Jack Mahoney '20 Drafted in Third Round by Colorado Rockies

Jack Mahoney ’20 describes the last two days as something of a “grenade going off on my phone.” That’s because he learned Monday that he had been drafted in the third round of the MLB draft by the Colorado Rockies.

“I’m so fortunate to get a really good offer and go in one of the top few rounds,” Mahoney said Tuesday. “It’s been such a cool experience. The Rockies are a great organization. I’m familiar with them and have sat in on meetings with them. It’s a great fit.”

Mahoney was a multi-sport athlete during his years at Saint Viator, playing football, basketball and baseball, including playing shortstop and pitching for the Lions. 

“I have so many awesome memories from baseball, including my freshman year and winning the state championship,” he says. “I didn’t know a lot of kids coming in, but it was the best decision I ever made. Viator was the biggest steppingstone I’ve had toward success.”

Mahoney verbally committed to South Carolina as a sophomore and signed his letter of intent during his senior year. With the Gamecocks, he had an All-American year his freshman season, but an injury forced him to have Tommy John surgery and miss all of the 2022 season. He returned this year and evolved into the team’s ace by the end of the season, as a big strikeout threat and with solid control.

One of those supporters to congratulate him on Monday was his former baseball coach, Mike Manno, who said that Mahoney is the third of his players to be drafted. Nick Skala ’08 was drafted in the 37th round by the Baltimore Orioles in 2011m and Brett Kay ‘09 was drafted in 2013 in the 20th round by the San Francisco Giants.

With Mahoney being drafted so high, Manno says the Rockies are making a huge investment in him.

“Jack’s gotten a taste of what it takes to play at the major league level,” Manno says. “He’s been playing in the toughest conference in the country, the SEC, and he came through with flying colors.”

Another of his fans to reach out was his former football coach, Dave Archibald, who texted: “Keep smiling and keep climbing.”

As his former coach and Assistant Athletic director at Saint Viator, Archibald supported Mahoney as he worked to balance his role in three demanding sports.

“He was great at all three,” Archibald says. “He’s a tenacious competitor and just a fun young man to coach. No matter what sport he was playing, he wanted to give 100%.”

Mahoney himself extends a shout-out to the Viator coaching staff, for allowing him to pursue all three sports, and serve as captain of each.

“I credit the coaching staff for letting me play all three sports,” Mahoney says, “and shaping me into the man I am today and the one I hope to become.”

As for playing in the Mile-High City and adjusting to the altitude conditions, Mahoney takes it in stride: “Sure, the ball flies out of there and it comes out of your hand differently, but at the end of the day it’s still baseball, like I used to play next to the back parking lot of Viator.”