Mark McGwire used to punish baseballs with his power. His son, meanwhile, is dominating the game in his own way.
Mason McGwire, the son of the 12-time All-Star, has been turning heads with his solid start to his 2026 season with the Chicago Cubs’ Single-A affiliate Myrtle Beach Pelicans.
On Monday, MLB highlighted Mason’s dominance on the mound with the Pelicans, sharing a video of his highlights during Sunday’s 7-3 win by the Pelicans over the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, at Pelicans Park in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Mark McGwire's son, Mason, is looking NASTY in the Cubs organization 🔥
— MLB (@MLB) April 20, 2026
He's got a 0.90 ERA through 4 games for Single-A Myrtle Beach 👏 pic.twitter.com/nQqUVCHbEP
Against the Pelicans, Mason gave up zero runs and just a hit with 5 strikeouts through four innings of work. He had zero walks, as he showed great command with his pitches. That was also his first start of the season after coming out of the bullpen in all of his previous three appearances.
The 22-year-old McGwire was selected by the Cubs in the eighth round of the 2022 MLB Draft. He spent the 2023 season playing rookie-level ball with the ACL Cubs before making his Single-A debut with the Pelicans in 2024. Mason missed the entire 2025 campaign due to injury, but is trending up following his early success in 2026 with Myrtle Beach.
For what it’s worth, some may find it amusing that Mason is part of the Cubs system, the same organization that used to feature Sammy Sosa, his father’s chief rival in the 1998 home run record chase.
