struggled to make contact even against fastballs, and when he did put the ball in play he hit it on the ground far too often. Though he's a well below-average runner, McLean has the hands, reactions and work ethic to become an average third baseman. There are no questions about his arm, which delivers fastballs up to 98 mph and a pair of breaking pitches (downer curveball, power slider) that have a chance to become plus offerings. He's averaging nearly two strikeouts per inning as a high-leverage reliever for Oklahoma State and evaluators are beginning to wonder if his future might be brighter on the mound.
