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Jake McCoy (Brian Westerholt/Four Seam Images)
South Carolina lefthander Jake McCoy, the Gamecocks’ projected Friday night starter and a Top 100 draft prospect, will miss the 2026 season after suffering an elbow ligament tear, a source directly familiar with the situation told Baseball America.
McCoy threw his first preseason outing on Jan. 22, logging a 37-pitch, two-inning scrimmage appearance in which he topped out at 98 mph. Shortly thereafter, he began experiencing elbow tightness, prompting medical imaging. The final decision to proceed with surgery was made Wednesday, according to the source.
NEWS: South Carolina lefty Jake McCoy will miss the 2026 season after suffering a ligament tear, @BaseballAmerica has learned. McCoy threw a two-inning preseason outing last Thursday and started experiencing elbow tightness. Had major draft helium entering the year.
— Jacob Rudner (@JacobRudner) January 28, 2026
McCoy was widely viewed as a breakout candidate after showing high-end stuff despite inconsistent results during his sophomore campaign in 2025. He finished that season with a 6.90 ERA while walking 40 batters over 60 innings, numbers that masked the raw quality of his arsenal.
A 6-foot-1 lefthander, McCoy has flashed a fastball that reaches 98 mph with late life through the zone. He pairs it with a sharp, sweeping slider that misses bats at a high rate and a seldom-used mid-to-upper-80s changeup. Both his fastball and slider grade as legitimate swing-and-miss offerings, giving him the tools evaluators look for in a high-leverage, early-round college starter.
McCoy’s upside was most evident over the summer in the Cape Cod League, where he delivered his most efficient stretch of pitching. Across 12.1 innings, McCoy posted a 1.46 ERA while striking out 25 batters against just three walks, demonstrating improved command and the ability to sequence his pitches against quality competition.
His absence creates an early challenge for a South Carolina team coming off a difficult first season under coach Paul Mainieri. In 2025, the Gamecocks finished 28-29 overall and 6-24 in the SEC, results that immediately raised questions about the program’s trajectory under Mainieri. The university responded by continuing to invest resources into the program, allowing its now-second-year coach to assemble a deep transfer class aimed at reshaping his roster.
With McCoy sidelined, righthanders Alex Philpott, Josh Gunther, Amp Phillips and Riley Goodman, along with lefthander Bradley Hodges, are among the candidates expected to compete for starting roles as the Gamecocks adjust their preseason plans.