McKenzie Mills

McKenzie Valentine Mills

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 5", Weight 255 lb.

• High School Sprayberry High School

• Born November 19, 1995 in Marietta, GA USA

BR register page

Biographical Information

McKenzie Mills has pitched in the minors and for the Great Britain national team.

He struck out 92 batters in 55 innings in high school. He was the 18th-round pick of the Washington Nationals in the 2014 amateur draft. He turned down a scholarship offer to Alabama State University to sign; the scout was Eric Robinson.

Mills was 1-2 with a save and a 5.87 ERA for the GCL Nationals that summer, with a 2.13 WHIP. He split '15 between the GCL Nationals (0-3, Sv, 7.04 in 8 G) and Auburn Doubledays (0-2, 7.71 in 4 G), his WHIP 1.99 for the summer. He improved to 4-5, 3.71 for the 2016 Doubledays. Opening 2017 hot with the Hagerstown Suns (12-2, 3.01 ERA, .95 WHIP, 118 K in 104 2/3 IP), he was sent with international bonus pool money to the Philadelphia Phillies for Howie Kendrick. He was 0-1 with a 4.6 0ERA in three games for the Clearwater Threshers after the deal. He led the South Atlantic League in wins and was 6th in K. Despite not finishing the year with them, he led Nationals farmhands in victories (3 ahead of Jaron Long) and was third in strikeouts (between John Simms and Long).

The big left-hander was 2-5 with a 3.51 ERA for Clearwater (2-5, 3.51 in 20 G) when he was again dealt for a major leaguer, sent to the Miami Marlins for their starting first baseman Justin Bour plus cash, his second trade for a major leaguer. and the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (0-3, 8.10 in 4 G). Back with Jacksonville in 2019, he was 1-8 with a 5.36 ERA, tying R.J. Alvarez for 6th in the Marlins chain in defeats.

The Georgian was released by the Marlins in June 2020, with the minor leagues shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He next surfaced in the independent leagues, going 3-5 with a 3.82 ERA for the 2021 Washington Wild Things. He began 2022 with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs and was very sharp (9-1, 2.99), earning him a look from Mexico's Tigres de Quintana Roo but that did not go as well (0-1, 9.00 in 4 G). Though he didn't wrap up the year there, he tied for 9th in the Atlantic League in victories.

He then joined Britain's team for the 2022 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers. He was the only non-major league veteran to start on the mound on their path to winning their pool and a spot in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He got the nod in the opener against France, followed by Akeel Morris and Vance Worley the next two games. He went 1-2-3 in the first against Alexander Perdomo, Alfredo Angarita and Ariel Soriano. Ivan Acuña homered to open the second and France got two more hits but Mills kept it 1-0 entering the third. After Britain built a 2-1 lead against Kevin Canelon, Mills escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the frame by getting Mael Zan on a grounder. In the 4th, Worley took over. Mills got the victory.