Christian McGowan

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #16 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: McGowan was the Phillies seventh-round selection in 2021 out of Eastern Oklahoma State JC. He spent three seasons at the school and blossomed in his draft year after switching from a four-seamer to a sinker and upping his velocity considerably. The righthander was committed to Texas Tech but signed for $577,000. He had Tommy John surgery in 2022 and didn’t make his 2023 debut until July. He made up for lost time in the Arizona Fall League.
  
  Scouting Report: McGowan operates primarily with his sinker-slider combo but will mix in a changeup every so often as well. The fastball sits in the mid 90s and can touch 98 with wicked running life that helped him get grounders by the bushel. The pitch is thrown from a higher than average release height for a sinking fastball. McGowan actually has two types of sliders: a sweeper for whiffs and a tighter-breaking gyro to drop in for called strikes. He throws a high-80s changeup, though some scouts think he might be a candidate for a splitter that would give him a weapon to attack north-south. He has below-average control and the Phillies would like him to learn that it’s OK to pitch to contact.
  
  The Future: McGowan will pitch at an upper-level stop in 2024 and could be a candidate for a late-season big league debut if things fall into place. He has an outside chance for a back-end role but more likely fits as a late-inning power arm.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 40
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #18 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Extreme
  
  Track Record: McGowan had an impressive 2021 season at Eastern Oklahoma JC, where he struck out 109 batters in 74 innings, and the Phillies selected him in the seventh round and gave him an over-slot $577,000 bonus. He pitched just five innings in his pro debut in 2021 due to minor injuries, and only made two starts in 2022 for High-A Jersey Shore--after an impressive showing in spring training--before having Tommy John surgery.
  
  Scouting Report: McGowan has an effective three-pitch mix, with a four-seam fastball with sinking action that sat 94-97 mph during 2021 instructs and averaged 93.3 mph in his two starts in 2022. The pitch projects as above-average thanks to its hard movement in the zone, and should be a weapon that gives hitters headaches. He pairs it with a hard, mid-80s slider with above-average spin that induced whiffs at a 42.9% rate in his two starts and projects as an above-average or better offering. He didn't use his changeup in his two starts in 2022, but in the past it was a weapon for attacking lefties in the upper 80s with good deception that flashed above-average. McGowan has a repeatable delivery with three intriguing pitches, but his strike-throwing issues in the past likely make him a better option out of the bullpen, where his mix should play up.
  
  The Future: McGowan will likely spend most of the 2023 season back at High-A Jersey Shore. Assuming he stays healthy, he could emerge as a high-leverage option out of the bullpen for later in the 2024 season.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 40.
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #18 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: McGowan worked primarily as a reliever in his freshman season at Eastern Oklahoma State JC before transitioning to the rotation in 2020 and breaking out in 2021, with a 2.55 ERA and 13.3 strikeouts per nine innings. The Phillies scooped up McGowan in the seventh round, and he made four appearances between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Clearwater before finishing the season in instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: McGowan has an impressive four-pitch arsenal from the right side, led by his two-seam and four-seam fastballs that sat 94-97 mph at instructs. The two-seamer has hard sinking action, and the pitches play well off each other. He attacks lefties with a high-80s changeup that has good deception and arm speed, making it an above-average offering. He also throws a hard, mid-80s slider with diving action that has earned above-average to plus grades. McGowan is a good athlete with a repeatable delivery, but needs to throw more strikes after walking 30 batters in 74 innings in 2021.
  
  The Future: After not throwing many innings in junior college, the Phillies could opt to start McGowan at Low-A Clearwater in 2022, with a promotion to High-A not far off.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #191 prospect in 2021 draft
  Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, McGowan has pitched for Eastern Oklahoma State JC for three seasons. But 2021 was undoubtedly his best season, as the righthander showcased one of the best fastballs in juco ball. His 109 strikeouts (in 74 innings) ranked ninth among NJCAA Division I pitchers. McGowan’s four-seamer was hammered early in his juco career, so he added a two-seamer. The two-seamer provided survival skills when he was sitting 88-90 mph as a freshman in 2019. Now that he can sit 94-96 mph and touch 98, both the two- and four-seamer have become plus offerings. Teams stacked their lineups with lefties to face McGowan, but that just played in his hand. His 86-89 mph above-average changeup has long been a pitch he believes in. It tunnels well with his fastball and he sells it with excellent arm speed. His 82-84 mph above-average slider has real teeth at its best. It’s a power pitch with 1-to-6 movement, as it generally finishes diving rather than sweeping. McGowan is committed to Texas Tech, but he could go high enough in the draft to make that a tough decision.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Extreme
  
  Track Record: McGowan had an impressive 2021 season at Eastern Oklahoma JC, where he struck out 109 batters in 74 innings, and the Phillies selected him in the seventh round and gave him an over-slot $577,000 bonus. He pitched just five innings in his pro debut in 2021 due to minor injuries, and only made two starts in 2022 for High-A Jersey Shore--after an impressive showing in spring training--before having Tommy John surgery.
  
  Scouting Report: McGowan has an effective three-pitch mix, with a four-seam fastball with sinking action that sat 94-97 mph during 2021 instructs and averaged 93.3 mph in his two starts in 2022. The pitch projects as above-average thanks to its hard movement in the zone, and should be a weapon that gives hitters headaches. He pairs it with a hard, mid-80s slider with above-average spin that induced whiffs at a 42.9% rate in his two starts and projects as an above-average or better offering. He didn't use his changeup in his two starts in 2022, but in the past it was a weapon for attacking lefties in the upper 80s with good deception that flashed above-average. McGowan has a repeatable delivery with three intriguing pitches, but his strike-throwing issues in the past likely make him a better option out of the bullpen, where his mix should play up.
  
  The Future: McGowan will likely spend most of the 2023 season back at High-A Jersey Shore. Assuming he stays healthy, he could emerge as a high-leverage option out of the bullpen for later in the 2024 season.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 40.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Extreme
  
  Track Record: McGowan had an impressive 2021 season at Eastern Oklahoma JC, where he struck out 109 batters in 74 innings, and the Phillies selected him in the seventh round and gave him an over-slot $577,000 bonus. He pitched just five innings in his pro debut in 2021 due to minor injuries, and only made two starts in 2022 for High-A Jersey Shore--after an impressive showing in spring training--before having Tommy John surgery.
  
  Scouting Report: McGowan has an effective three-pitch mix, with a four-seam fastball with sinking action that sat 94-97 mph during 2021 instructs and averaged 93.3 mph in his two starts in 2022. The pitch projects as above-average thanks to its hard movement in the zone, and should be a weapon that gives hitters headaches. He pairs it with a hard, mid-80s slider with above-average spin that induced whiffs at a 42.9% rate in his two starts and projects as an above-average or better offering. He didn't use his changeup in his two starts in 2022, but in the past it was a weapon for attacking lefties in the upper 80s with good deception that flashed above-average. McGowan has a repeatable delivery with three intriguing pitches, but his strike-throwing issues in the past likely make him a better option out of the bullpen, where his mix should play up.
  
  The Future: McGowan will likely spend most of the 2023 season back at High-A Jersey Shore. Assuming he stays healthy, he could emerge as a high-leverage option out of the bullpen for later in the 2024 season.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 40.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/Extreme
  
  Midseason Update: McGowan had Tommy John surgery and is out for the year.
  
  Track Record: McGowan worked primarily as a reliever in his freshman season at Eastern Oklahoma State JC before transitioning to the rotation in 2020 and breaking out in 2021, with a 2.55 ERA and 13.3 strikeouts per nine innings. The Phillies scooped up McGowan in the seventh round, and he made four appearances between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Clearwater before finishing the season in instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: McGowan has an impressive four-pitch arsenal from the right side, led by his two-seam and four-seam fastballs that sat 94-97 mph at instructs. The two-seamer has hard sinking action, and the pitches play well off each other. He attacks lefties with a high-80s changeup that has good deception and arm speed, making it an above-average offering. He also throws a hard, mid-80s slider with diving action that has earned above-average to plus grades. McGowan is a good athlete with a repeatable delivery, but needs to throw more strikes after walking 30 batters in 74 innings in 2021.
  
  The Future: After not throwing many innings in junior college, the Phillies could opt to start McGowan at Low-A Clearwater in 2022, with a promotion to High-A not far off.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: McGowan worked primarily as a reliever in his freshman season at Eastern Oklahoma State JC before transitioning to the rotation in 2020 and breaking out in 2021, with a 2.55 ERA and 13.3 strikeouts per nine innings. The Phillies scooped up McGowan in the seventh round, and he made four appearances between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Clearwater before finishing the season in instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: McGowan has an impressive four-pitch arsenal from the right side, led by his two-seam and four-seam fastballs that sat 94-97 mph at instructs. The two-seamer has hard sinking action, and the pitches play well off each other. He attacks lefties with a high-80s changeup that has good deception and arm speed, making it an above-average offering. He also throws a hard, mid-80s slider with diving action that has earned above-average to plus grades. McGowan is a good athlete with a repeatable delivery, but needs to throw more strikes after walking 30 batters in 74 innings in 2021.
  
  The Future: After not throwing many innings in junior college, the Phillies could opt to start McGowan at Low-A Clearwater in 2022, with a promotion to High-A not far off.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, McGowan has pitched for Eastern Oklahoma State JC for three seasons. But 2021 was undoubtedly his best season, as the righthander showcased one of the best fastballs in juco ball. His 109 strikeouts (in 74 innings) ranked ninth among NJCAA Division I pitchers. McGowan's four-seamer was hammered early in his juco career, so he added a two-seamer. The two-seamer provided survival skills when he was sitting 88-90 mph as a freshman in 2019. Now that he can sit 94-96 mph and touch 98, both the two- and four-seamer have become plus offerings. Teams stacked their lineups with lefties to face McGowan, but that just played in his hand. His 86-89 mph above-average changeup has long been a pitch he believes in. It tunnels well with his fastball and he sells it with excellent arm speed. His 82-84 mph above-average slider has real teeth at its best. It's a power pitch with 1-to-6 movement, as it generally finishes diving rather than sweeping. McGowan is committed to Texas Tech, but he could go high enough in the draft to make that a tough decision.