Under-the-radar Twins prospect might be the best story in baseball

The 2021 draft came and went, and Carson McCusker did not hear his name called. The outfielder enjoyed a strong career at Oklahoma State with a .292 batting average and 23 home runs across four years. 

This certainly came as a disappointment to McCusker, who was previously drafted out of high school by the Brewers in the 26th round of 2017. 

At 6’8, 250 lbs, the Judgian frame and college success wasn’t enough to entice a major league club to invest. But that wasn’t all for his career, as the Tri City Valleycats of the Frontier League came calling, where McCusker would spend 2021-2023. 

Located in Troy, New York the Valleycats are formerly the short season A ball affiliate of the Houston Astros, housing names like Hunter Pence and Jose Altuve. More recently, they have been in the news for signing Kumar Rocker for the 2022 summer after his Mets contract fell through and he awaited reentering the draft. 

Carson McCusker could go from Indy Ball to the Big Leagues

McCusker started off his time in upstate New York strong, hitting .324 in his first taste of pro action following his signing in 2021. He followed that up with a solid 2022 alongside Rocker and former MLB outfielder Denis Phipps hitting .266 and tapping into some power with 13 home runs and 24 doubles. 

Set to be a stalwart in the middle of the lineup in 2023, McCusker exploded. In 37 games, he hit a whopping .433 with 17 home runs, 51 RBI, and 10 doubles for a mind boggling 1.302 OPS. With his name now on the map, the Twins scooped him up on a minor league deal in late June, making his dreams of affiliated ball a reality and sending him to Single-A. 

McCusker started 2024 in Double-A and has recently earned a call up to Triple-A, joining the likes of soon-to-be-big leaguers DaShawn Kiersey and Yunior Severino. In his 106 games between Wichita and St. Paul, the 26-year-old is hitting .281 with 17 homers, 27 doubles, and an .846 OPS. He’s developed into some electric power potential, including a 504 foot shot back in May.

His rapid rise is giving himself a legitimate chance to get a big league look very soon. A right-handed power stick could be interesting for a Twins outfield with a glut of lefties like Matt Wallner, Max Kepler, Trevor Larnach, and eventually Alex Kiriloff.

Whether it comes this year with a call up or with a spring training look next year, McCusker is earning himself a chance at an MLB role. Not bad for an Indy-baller. 

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