Chris McElvain Stats & Scouting Report

IP	49.1
ERA	4.56
WHIP	1.46
BB/9	3.83
SO/9	9.85

Full name Christopher Robert McElvain
Born 09/15/2000 in Columbia, TN
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Vanderbilt
Drafted in the 8th round (243rd overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2022 (signed for $175,700).

View Draft Report

McElvain committed to Vanderbilt before he threw a pitch in high school and in 2022 he stepped into the Friday night starter role for the team after pitching out of the bullpen in 2020 and 2021. In his first stint as a full-time starter with Vandy, McElvain posted a 4.27 ERA over 86.1 innings with 100 strikeouts (26.8 K%) and 44 walks (11.8 BB%). A 6-foot, 205-pound righthander, McElvain is a strike thrower with average stuff across the board, headlined by a fastball that sits around 92 mph and gets up to 95 with good carry and the induced vertical break numbers to back it up. McElvain throws a slider in the low 80s and has also added an upper-80s cutter this spring, with a fringe-average changeup in the mid 80s as well. Analytically-inclined teams will like the characteristics of McElvain’s fastball and a strong track record of control dating back to his high school days—though his walk rates are a bit higher than his reputation as a control artist—while more traditional scouting teams could be more skeptical about the impact of his stuff and his overall upside potential.

Top Rankings

Draft Prospects

School: Vanderbilt Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.8
BA Grade: 35/High
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: - | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 45 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 50
McElvain committed to Vanderbilt before he threw a pitch in high school and in 2022 he stepped into the Friday night starter role for the team after pitching out of the bullpen in 2020 and 2021. In his first stint as a full-time starter with Vandy, McElvain posted a 4.27 ERA over 86.1 innings with 100 strikeouts (26.8 K%) and 44 walks (11.8 BB%). A 6-foot, 205-pound righthander, McElvain is a strike thrower with average stuff across the board, headlined by a fastball that sits around 92 mph and gets up to 95 with good carry and the induced vertical break numbers to back it up. McElvain throws a slider in the low 80s and has also added an upper-80s cutter this spring, with a fringe-average changeup in the mid 80s as well. Analytically-inclined teams will like the characteristics of McElvain’s fastball and a strong track record of control dating back to his high school days—though his walk rates are a bit higher than his reputation as a control artist—while more traditional scouting teams could be more skeptical about the impact of his stuff and his overall upside potential.
McElvain has had his eyes set on Vanderbilt for quite a while--he committed to the Commodores before he ever threw his first pitch in high school. It looks like there's a good chance McElvain will get to Nashville because while he's polished, his 87-91 mph velocity hasn't really ticked up much. He throws an average 11-to-5 curveball that he spots well and shows confidence in. He has advanced control for his age. McElvain knows how to pitch, but scouts are inclined to let him prove his velocity can reach the low-90s over the next few years at Vandy.

Scouting Reports

McElvain has had his eyes set on Vanderbilt for quite a while--he committed to the Commodores before he ever threw his first pitch in high school. It looks like there's a good chance McElvain will get to Nashville because while he's polished, his 87-91 mph velocity hasn't really ticked up much. He throws an average 11-to-5 curveball that he spots well and shows confidence in. He has advanced control for his age. McElvain knows how to pitch, but scouts are inclined to let him prove his velocity can reach the low-90s over the next few years at Vandy.