MacKenzie Gore struck out 18 batters while tossing a no-hitter as a junior at Whiteville (N.C.) High School. He was voted the MVP of three state championship teams. Gatorade named him its national athlete of the year after the Padres made him the third overall pick in the country in 2017. He’s since represented the club in the All-Star Futures Game and is considered perhaps the best left-handed pitching prospect in the game.
Admittedly, building that sort of resume never left much time for video games for the 21-year-old Gore.
Then again, Gore has never been in the game — until now.