South Carolina Baseball: Former Gamecock signs MLB contract

South Carolina baseball had a big showing in the 2023 MLB Draft. Jack Mahoney, Will Sanders, Matt Duffy, Noah Hall, Braylen Wimmer, James Hicks, and Cade Austin were all drafted, and even two Gamecock commitments (George Wolkow and Raudy Rodriguez) were taken, as well.

One notable name missing from that list is former South Carolina baseball second baseman Will McGillis. McGillis was one of the best players for the Gamecocks in a 2023 season that saw Carolina finish as one of the best offenses in the country. He led the team in OPS and was fourth in home runs despite missing almost half of the season with a broken bone in his arm.

Some of McGillis’ biggest moments came in the postseason as he slugged 3 home runs in the Gamecocks’ 5 NCAA Tournament games. McGillis was named to the All-Columbia Regional squad and was one of the best performers in the Gainesville Super Regional.

McGillis was expected by many to be taken somewhere in the 2023 MLB Draft, but all 20 rounds came and went without the second baseman’s name called. Thankfully, at least one organization recognized the league’s mistake.

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Angels signed McGillis to a contract.

It is a slight righting of a major wrong against McGillis, but the end result isn’t much different for the former Gamecock second baseman.

He will begin a professional career in short order with a Minor League affiliate of the Angels, just like a drafted player would have done. As an older player with a seasoned bat, he could see a quicker rise through the Minors if things go well for him.

The Angels are a team in need of second basemen as the top-two players at the position (Luis Rengifo and David Fletcher) have just been “okay” as offensive players. After a couple of years of development, maybe Will McGillis will be the answer at the keystone for LA.