Position: RHP
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 215 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 10/15/1997
High School: East Lake HS (Tarpon Springs, FL)
How Acquired: Draft 2nd round, 68th Overall, 2016
Bonus: $900,000
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: Yes
Minor League Free Agency: 2023
Options Left: 3
Overview
MacGregor moved up in scouts’ estimation as the 2015 season went along, as his fastball got into the low-90s, touching 94. At the time he also threw a change and curve. By 2018 he’d started throwing a slider and his velocity was up to the mid-90s. More recently he’s added a cutter. At the time of the draft, Baseball America had him rated only 186th among draft prospects and MLB.com didn’t have him in their top 200. He had a commitment to Clemson, but the Pirates signed him for $48,900 below the slot amount.
2016-20
MacGregor had a solid GCL debut, making nine starts and showing good control. The Pirates sent him to Bristol in 2017 and he had a rough time. Opponents teed off on him for a 339/413/444 line. The damage came mainly toward the end of the season; his monthly opponents’ OPS was:
June: .516
July: .668
August: 1.393
In 2018, MacGregor went to low A and in the early going was a very different pitcher. His velocity increased to the mid-90s and he added a slider. His K rate increased by 50% and opponents batted only .237 against him. Injuries unfortunately intruded. MacGregor missed over a month starting in mid-May due to a deltoid muscle injury, then missed the last couple months of the season with forearm soreness. That, unfortunately, led to Tommy John surgery. That cost MacGregor all of 2019, and of course he then missed 2020 due to the pandemic.
2021-23
In 2021, MacGregor pitched in the Altoona rotation all season. On the plus side, he stayed healthy. He started off well, with a 2.63 ERA in four May starts. He had a little more trouble in June, then had ERAs of 8.57 and 11.88 in July and August. He rebounded to pitch well in September. Both walks and home runs were problems during the bad stretch, but he did put up a 12.0 K/9. In 2022, MacGregor got battered in three starts for Altoona to open the season and the Pirates moved him to the bullpen. They seemed to have found a solution, as he put up a 2.40 ERA in 11 relief appearances, most of them 2-5 innings. His ERA in starts was 8.37. In late June, MacGregor moved up to Indianapolis. That didn’t go well, as MacGregor struggled to throw strikes and got hammered as well. He had a 7.25 ERA and 1.78 WHIP.
MacGregor became a minor league free agent after the 2022 season. During spring training, he signed a minor league deal with the Pirates. He went back to Altoona and pitched in long relief, putting up a 1.83 ERA and 11.8 K/9 over 16 games. The Pirates moved him up to Indianapolis and he got hit much harder. Opponents batted .303 against him and he had a 5.40 ERA.
MacGregor will be a free agent again in the fall unless the Pirates re-sign him.
Stats
Transactions
June 9, 2016: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2nd round, 68th overall pick; signed on June 16.
November 10, 2022: Became a free agent.
March 9, 2023: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates.