When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count McDonald throws a fastball 75.5% of the time, against 37% when he is ahead.
53 pitches behind in the count, 54 ahead.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
McDonald's sinker moves 17.1 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
100 thrown, averaging 94.5 mph.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
McDonald lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 1.97 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
182 located pitches in 2026.
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
McDonald releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 26 degrees above horizontal and 1.9 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
182 tracked release points, averaging 5.1 feet off the ground.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
McDonald throws the changeup 27.3% of the time against left-handers and 1.9% against right-handers.
105 pitches to right-handers, 77 to left-handers.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .323 expected average against them, against .248 on his breaking balls.
102 of his fastballs thrown.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
McDonald works with 3 pitches: Sinker, Slider and Changeup. The sinker is 54.9% of everything he throws.
182 classified pitches in 2026.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes McDonald goes to the slider: 39.6% of his two-strike pitches, against 28.4% the rest of the time.
48 two-strike pitches in 2026.
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
McDonald lives in the strike zone: 45.1% of his pitches are in it, 74th percentile.
182 pitches in 2026. 74th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 140th in MLB.
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 90.8 mph off the bat against McDonald, 18th percentile.
182 pitches in 2026. 18th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 438th in MLB.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
McDonald's slider spins at 2,745 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
57 thrown in 2026.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
McDonald lands 55.9% of his fastballs in the zone and only 38.6% of his breaking balls.
102 of his fastballs, 57 of his breaking balls.
He throws about as hard as anybody in the league
McDonald averages 90.9 mph across his arsenal, 67th percentile in the league.
182 pitches in 2026. 67th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 178th in MLB.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off McDonald's sinker leaves the bat at 91.6 mph, against 88.5 off his slider.
100 and 57 of them thrown.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
McDonald releases the ball 6.7 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
150 tracked pitches in 2026.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
18.1% of McDonald's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
33 of 182 located pitches.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
McDonald's sinker averages 94.5 mph, and has touched 96.6.
100 thrown, 54.9% of his pitches.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
McDonald throws a strike on the first pitch 62% of the time.
50 plate appearances started in 2026.
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
McDonald's stuff spins at 2,349 rpm, 64th percentile in the league.
182 pitches in 2026. 64th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 192nd in MLB.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
42.9% of the contact McDonald gives up is hit hard, 35th percentile.
182 pitches in 2026. 35th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 352nd in MLB.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
McDonald puts 52.8% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 46.3% when he is ahead.
53 located pitches behind, 54 ahead.
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The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count McDonald throws a fastball 75.5% of the time, against 37% when he is ahead.
53 pitches behind in the count, 54 ahead.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes McDonald goes to the slider: 39.6% of his two-strike pitches, against 28.4% the rest of the time.
48 two-strike pitches in 2026.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
McDonald throws a strike on the first pitch 62% of the time.
50 plate appearances started in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
McDonald puts 52.8% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 46.3% when he is ahead.
53 located pitches behind, 54 ahead.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
McDonald's sinker moves 17.1 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
100 thrown, averaging 94.5 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
McDonald lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 1.97 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
182 located pitches in 2026.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
18.1% of McDonald's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
33 of 182 located pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
McDonald releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 26 degrees above horizontal and 1.9 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
182 tracked release points, averaging 5.1 feet off the ground.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
McDonald releases the ball 6.7 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
150 tracked pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
McDonald throws the changeup 27.3% of the time against left-handers and 1.9% against right-handers.
105 pitches to right-handers, 77 to left-handers.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
McDonald works with 3 pitches: Sinker, Slider and Changeup. The sinker is 54.9% of everything he throws.
182 classified pitches in 2026.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
McDonald's slider spins at 2,745 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
57 thrown in 2026.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off McDonald's sinker leaves the bat at 91.6 mph, against 88.5 off his slider.
100 and 57 of them thrown.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
McDonald's sinker averages 94.5 mph, and has touched 96.6.
100 thrown, 54.9% of his pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .323 expected average against them, against .248 on his breaking balls.
102 of his fastballs thrown.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
McDonald lands 55.9% of his fastballs in the zone and only 38.6% of his breaking balls.
102 of his fastballs, 57 of his breaking balls.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
McDonald lives in the strike zone: 45.1% of his pitches are in it, 74th percentile.
182 pitches in 2026. 74th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 140th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
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When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 90.8 mph off the bat against McDonald, 18th percentile.
182 pitches in 2026. 18th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 438th in MLB.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
42.9% of the contact McDonald gives up is hit hard, 35th percentile.
182 pitches in 2026. 35th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 352nd in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He throws about as hard as anybody in the league
McDonald averages 90.9 mph across his arsenal, 67th percentile in the league.
182 pitches in 2026. 67th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 178th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
McDonald's stuff spins at 2,349 rpm, 64th percentile in the league.
182 pitches in 2026. 64th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 192nd in MLB.
Giants
Career team 2024–2026