#24 - RHP Max Rajcic
Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Changeup: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 40 | Command: 55 | Overall: 40
Background: Following an outstanding freshman season out of UCLA’s bullpen, where he posted a 1.65 ERA over 32 2/3 innings and assumed the closer role, Rajcic was primed to make an impact in his sophomore year, this time as a starting pitcher. After gaining experience in the Cape Cod League following his freshman season, Rajcic went on to lead UCLA’s pitching staff, earning the Friday night starter role by the end of the 2022 season. The Cardinals took notice of the polished young right-hander, selecting him in the 6th round of the 2022 draft with an overslot $600,000 bonus.
Scouting Report: Max Rajcic dominated the lower levels with his advanced strike-throwing ability, carrying his success to winning the Cardinals' Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2023. Rajcic’s primary offering is a four-seam fastball, which typically sits in the 92-93 MPH range, though, Rajcic can crank that figure up to 95 when need be. The pitch generates moderate ride with around 16 inches of induced vertical break from a 5.9-foot vertical release height. Rajcic’s over-the-top arm angle isn’t all that deceptive, but when he’s able to effectively locate the pitch up in the zone, it plays decently well.
Rajcic has above-average fastball control but does have a tendency to sometimes be a little too aggressive in the zone, which can work to his detriment. Following his promotion from Single-A in 2023, Rajcic spent his final 61 1/3 innings with the High-A Peoria Chiefs, and although the performance wasn’t at the level of what he did at Palm Beach, he still posted a respectable 3.08 ERA. 2024 would be the biggest challenge of his professional career thus far, leveling up to the hitter-friendly Texas League. Over 131 innings for the Springfield Cardinals in 2024, Rajcic held his own and posted a 4.33 ERA. Pretty much all of his underlying data—strikeout rates, walk rates, batted ball profile—carried over from the lower levels, but there was one major difference: Rajcic’s propensity to allow barrels ballooned in the Texas League. He got away with his fringy stuff in the zone substantially more in the lower levels. Between Single-A and High-A in 2023, he allowed just six home runs compared to 18 in 131 innings at Double-A last year. Finding the right balance of locating the edges while not completely faltering his ability to zone when he needs to will be essential for his development. On a surface level, it might seem that 2024 was a step in the wrong direction for his development, but I don’t believe this to be the case. Rajcic was finally able to find a true above-average pitch in his arsenal—his changeup.
The pitch has a solid horizontal tunnel from his four-seamer, with a difference of about six inches of horizontal break. Rajcic found more feel for the offering as the year progressed, and it became a weapon for him beyond just against opposite-handed batters. Another crucial development for Rajcic was his reworked slider. Entering the 2024 season, Rajcic threw a low-80s sweeper. The pitch wasn’t tunneling with his pitches and had a similar two-plane shape to his curveball. He reworked the sweeper into an 86 MPH gyro slider, which had a much more distinct movement profile from the rest of his offerings. The new slider became his second most-used offering against right-handed hitters. Rajcic rounds out his arsenal with a low-80s curveball. The shape of the offering is a prototypical 12-6 and he showcases an advanced ability to use it in two-strike counts.
Future: Although Max Rajcic might not possess the most explosive stuff in the world, his command and feel for at least four decent offerings, including a plus changeup, give confidence in the starter outlook. I do think there’s enough in the profile to be a potential up-and-down spot starter worth a 40-man spot in his option years. I’m not sure if there’s enough oomph in the stuff to play out of the bullpen unless it’s a long-reliever type role, which hinders the profile a bit. Whether he has the stuff to be a staple on an MLB roster remains to be seen, but I believe Rajcic will make his MLB debut in some capacity within the next couple of years.
