From McMinnville to the MLB: Coaches reflect on Kade Mechals journey – OregonLive

When he got the text, Jordan Harlow was building a retaining wall in the backyard of his new house. Harlow had watched the first round of the MLB draft the night before, but he wasnt thinking about it now. The 2020 draft was cut to five rounds as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, leaving many players suddenly unsure of their future.

So the former McMinnville High School coach wasnt thinking about the lanky pitcher he met when he took the head coaching job.

But when the text from Linfield College head coach Dan Spencer where Harlow now works as an assistant came through Thursday, Harlow had to read it a couple times, just to make sure it was real.

Hey, Kade Mechals just went in the fourth round, the text from Spencer said.

Harlow chucked and smiled. The player he had helped develop had been drafted by the Chicago White Sox.

I just couldnt have been happier," Harlow said. "I was ecstatic for him and his parents and his family. It just couldnt have happened to a better kid and I just had a moment of just gratefulness for being able to coach him.

Current McMinnville head coach Todd Peterson remembers Mechals coming to baseball camps as an elementary school kid. Peterson worked those camps when he was a high school player at McMinnville, graduating in 2005, and remembers Mechals always being passionate for baseball, and always wanting to learn more.

He remembers Mechals staying after McMinnville games wanting autographs from the players. Mechals mom, Jody, was one of Petersons high school teachers, and said her son loved watching Peterson play. In those days, those were the stars Mechals always wanted to be.

And when Harlow got the McMinnville job the summer before Mechals sophomore year, that little kid was wearing the uniform hed always looked up to, even if he didnt seem that much more grown up.

Even as a sophomore in high school, he looked like he was about 12 years old, Harlow said. Amongst his friends and the other coaches, he just always had this kind of boyish look to him and that was his personality, too. He was just like a 12-year-old kid all the time.

Harlow said Mechals was under-sized, under-developed and slow-footed his sophomore year. But he was on the varsity team anyway. For Harlow, it was Mechals intelligent play on the field, and love for the game that earned him a spot despite his physical stature.

His body just had to catch up to his ability.

So Mechals spent extra time in the weight room. He spent extra time doing drills after practice. When most slept in on New Years Day, Mechals sent a text to Harlow asking to go practice. He fit into all the clichs of a hardworking athlete.

But Harlow didnt see Mechals as a future pro just yet.

It took two years and two transfers for Mechals to finally settle into his college career.

Mechals committed to Western Oregon University, where he pitched as the closer. He had nine saves and a 1.59 ERA. He stuck out 37 batters in 22.2 innings of work.

As a sophomore, he transferred to Skagit Valley College, a community college in Mount Vernon, Washington. Ultimately, he dreamed of playing Division I baseball. With a year of community college, he could make the jump to join a Division I team as a junior.

At Skagit Valley in 2018 he made eight starts and pitched to a 1.72 ERA. He stuck out 77 batters in 47 innings and led the Northwest Athletic Conference in batting average against. That summer, he went to the Cape Cod League, college baseballs top summer league, to pitch for the Orleans Firebirds.

That got him ready to pitch at the Division I level, and Mechals transferred to Grand Canyon University.

At 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Mechals was still slightly undersized at Grand Canyon. But the numbers he had produced at lower levels continued.

As a junior, Mechals had an 11-1 record and a 2.16 ERA. In 91.2 innings, he struck out 100 batters against 35 walks.

Those numbers resulted in Mechals being selected by the Miami Marlins in the 40th round of the 2019 MLB draft. Just like many other juniors selected in the late rounds, Mechals chose to return to school, looking for a chance to improve his draft stock and make a larger signing bonus as a result.

Even in the shortened 2020 season, Mechals managed three starts and pitched to a 2.35 ERA. His .164 batting average against was the best on the team.

Now having produced strong numbers at the Division I level for two years, Harlow believes scouts had seen enough to look past Mechals size and instead at his numbers and his ability. In college, Mechals developed a swing-and-miss slider along with a changeup that vastly improved over his college career.

It was good enough to look past his Tommy John surgery this spring.

In a normal year, Harlow would have been very confident Mechals would be drafted.

But with the injury set to keep Mechals out for at least the next year, Harlow wasnt sure if a team would take a risk with one of its few draft picks.

The White Sox took that risk, selecting Mechals in the fourth round with the 112th overall pick.

Harlow stopped working on the retaining wall when he heard the news. He ran inside to find his wife and tell her, too.

I think I heard her jaw hit the floor probably as quickly or quicker than mine, Harlow said.

Harlow called Mechals soon after he was selected. It was the first time they had talked since March. They only talked for around five minutes. He knew Mechals was celebrating, but he had to say how proud he was.

I had Kade in class, as a teacher at the high school, Harlow said. All those memories come flooding back and you remember how hard he worked, and the things that he did on the field. So then when you get to see that come together for him, it's just an amazing feeling.

That elementary school kid, wide eyed and dreaming of the future as he looked on at McMinnville games, had made it to the MLB draft. Years later, the roles are flipped. Now young kids want to be like Mechals.

"Its incredible what he has accomplished in his baseball career, Peterson wrote in an email. Looks like there will be a lot of young Grizzly ball players seeking Kades autograph now!

-- Matt Cohen, mcohen@oregonian.com

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From McMinnville to the MLB: Coaches reflect on Kade Mechals journey - OregonLive