The 2022 season is not necessarily a make-or-break year for MacKenzie Gore, but the Padres no doubt would like to see him put a good foot forward after his stuff backed up considerably during the pandemic.
Count ESPN's Kiley McDaniel among the prospects rankers who are not giving up on the 22-year-old left-hander, ranking him No. 80 in the top-100 released on Tuesday.
Baseball America dropped Gore out of its top-100 last month, while McDaniel echoed The Athletic's Keith Law in declaring "it's hard to walk away from a talent like this."
Added McDaniel: "This could be the year his above-average stuff and plus command return and he showcases it in the big leagues in whatever the role the Padres need."
One problem.
Gore is on the 40-man roster and, because of the lockout, not allowed to get to work as other Padres prospects — like No. 4-ranked CJ Abrams — can in minicamp ahead of full minor league camp beginning March 5.
Gore would seem to need all the work he can get after a trying two years in which he toiled in obscurity at the alternate site in 2020, posted a 5.85 ERA to start 2021 at Triple-A El Paso and was removed from competition for two months to address mechanical deficiencies.
His velocity bumped back up as he returned to action in the low minors, but Gore was hit-and-miss in the Arizona Fall League (6.35 ERA) before working with new pitching coach Ruben Niebla at Petco Park ahead of the lockout.
Of course, contact with team staff and trainers is currently a no-no, adding yet another obstacle as Gore looks to re-establish himself as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball as he was entering the 2020 season.
Here's a look at how McDaniel rated the other Padres prospects who landed in his top-100:
4 | SS CJ Abrams
— "He's also still a special hitter with a Lofton-like slash to his swing and he's still growing into more raw power and will incorporate more in-game gap power to deposit more over the fence."
31 | OF Robert Hassell III
— "Hassell's power still plays below average in games, but his on-base ability may end up being elite given his approach and contact skills. Power is usually the last tool to come; it often comes to advanced hitters who are good athletes, and a number of scouts tagged Hassell pre-draft as having the best makeup in the draft class, so I'm not worried."
67 | C Luis Campusano
—"He hasn't hit well in his 12 MLB games, but in the minors, Campy has mashed, showing off above average raw power and contact skills. He's markedly improved behind the plate, where he's fringe-to-average now with a plus arm."
