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MacKenzie Evan Gore (born February 24, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Diego Padres, with whom he made his MLB debut with in 2022. In 2025, Gore was named to his first All-Star game.
Gore began 2019 with the Lake Elsinore Storm, earning California League All-Star honors. That June, he was named to the 2019 All-Star Futures Game. After pitching to a 7–1 record and a 1.02 ERA over 15 starts, striking out 110 batters over innings, he was promoted to the Amarillo Sod Poodles in early July. He produced a 2–1 record with a 4.15 ERA over innings for Amarillo.
At the start of 2020, MLB Pipeline rated Gore as the best pitching prospect in minor league baseball and the fifth best prospect overall. He did not play a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Gore began the 2021 season with the El Paso Chihuahuas, but was placed on the injured list after compiling a 5.85 ERA over six starts to go along with a lingering blister and various mechanical issues. Gore made three rehab appearances before he was assigned to the San Antonio Missions with whom he threw eight innings in which he walked nine, struck out 16, and gave up three earned runs. He ended the season being ranked the 56th overall best prospect in baseball and the fourth best left handed pitching prospect. He was assigned to the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League after the season. On November 19, 2021, the Padres added Gore to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
In a June 25, 2023 start against the San Diego Padres, Gore struck out the first six batters he faced, setting a Nationals franchise record. In 2023, Gore had 151 strikeouts and a 4.42 ERA in 136 innings across 27 starts with a 7–10 record.
In 2024, Gore had 181 strikeouts and a 3.90 ERA in 166 innings across 32 starts with a 10–12 record.
On March 27, 2025, Gore struck out 13 Philadelphia Phillies, setting the record for the most opening-day strikeouts by a Nationals pitcher. On May 29 against the Seattle Mariners, Gore recorded his 100th strikeout of the season when he struck out Ben Williamson in the bottom of the third inning. In that same game, he became the first pitcher this season to reach 100 strikeouts. Gore, 26, is the third Nationals pitcher in franchise history (2005-present) to become the first in baseball with 100 strikeouts, joining Max Scherzer (2018) and Stephen Strasburg (‘12, ‘14). He also collected his 500th career strikeout in his 84th Major League start. At 26 years and 94 days old, Gore became the 2nd youngest active pitcher with at least 500 career strikeouts. He trails only Hunter Greene, who is 163 days younger. On July 6, Gore was selected to the 2025 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, his first All-Star appearance in MLB. In 30 starts for Washington on the season, he compiled a 5-15 record and 4.17 ERA with 185 strikeouts across innings pitched. On September 23, Gore was placed on the injured list due to a right ankle impingement, ending his season.
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