Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | NYM | RHP | 16 | 40 |
Grades Update: Feb 2021
| OFP | Role | FB | SL | CH | Cnt/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 40 | 60 | 55 | 45 | 50/40 |
Feb 2021 Report
Evaluator: Danny Brackman
Age: 25 yr
Height: 6-7
Weight: 230 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2014 Round 8 (PHI)
RuleV: On 40-Man Roster
Physical Description: Massive frame with long limbs. Built like an NBA small forward. High waist with strong legs and core. Maxed out body a while ago but strength and shape have remained intact. Good mobility for size.
Delivery & Mechanics: Stretch only. Comes set with his back leg sunk deep and chest leaning slightly forward as a sort of pre-coil mechanism. Waist-high leg lift to activate hips further and good trunk rotation into medium effort 3/4 arm-slot that whips through and generates really good arm speed. Rather short extension relative to height but a strong lead-leg block and efficient energy transfer help repeatability for someone of his size.
Fastball: Utilized both 2-seam and 4-seam previously but appears he is pushing forward with just the 4-seam. Usually sat around 92-95 as a starter but is able to reach back for more in shorter stints. Was reportedly up to 98 at the ATS. Not much swing and miss and lots of contact throughout his MiLB career so moving to 4-seam only is very promising. Velo, spin axis, release height, and arm angle already make the fastball a plus offering with room for more. Cuts the 4-seam at times, but scrapping the 2-seam has helped him stay behind the baseball and keep the spin efficiency up. Grade: 60
Slider: Hard gyro in the mid-80s. Tunnels very well with the fastball from his arm-slot. Spin and movement profiles aren't anything overwhelming though a good gyro degree and high velo negate the need for much more, especially when it's working off the fastball. Does flatten out at times and leak back over the plate, leading to some hard contact. Grade: 55
Changeup: Mid-80s with lots of fade, often too much to control. Arm action and delivery likely both the reasons why the pitch moves a ton and why he has trouble controlling it. Lack of extension appears to hurt his feel for the release, though he does still drop in some beauties against LHHs on occasion. Grade: 45
Control and Command: Does a solid job staying around the zone, especially with the fastball and slider. Regaining feel after scrapping the 2-seam which was his primary offering will be essential. Flashes of a legit FB SL combo from a deceptive angle provides a tough AB, though hitters are practically guaranteed to see a pitch they can hit. Control: 50 | Command: 40
Overall: McWilliams is working to optimize his 4-seam and slider in anticipation of becoming a pen arm going forward. His willingness to adapt this late in his career is encouraging, especially for an individual with his track record. He projects in a low-leverage role for now, but if these adjustments click, he could become a decent late inning option.
OFP: 40
Role: 40 - Spot Starter, Long Reliever or Low-Leverage Reliever
Risk: Moderate
