With their highest draft pick since 2009, the Padres on Monday selected Whiteville (N.C.) High left-hander MacKenzie Gore third overall.
Gore was seen as the top southpaw in the draft class and, according to some scouts, a better pitching prospect than Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) High right-hander/shortstop Hunter Greene, whom the Cincinnati Reds took with the No. 2 pick. Shortstop/outfielder Royce Lewis went No. 1 overall to the Minnesota Twins, supplanting Padres catcher Austin Hedges as the highest-ever draft pick out of JSerra Catholic High in San Juan Capistrano.
The 6-foot-2 Gore recently led Whiteville to its third North Carolina state championship in four seasons and was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year. He went 11-0 with a 0.19 earned-run average and 158 strikeouts against five walks over 74 1/3 innings.
Known for an unusually high leg kick, Gore has a low-90s fastball that can hit 96 mph. The 18-year-old's full repertoire, which includes three above-average secondary pitches, projects as that of a front-of-the-rotation starter.
"Gore is a hyper athletic kid with a plus breaking ball already, sitting 90-93 but likely to add a bit more, and feel for a changeup," ESPN scouting expert Keith Law wrote in a tweet. "I never understood the Cole Hamels comps on him (gore has a better CB, lesser CH) but the delivery really works."
Gore, who is advised by Scott Boras, is committed to East Carolina University. The No. 3 slot carries a suggested bonus value of $6,668,100.
The Padres will have two more selections Monday, at Nos. 39 and 69.
