Zach McCambley

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #27 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: McCambley was one of the better college arms available in the 2020 class but always came with significant risk of moving to the pen. He spent two seasons with Coastal Carolina and a summer on the Cape before the pandemic cut short his junior year with the Chanticleers. The Marlins popped him in the third round and signed him for $775,000. He reached the upper levels for the first time in 2022.
  
  Scouting Report: McCambley is the owner of a low-to-mid-90s four-seam fastball and a high-80s curveball that internal evaluators rank as the organization's best. The curve is a true 12-to-6 breaker with average spin rates around 2,600 rpm and a whiff rate better than 50%. McCambley also has a changeup, but scouts were not impressed by it overall. The Marlins want to see the pitch takes a step forward. If not, McCambley likely heads to the pen. He also walked five hitters per nine innings, which equates to well below-average control. The issue might stem from an uptempo, high-effort delivery that is not often found in big league starters.
  
  The Future: McCambley will move to Triple-A in 2023 and likely has a future as a middle-innings reliever. A bullpen move might give him a velocity boost and could mask some of his control issues.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 55. Changeup: 30. Control: 30
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #16 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: After a knee injury kept him from being drafted out of high school, McCambley put together three strong collegiate seasons to earn the Marlins’ third-round selection in 2020. He was part of a group of six pitchers the Marlins assembled in the shortened 2020 draft.
  
  Scouting Report: McCambley attacks hitters with a three-pitch mix of four-seam fastball, curveball and changeup. The fastball sits in the low 90s, touches up to 96 mph and is accentuated by a near-elite spin rate of roughly 2,700 revolutions per minute and glove-side life. His curveball is an 11-to-5 breaker in the low 80s with excellent spin and horizontal break. The pitch can get a bit out of whack when he throws it too hard. McCambley’s changeup sits in the mid 80s and shows flashes of action but oftentimes comes in too firm. McCambley’s arsenal plays down somewhat by a lack of command—but not control; he put together a strikeout-to-walk rate of better than 4.5 to 1. The issue stems from an inability to repeat his delivery, which is up tempo and can lack rhythm, particularly when he’s forced to pitch from the stretch.
  
  The Future: McCambley reached Double-A Pensacola by the end of the season and should return there to begin 2022. If he can remedy his command problems, he has a chance to fit toward the back of a rotation. If not, he fits in middle relief.
  
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #24 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Undrafted out of high school because of a knee injury, McCambley pitched both as a starter and reliever at Coastal Carolina. He impressed with a 1.74 ERA in the Cape Cod League the summer before his junior year and carried it through the abbreviated 2020 college season. The Marlins drafted him in the third round and signed him for $775,000.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: McCambley has a deceptive delivery and fast-paced tempo on the mound. His fastball sits 92-94 mph and can touch 96 mph, and his ability to improve his command will determine whether it becomes a plus offering. He throws a plus curveball with a high spin rate and bite in the upper-70s. The lack of a third pitch has many scouts believing McCambley will be a high-leverage reliever instead of a starter in the majors. His fringe-average control further points to a relief future.
  
  THE FUTURE: McCambley will remain a starter for now. How much he develops a third pitch and improves his control will determine if he stays there.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #78 prospect in 2020 draft
  Coastal Carolina’s Friday night starter, McCambley is a 6-foot-1, 205-pound righthander with a loud two-pitch mix but some significant reliever concerns. McCambley had moderate success in a hybrid role in 2018 and 2019, when he struck out around 10 batters per nine. Last summer, McCambley made five starts in the Cape Cod League to great success, posting a 1.74 ERA over 20.2 innings while striking out 24 and walking seven. He has steadily improved his fastball control over his three years at Coastal, and this spring was looking at a career-best walk rate (2.5 per nine) over four starts. McCambley has two plus pitches in his arsenal with a fastball that sits in the 92-94 mph range and is regularly up to 96-97. His breaking ball is another no-doubt plus offering, and some scouts have thought about putting 70 grades on it. It’s sharp, with late, downward bite and real wipeout potential. Coaches and evaluators have always wanted to see more out of McCambley’s changeup. Without a three-pitch mix, scouts wonder if relieving at the next level is more realistic. A fast, upbeat tempo on the mound adds to those concerns. While McCambley’s delivery isn’t what teams typically look for in a starter, he’s thrown enough strikes to give himself at least a chance to start, with more than enough stuff to fallback into a reliever role.
• Ranked #262 prospect in 2017 draft
  McCambley caught attention at the 2016 Area Code Games, where he showed plus arm speed and a deceptive delivery. The righthander pitched at 86-89 mph with his fastball there, and he showed tight spin on his breaking ball, though the pitch lacked the power bite that its spin promised. McCambley coils his hips and shoulders deeply and unleashes all his torque at hitters with powerful hips and his quick arm. He didn't get a ton of attention from scouts this spring as he pitched with modest fastball velocity at 88-91 and touched 92. McCambley did, however, show more bite on his upper 70s breaking ball, which some scouts graded as a future 55 or 60 on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. McCambley injured the PCL in his left knee in gym class early in the spring, and scouts noted that he ran poorly on the bases and didn't land firmly in his delivery. Scouts who like him saw this as a reason to project him even further, with the thinking being that McCambley might be immediately better after he rests and recovers. He is committed to Coastal Carolina.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: McCambley was one of the better college arms available in the 2020 class but always came with significant risk of moving to the pen. He spent two seasons with Coastal Carolina and a summer on the Cape before the pandemic cut short his junior year with the Chanticleers. The Marlins popped him in the third round and signed him for $775,000. He reached the upper levels for the first time in 2022.
  
  Scouting Report: McCambley is the owner of a low-to-mid-90s four-seam fastball and a high-80s curveball that internal evaluators rank as the organization's best. The curve is a true 12-to-6 breaker with average spin rates around 2,600 rpm and a whiff rate better than 50%. McCambley also has a changeup, but scouts were not impressed by it overall. The Marlins want to see the pitch takes a step forward. If not, McCambley likely heads to the pen. He also walked five hitters per nine innings, which equates to well below-average control. The issue might stem from an uptempo, high-effort delivery that is not often found in big league starters.
  
  The Future: McCambley will move to Triple-A in 2023 and likely has a future as a middle-innings reliever. A bullpen move might give him a velocity boost and could mask some of his control issues.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 55. Changeup: 30. Control: 30
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: McCambley was one of the better college arms available in the 2020 class but always came with significant risk of moving to the pen. He spent two seasons with Coastal Carolina and a summer on the Cape before the pandemic cut short his junior year with the Chanticleers. The Marlins popped him in the third round and signed him for $775,000. He reached the upper levels for the first time in 2022.
  
  Scouting Report: McCambley is the owner of a low-to-mid-90s four-seam fastball and a high-80s curveball that internal evaluators rank as the organization's best. The curve is a true 12-to-6 breaker with average spin rates around 2,600 rpm and a whiff rate better than 50%. McCambley also has a changeup, but scouts were not impressed by it overall. The Marlins want to see the pitch takes a step forward. If not, McCambley likely heads to the pen. He also walked five hitters per nine innings, which equates to well below-average control. The issue might stem from an uptempo, high-effort delivery that is not often found in big league starters.
  
  The Future: McCambley will move to Triple-A in 2023 and likely has a future as a middle-innings reliever. A bullpen move might give him a velocity boost and could mask some of his control issues.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 55. Changeup: 30. Control: 30
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: After a knee injury kept him from being drafted out of high school, McCambley put together three strong collegiate seasons to earn the Marlins&#39 third-round selection in 2020. He was part of a group of six pitchers the Marlins assembled in the shortened 2020 draft.
  
  Scouting Report: McCambley attacks hitters with a three-pitch mix of four-seam fastball, curveball and changeup. The fastball sits in the low 90s, touches up to 96 mph and is accentuated by a near-elite spin rate of roughly 2,700 revolutions per minute and glove-side life. His curveball is an 11-to-5 breaker in the low 80s with excellent spin and horizontal break. The pitch can get a bit out of whack when he throws it too hard. McCambley&#39s changeup sits in the mid 80s and shows flashes of action but oftentimes comes in too firm. McCambley&#39s arsenal plays down somewhat by a lack of command—but not control; he put together a strikeout-to-walk rate of better than 4.5 to 1. The issue stems from an inability to repeat his delivery, which is up tempo and can lack rhythm, particularly when he&#39s forced to pitch from the stretch.
  
  The Future: McCambley reached Double-A Pensacola by the end of the season and should return there to begin 2022. If he can remedy his command problems, he has a chance to fit toward the back of a rotation. If not, he fits in middle relief.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: After a knee injury kept him from being drafted out of high school, McCambley put together three strong collegiate seasons to earn the Marlins’ third-round selection in 2020. He was part of a group of six pitchers the Marlins assembled in the shortened 2020 draft.
  
  Scouting Report: McCambley attacks hitters with a three-pitch mix of four-seam fastball, curveball and changeup. The fastball sits in the low 90s, touches up to 96 mph and is accentuated by a near-elite spin rate of roughly 2,700 revolutions per minute and glove-side life. His curveball is an 11-to-5 breaker in the low 80s with excellent spin and horizontal break. The pitch can get a bit out of whack when he throws it too hard. McCambley’s changeup sits in the mid 80s and shows flashes of action but oftentimes comes in too firm. McCambley’s arsenal plays down somewhat by a lack of command—but not control; he put together a strikeout-to-walk rate of better than 4.5 to 1. The issue stems from an inability to repeat his delivery, which is up tempo and can lack rhythm, particularly when he’s forced to pitch from the stretch.
  
  The Future: McCambley reached Double-A Pensacola by the end of the season and should return there to begin 2022. If he can remedy his command problems, he has a chance to fit toward the back of a rotation. If not, he fits in middle relief.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Undrafted out of high school because of a knee injury, McCambley pitched both as a starter and reliever at Coastal Carolina. He impressed with a 1.74 ERA in the Cape Cod League the summer before his junior year and carried it through the abbreviated 2020 college season. The Marlins drafted him in the third round and signed him for $775,000.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: McCambley has a deceptive delivery and fast-paced tempo on the mound. His fastball sits 92-94 mph and can touch 96 mph, and his ability to improve his command will determine whether it becomes a plus offering. He throws a plus curveball with a high spin rate and bite in the upper-70s. The lack of a third pitch has many scouts believing McCambley will be a high-leverage reliever instead of a starter in the majors. His fringe-average control further points to a relief future.
  
  THE FUTURE: McCambley will remain a starter for now. How much he develops a third pitch and improves his control will determine if he stays there.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Undrafted out of high school because of a knee injury, McCambley pitched both as a starter and reliever at Coastal Carolina. He impressed with a 1.74 ERA in the Cape Cod League the summer before his junior year and carried it through the abbreviated 2020 college season. The Marlins drafted him in the third round and signed him for $775,000.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: McCambley has a deceptive delivery and fast-paced tempo on the mound. His fastball sits 92-94 mph and can touch 96 mph, and his ability to improve his command will determine whether it becomes a plus offering. He throws a plus curveball with a high spin rate and bite in the upper-70s. The lack of a third pitch has many scouts believing McCambley will be a high-leverage reliever instead of a starter in the majors. His fringe-average control further points to a relief future.
  
  THE FUTURE: McCambley will remain a starter for now. How much he develops a third pitch and improves his control will determine if he stays there.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Undrafted out of high school because of a knee injury, McCambley pitched both as a starter and reliever at Coastal Carolina. He impressed with a 1.74 ERA in the Cape Cod League the summer before his junior year and carried it through the abbreviated 2020 college season. The Marlins drafted him in the third round and signed him for $775,000.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: McCambley has a deceptive delivery and fast-paced tempo on the mound. His fastball sits 92-94 mph and can touch 96 mph, and his ability to improve his command will determine whether it becomes a plus offering. He throws a plus curveball with a high spin rate and bite in the upper-70s. The lack of a third pitch has many scouts believing McCambley will be a high-leverage reliever instead of a starter in the majors. His fringe-average control further points to a relief future.
  
  THE FUTURE: McCambley will remain a starter for now. How much he develops a third pitch and improves his control will determine if he stays there.