Texas high school baseball is basically a different planet. If you aren't throwing 90 mph by the time you're getting your driver's license, you're almost invisible. But then there’s Chase Shores. When you talk about Chase Shores high school stats and his path from Legacy High School in Midland, you aren't just talking about a "good" prospect. You're talking about a kid who turned a dusty West Texas diamond into a mandatory stop for every MLB scout with a functioning radar gun.
It’s easy to look at a 6-foot-8 frame and assume success is guaranteed. It isn't. Honestly, plenty of tall kids struggle with their mechanics because moving those long levers is a literal nightmare for muscle memory. Shores didn't just survive his growth spurt; he weaponized it. By the time he was a senior at Legacy, he wasn't just a pitcher. He was an event.
Why the Chase Shores High School Era Was Different
Most people see a high school box score and think they understand the player. They don't. At Midland Legacy, Shores was dealing with the weight of being the top-ranked right-handed pitcher in the state of Texas according to Perfect Game. Think about that for a second. Texas produces more elite arms than almost anywhere else on earth, and he was sitting at the very top of that mountain.
He didn't just throw hard. He threw "loud."
During his time at Legacy High School, Shores became known for a fastball that didn't just cross the plate—it exploded. In 2022, his senior year, he was frequently clocked in the 96-98 mph range. Some scouts even had him touching triple digits. That’s rare. Like, "seeing a unicorn in your backyard" rare. You simply do not see 18-year-old kids from Midland maintaining that kind of velocity over multiple innings without their arms falling off, but Shores made it look remarkably fluid.
The Numbers That Actually Mattered
If you look at his senior season, the dominance was sort of ridiculous. He posted a 0.31 ERA. Read that again. Over 45 innings of work, he allowed next to nothing. He struck out 65 batters while only walking 15. That’s the nuance people miss—hard throwers usually walk the house. Shores didn't. He had this weirdly mature ability to command the zone that made him look like a 25-year-old trapped in a teenager's body.
But it wasn't just the fastball.
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Scouts were obsessed with his slider. It had this late, sharp bite that made high school hitters look like they were swinging at ghosts. When you have to gear up for 97 mph, a 85 mph slider feels like it’s breaking into a different zip code. He also messed around with a changeup that showed flashes of being a real weapon, though he rarely needed it to get through a high school lineup.
The LSU Commitment vs. The MLB Draft
This is where things got tense. After his legendary run at Legacy, everyone wanted to know: pro ball or college?
Most kids with his profile take the money and run to the minor leagues. But Shores was different. He had committed to LSU—the absolute powerhouse of college baseball. Jay Johnson and the Tigers staff knew they had a potential Friday night ace if they could just get him to campus.
The 2022 MLB Draft arrived.
Shores was a projected high-round pick. Some had him as a supplemental first-rounder or a lock for the second. But the "signability" issue is real in baseball. He knew his value. When the dust settled, he didn't sign. He chose Baton Rouge. It was a massive statement. It basically told the world he believed he could be the number one overall pick after three years in the SEC.
Life in the SEC After Midland
Transitioning from Midland Legacy to Alex Box Stadium is a jump. A big one. At LSU, Shores immediately entered the rotation conversation as a true freshman in 2023. He wasn't just a "prospect" anymore; he was a piece of a national championship puzzle.
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He started his college career looking every bit like the kid we saw in high school. He was filling up the zone, bullying hitters with the heater, and looking like a future MLB mainstay. Then, the nightmare happened. Injury. Every pitcher’s boogeyman. Shores ended up needing Tommy John surgery, which sidelined him just as he was becoming a household name in the college world.
It was a gut punch to the fans who had followed him since his days in West Texas. But if you know anything about the kid’s work ethic from his high school days, you know he isn't the type to just fade away.
What Most People Get Wrong About His Development
There's this weird misconception that Shores was just a "power arm" who thrived because he was bigger than everyone else. That’s lazy analysis.
If you talk to coaches who saw him at Legacy, they’ll tell you about his flexibility. For a guy who is nearly 7 feet tall, his ability to stay "in his legs" and repeat his delivery is what actually made him a top-tier prospect. It wasn't just size. It was athleticism. He wasn't a lumbering giant; he was a refined pitcher who happened to be giant.
- Velocity: 96-100 mph (Peak)
- Primary Secondary: Power Slider
- High School Honors: Perfect Game All-American, First Team All-State
- The "Vibe": Intense but composed on the mound
He also carried the pressure of a community. Midland isn't a small town, but it’s a baseball town. When you’re the guy everyone is coming to see, the fence is lined with scouts every time you warm up. That kind of scrutiny breaks a lot of kids. Shores seemed to thrive on it. He had this "calm-cool" demeanor that is honestly more important than the 98 mph fastball when you're pitching in front of 12,000 people in the SEC or a stadium full of pro scouts.
The Legacy of a Midland Legend
When we look back at the Chase Shores high school era, it serves as a blueprint for how to handle the "hype train." He didn't let the rankings go to his head. He didn't stop working on his off-speed pitches just because he could blow high schoolers away with 92 mph. He pushed for 98. He pushed for command.
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The story of Chase Shores is still being written, especially as he works his way back to full health. But the foundation was laid on the fields of Midland. It was there that he proved he could handle the heat—both the literal heat of a Texas summer and the metaphorical heat of being a generational pitching prospect.
For young pitchers watching his journey, there’s a lot to learn. Size helps, sure. But the discipline to refine a delivery when you’re already "good enough" is what separates a high school star from a potential MLB All-Star.
How to Track a Prospect Like Shores
If you're trying to follow the next "Chase Shores" or keep tabs on his comeback, you have to look past the radar gun.
- Watch the mechanics: Look for fluidity in tall pitchers. If they look jerky, the arm health probably won't last.
- Check the walk rates: High school dominance is common; high school command is rare.
- Evaluate the "makeup": How does the player act when they give up a home run? Shores was always remarkably level-headed.
- Follow the recovery: Modern sports medicine is incredible. Coming back from Tommy John isn't the career-ender it used to be. It’s often just a speed bump.
The kid from Legacy High School has already left a mark on Texas baseball history. Whether he’s wearing an LSU jersey or an MLB uniform in a few years, the "Shore Thing" nickname he earned in high school wasn't just clever marketing. It was a reflection of the work he put in when nobody was watching.
Keep an eye on the box scores. The velocity will return, the slider will bite again, and the lessons learned under the Friday night lights in Midland will be the reason why he succeeds at the next level. Success in baseball is rarely a straight line, but for Shores, the trajectory has always been upward.