High School Baseball: Lakeland Christian pitcher Mack Estrada preparing for big future

PINEVILLE, North Carolina ― Mechanics, location, and results could have been better according to Mack Estrada.

The highly-touted Lakeland Christian pitching prospect said he could have done more in the 2023 season despite his team winning the state championship in May, the Vikings second title in five years.

But now Estrada has an individual goal of being drafted by an MLB team.

Estrada is currently at Tread Athletics in Pineville, North Carolina with close friends and Viking teammates. The USF commit is previewing his college experience thanks to staying with his boys, preparing food for one another before training. And based on his two days of putting his baseball work in, there is already a precedent set.

“I can tell that the people here, they know what they’re talking about. They’re very knowledgeable and they can give me some good routines and they can help me out a lot,” Estrada said.

Estrada, who went 3-1 and gave up 23 earned runs in his time on the mound in 2023, said he has a goal: He wants to work on his pitch design. To do that, the facility tracks every pitching metric.

“With that, they can tell you what you are doing, what you need to do more of, and all that stuff,” Estrada said. “They also analyze your body so they can tell you what deficiencies you have, what you prevail in and all that stuff.”

Essentially, it’s a data-driven, yearlong program. But the all-county pitcher is taking in as much training and augmenting his skill set in a rapid, two-week program ahead of the draft, which will take place June 9-14 at Chase Field in Phoenix. And of course, he is participating in hands-on training as opposed to online training.

A typical day comprises Estrada engaging in extensive warmups that is intentionally designed for the future next-level baseball player. Then based on the day, he will pitch in the bullpen before doing specific workouts, targeting deficiencies designed to bolster Estrada’s skill set, including transforming him into an even more explosive player.

Estrada discovered the facility thanks to one of his friends. He researched it on Instagram and started the process to sign up. Estrada had to fill out questionnaires and complete videos, too.

He drove seven hours to North Carolina.

One of the Vikings key pitchers did this for a reason. To Estrada, he did not meet his expectations, though he did win the majority of his games thanks to his four- and two-seam fastball that can go as high as 94 miles per hour, a curveball and a changeup. But when it’s all said and done, Estrada sees himself as a better pitching version of himself.

“There are two types of pitching philosophies: There’s old school and new school. Old school is just with the naked eye and what they see, and those guys are really smart and they know what they are talking about, and that’s what my pitching coaches like, and that’s all that I’ve done," Estrada said. "New school, that’s more of the newer technology, using the data on the screen from your pitches and spin and all that stuff.

“I’m combining the two by going on this trip and working with them and getting their routines and seeing what they have to say, and I think it’ll just make me a lot more knowledgeable and it’ll give me a competitive edge over people who’ve only done one or the other.”

Estrada is passionate about developing as a pitcher to help those around him. He's a good football player as well, earning all-county and Defensive Player of the Year honors thanks to his ferocious hits, becoming the first Polk County player in two decades to be first-team all-county in football and baseball. But Estrada discovered his baseball passion as a sophomore when he noticed scouts eying his talents in games. His junior year he stood out as one of the best pitchers in Polk County.

While still excelling in football through high school, Estrada put even more focus on baseball because he said when he steps out on the baseball field, he stands out, while in football not so much.

Still, his process of playing the game has led to him gearing up for the MLB Draft. After he racked up six strikeouts in two innings in national summer league play, Major League baseball scouts took heed of that performance, eventually reaching out to Estrada. He filled out MLB questionnaires and did video calls.

San Diego Padre representatives even came to Estrada’s house.

If he isn’t drafted in a few weeks, Estrada is fully prepared to play well at USF for three years before reentering the draft once more.

“I’ll just be training, and I’ll control what I can control,” Estrada said.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland Christian pitcher Mack Estrada preparing for big future