Michael Mader
| IP | 512 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.832 |
| WHIP | 1.375 |
| BB/9 | 3.92 |
| SO/9 | 6.662 |
- Full name Michael Christopher Mader
- Born 02/18/1994 in Houston, TX
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Chipola Junior College
-
Drafted in the SUP round (105th overall) by the Miami Marlins in 2014 (signed for $499,500).
View Draft Report
Mader, who pitched mostly at 87-89 mph last year, has added arm strength in his second year at Chipola JC, one of the top junior college programs in the country. His velocity had been inconsistent this spring, touching 95 mph early and sitting 89-91 later in the year. His top secondary offering is a curveball that shows plus potential but is very inconsistent and has a sizable gap between its present and future grades. He has trouble repeating his arm slot, giving it slider-like tilt at times and curveball shape at others. His changeup lags behind, flashing average but usually playing below that. The increased velocity has come with additional effort in Mader's delivery, and he has shown below-average control (5.6 walks per nine) and stiffness in the front side of his delivery. He'll get the opportunity to work as a starter with the hope that he can throw enough strikes, but most scouts believe that his long-term role is in the bullpen as a two-pitch power reliever, a role that will allow his stuff to play up. The Florida State commit has a durable, sturdy build at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
Credit the selection of Mader in the supplemental third round of the 2014 draft to big league pitching coach Chuck Hernandez, who spotted the young lefthander at Marianna (Fla.) High. After two years at Jeff Johnson's Chipola (Fla.) JC baseball factory, Mader signed with the Marlins for $499,500, thus passing on a Florida State commitment. At 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, Mader physically resembles Patrick Corbin, the Diamondbacks lefty and 2009 second-round pick who also attended Chipola. Mader, like Corbin, relies on a fastball that sits 90-93 mph. Unlike the slider-throwing Corbin, Mader's best breaking pitching is an overhand curveball, which improved with mechanical changes that got him away from a big leg kick and a hand-pump. Mader doesn't possess Corbin's athleticism or command of swing-and-miss stuff. He uses a changeup to try to keep righthanders off balance but it backed up in 2015, and they hit .287 against him at low Class A Greensboro. Mader has little projection but has fluid mechanics and profiles as a polished, back-end starter. He graduates to high Class A Jupiter in 2016. -
Tampa resident Chuck Hernandez, the Marlins' big league pitching coach and former assistant coach at South Florida, knew of Mader from his days Marianna (Fla.) High, which is the alma mater of Marlins backup catcher Jeff Mathis. Mader spent two years at Chipola (Fla.) JC, and the Marlins signed the 2014 supplemental third-rounder away from a Florida State scholarship for $499,500. The strong-bodied Mader impressed the Marlins with his solid delivery and three-pitch repertoire. His fastball sits 90-93 mph and he complements it with a 12-to-6 overhand curveball that flashes plus and a changeup that requires more consistency. Mader went through a transitional period in pro ball, looking tentative at times but occasionally dominating at short-season Batavia. One Marlins' front office executive said Mader improved each of the three times he saw him, and he concluded his first pro season having allowed four earned runs over his final 23 innings. He should be ready to move up to low Class A Greensboro in 2015 and has a ceiling as mid-rotation starter.
Draft Prospects
-
Mader, who pitched mostly at 87-89 mph last year, has added arm strength in his second year at Chipola JC, one of the top junior college programs in the country. His velocity had been inconsistent this spring, touching 95 mph early and sitting 89-91 later in the year. His top secondary offering is a curveball that shows plus potential but is very inconsistent and has a sizable gap between its present and future grades. He has trouble repeating his arm slot, giving it slider-like tilt at times and curveball shape at others. His changeup lags behind, flashing average but usually playing below that. The increased velocity has come with additional effort in Mader's delivery, and he has shown below-average control (5.6 walks per nine) and stiffness in the front side of his delivery. He'll get the opportunity to work as a starter with the hope that he can throw enough strikes, but most scouts believe that his long-term role is in the bullpen as a two-pitch power reliever, a role that will allow his stuff to play up. The Florida State commit has a durable, sturdy build at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds.
