Maddox Molony grew up just minutes from Oregon’s campus, attending Ducks games as a lifelong fan and following in the footsteps of his grandfather, who once played for the program. When the recruiting process began, staying home was an easy decision.
Now Molony is doing more than living out a childhood dream. The Oregon shortstop has developed into one of college baseball’s top players, with scouts projecting him as a potential first-round pick in July’s MLB draft.
“From a young age, even before I can remember, I was playing the sport,” Molony said. “I’ve always had support from my entire family on my dreams to play this game as long as I can, so it’s really made for a good environment to succeed and excel at the sport.”
Molony is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound shortstop with a well-rounded offensive profile. The right-handed hitter generates above-average bat speed from his strong, athletic frame, with power that shows most consistently to the pull side.
That power continues to trend upward, though some scouts remain cautious after he struggled at times to access it with a wood bat in the Cape Cod League last summer. He rarely swings and misses on pitches in the strike zone, a product of a simple, repeatable swing.
Molony’s bat-to-ball skills are backed by the data, highlighted by a 91% in-zone contact rate and frequent barrel contact.
“This season, I want to see more consistency, mostly at the plate,” Molony said. “I’m pretty consistent in the field. I’d like to be a little better on the bases as well, but mostly hitting. I want to be consistently that guy that’s going to get on base, get hits and drive in runs the entire year.”
Defensively, Molony shows the tools teams look for at a premium position. He pairs a strong arm with good overall athleticism, allowing him to move well laterally and cover a solid amount of ground. He also has a high baseball IQ. Most believe Molony has a strong chance to remain at shortstop long term.
“My strong defensive skills are a testament to playing three sports growing up in football, basketball and baseball,” Molony said. “There’s a lot of things you need in all those sports. Then, when you kind of combine them all and focus on one sport, it’s allowed me to be athletic and play a good shortstop.”
In two seasons at Oregon, Molony has emerged as one of the Ducks’ most consistent offensive contributors, hitting .311 with 12 doubles, 25 home runs, 76 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. He has drawn 38 walks against 62 strikeouts in 411 plate appearances during that span.
Molony has played a central role in Oregon’s recent success, helping the Ducks reach the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons. In 2024, Oregon captured a regional title for just the third time in program history.
This season, the Ducks are hopeful to return to the postseason and build on that momentum, with Molony again anchoring the lineup.
“We have a great culture,” Molony said. “The guys love each other. Everyone wants to work. We’re a fairly new team. We need to understand how to play together, how the level of this game works, and figure that out, and then just flow. We just need to get used to playing together and get used to the game at this level.
“Look out for us this year. We’re going to be fun to watch.”
Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for 11 years. He has interviewed 613 of the top draft prospects in that period, including four No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today, MLB.com, The Arizona Republic and The Dallas Morning News, have quoted his work, while he has appeared on radio stations as an “MLB draft expert.” Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.
