LHP Christian MacLeod, 5th round, (159th overall), Signed - $500,000 Minnesota Twins

Hometown: Huntsville, Ala.

Roots: Sydney, N.S.

Bats/Throws: L-L

Height/Weight: 6’ 4” 227 lbs.

School: Mississippi State University.

Coach: Chris Lemonis

Previous teams: Huntsville High, Nashville Knights and East Coast Sox

Previous coaches: David Sharp (HS), Barry Bartlett (Nashville) and Eric Dubose (East Coast).

Scout: Matt Williams.

Slot money: $327,200,

Good genes: Father Kevin MacLeod pitched for the University of Toledo Rockets and was a 10th-round pick of the Oakland A’s in the 1987 draft ... Mom Kimberly, was a talented dancer …. Has two brothers Colton and Spencer.

The most important person in my baseball life: “Is my dad. He was always there at my games and was always able to point at the good and the things that I could work on. He helped me a lot with the mechanical sides of pitching as well as the mental side. He helped have a high knowledge of the game at a young age which was very beneficial as I started to get older. I definitely wouldn’t be where I am without him.”

When I knew we had another Canadian on the staff: “I knew Eric Cerantola was Canadian when he showed up on campus. I couldn’t help but tell him about my dad being from Nova Scotia and telling him I have family in the Toronto area.”

2021 (Redshirt-Sophomore Season) _ With 19 appearances and starts and a 6-6 win/loss record, he allowed 79 hits, 55 runs -- 48 earned and 33 walks ... Had second highest strikeouts (113) and second highest batters struck out looking (32), holding opponents to a .248 batting average ... Struck out 113 in 82 2/3 innings ... Facing Texas through four innings, he allowed six hits and one run with striking out seven ... Against Eastern Michigan he struck out 11 and allowed one hit and one walk through five innings ... Going up against LSU he allowed three hits, a run with two walks and nine strike outs in six innings ... Against Kentucky through six innings, he allowed two hits and a double with 11 strikeouts ... Against Auburn in six innings, he allowed five hits, two runs and collected six strikeouts ... Going against the Ole Miss Rebels, he had five strikeouts and gave up four hits with two runs and two walks through five innings ... Facing the South Carolina Gamecocks through seven innings, he allowed one hit and two walks while collecting six strikeouts ... Pitching against he collected 10 strikeouts through seven innings, and allowed five hits, two runs and one walk ... Pitching against VCU he collected 12 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings, and five hits and four runs ... And in his finale against Notre Dame he threw five innings, with seven strikeouts.

2020 Redshirt-Freshman Season _ Made four starts on the mound, including his collegiate debut in the middle game of the series versus Wright State and picked up the victory ... He led in qualifying pitchers in ERA (0.86) and opponents’ batting average (.127) and led the team in strikeouts (35), innings pitched (21) and wins (four) ... Tied for the team lead in pitching starts (four) ... Owned victories over Wright State, Oregon State, at Long Beach State and Quinnipiac ... Posted one quality start ... Held opponents to two-or-fewer runs in all four starts ... Fanned seven-plus batters in three of four starts, while issuing one-or-fewer walks in three of four starts ... Allowed two extra base hits on the season ... Earned his first collegiate victory with five shutout innings of work, fanning 11 -- the most in a collegiate debut at Mississippi State since at least 1985 ... He allowed one hit and walked one against ... Allowed two runs on five hits in the middle game of the Oregon State series as he fanned truck out seven and walked one in five innings to earn the victory ... Earned the win with five shutout innings against Long Beach State as he combined with Will Bednar for the shutout, as he allowed one hit, walked three and struck out five ... Facing Quinnipiac he struck out 12 batters in six innings scattering two hits and walking one.

2020 rankings: Became the third Diamond Dawg freshman in program history with multiple double-digit strikeout games in his debut campaign, tying Paul Maholm (2001) and Eric DuBose (1995) with two ... Only freshman in the NCAA with multiple double-digit strikeout games in 2020 and to register four-or-more victories on the season ... He tied for the most strikeouts among Power 5 freshmen on the season nationally and tied for the SEC lead in victories (four) ... Finished No. 25 in the NCAA and No. 5 in the SEC in hits allowed per nine innings (3.86) ... He was No. 32 nationally ... Was No. 41 in the NCAA and No. 4 in SEC in ERA (0.86) and ended the year No. 43 nationally and No. 3 in the SEC in strikeouts (35).

2019 spring as a freshman _ Redshirt season.

2014-18 Huntsville High _ Lettered five times for head coach David Sharp at Huntsville High, helped the Panthers to the 7A Area championship as a sophomore and senior ... Two-time Second Team All-America by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper ... Twice First Team all-state ... Two-time all-city.

Honors: 2021 season _ SEC Pitcher of the Week (April 5 and May 10) ... 2020 season _ Co-National Freshman Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and earned Freshman All-America team ... Earned third-team All-America accolades from Collegiate Baseball ... Tabbed SEC Co-Freshman of the Week after his 11 strikeouts against Wright State in his collegiate debut ... Earned a spot on Collegiate Baseball’s National Player of the Week Honor Roll for his effort versus the Raiders ... 2018 season _ Second Team All-America selection by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper ... Earned First Team all-state ... First Team all-city ... Selected Most Valuable Pitcher ... Earned All-City Pitcher of the Year ... Named team captain ... 2017 season _ Chosen Second Team All-America selection by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper ... Earned First Team all-state ... First Team all-city ... Selected as Most Valuable Pitcher ... Named team captain.

Rankings

Baseball America

6. Christian Macleod, LHP, Mississippi State (BA RANK: 129)

Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 227 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

MacLeod redshirted during the 2019 season, but impressed in 2020, when he led Mississippi State in strikeouts (35) and innings pitched (21) while posting a 0.86 ERA. He wasn’t quite as dominant over a full season this spring, but he still managed to post a 2.81 ERA over 16 starts and 75.2 innings, while striking out 106 batters (12.6 K/9) and walking 27 (3.2 BB/9). The 6-foot-4, 227-pound lefthander works with a three-pitch mix that features a fastball, curveball and changeup. His velocity is mostly in the 88-91 mph range and he touches 92-94 at his best at the moment, but the pitch does have solid riding life and gets more whiffs than the velocity would suggest—especially when he elevates up in the zone. He pairs that fastball nicely with an upper-70s downer curveball that has solid depth and 1-to-7 shape. It was his most consistent swing-and-miss pitch this spring, but MacLeod also showed good feel for a low-80s changeup that he works to his arm side away from righthanded hitters. The pitch has solid separation from his fastball and is effective when he keeps it down in the zone—though when he leaves it middle-up he has been punished. MacLeod has been a bit home run prone this spring, and he likely doesn’t have a single true plus pitch to rely on, instead having to mix, match, change speeds and eye levels to be effective. While there are questions about his overall upside, he is a good bet to start at the next level in some capacity.