Mack Anglin’s baseball journey is thriving. The 2019 Sparta Highland graduate pitches for the Columbia Fireflies of the Carolina League, the Kansas City Royals Single-A affiliate. Following three seasons with the Clemson Tigers, the right-handed pitcher was the Royals' seventh-round selection (205 Overall) in the 2022 MLB Draft.
Reflecting on his time growing up, Anglin reveled in his experience at Highland High School. “It was everything to me,” Anglin said. “My dad went there so I had a sense of pride in going to the same school as he did. And the community itself, I loved it, It was like a big family. I took a lot of pride in going to Highland and I wouldn't have asked for anything else growing up.”
At Clemson Anglin excelled academically and athletically. He was a two-time All-ACC Academic selection and a two-time ACC Academic Honor Roll member as well as an All-ACC Freshmen selection in 2021 and Third Team All-ACC selection in 2022.
Anglin’s prowess on the mound evolved throughout his college career, culminating with a 6-6 record and 4.48 ERA in 15 starts in 76.1 innings pitched in 2022. He allowed 63 hits (.227 opponents’ batting average), five homers, and 52 walks with 78 strikeouts — while leading the team lead in wins and starts on the mound. That earned him the Stowe Award, given to the Tigers’ most valuable pitcher.
The camaraderie with the Tigers was a big plus for the former Scot. “I had a lot of really good people around me, a lot of good teammates that helped me,” Anglin said. “So, throughout those three years, I was able to learn a lot and enjoy it.”
His hometown and faith played a large part in his decision to attend Clemson. “A big part of it was, it reminded me a lot of home,” Anglin said. “I went on my visit to Clemson and it was very rural and it just felt like home and God made it very apparent that was the place he wanted me to go. It was the three best years of my life.”
Anglin was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 13th round of the 2021 MLB Draft but chose to return to Clemson for another season.
During his collegiate summers, Anglin pitched for Lexington County in the Coastal Plains League and Wareham of the Cape Cod League.
The two-sport standout amassed a slew of high school honors in baseball and basketball. A four-year baseball letterman, and three-time All-Ohio selection, Anglin was named All-American by Perfect Game and received the Ohio Gatorade Baseball Player-of-the-Year award his senior season. In addition, he scored over 1,000 career points in basketball and lettered four times
The distinction between high school baseball and pitching in the ACC and the minor leagues is about concentration and accuracy. “I would say the biggest difference is your mistakes are magnified,” Anglin said. “I think that's how it is at every level you go, from amateur to college, to professional—you've gotta be sharper.”
In the minor leagues, you no longer have to balance school, all your time is focused on baseball. “When I leave the field I don't have to write a paper, I get to go back and watch the tape and have not to go to class,” Anglin said. “So, it's nice to be able to fully invest in your craft.”
However, academics and athletics have always been important to Anglin. “My mom's a school teacher, so growing up education was always very important in the household,” Anglin said. “My parents did a good job of forming a good structure for me to be able to balance both academics and athletics, you can't have one without the other. That's even true now in professional baseball because baseball doesn't last forever.”
Anglin plans on returning to school and earning his bachelor's degree in criminal justice. “I have about a year's worth of school, two semesters left, that's something I plan on slowly chipping away at.”
As of early August Anglin has a 2-1 record. He’s appeared in 17 games, pitched 28.1 innings with a 2.54 ERA, and 36 strikeouts, all out of the bullpen.
