MLB · Biography
Malachi Witherspoon
Pitcher (RHP) · Detroit Tigers · MiLB · active · OU 2024-2025
OU's closer-turned-starter, now a Tigers prospect
Malachi Witherspoon pitched at Fletcher High School in Neptune Beach, Florida, where Perfect Game ranked him a top-120 prospect nationally. He then spent a season at Northwest Florida State with his twin brother, Kyson, before both transferred to Oklahoma.
In 2024 Malachi was one of OU's primary closers. He led the team with five saves, including a pair in the Sooners' sweep at Texas Tech, and earned postseason saves against Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament and Duke in the NCAA Norman Regional. That summer he and Kyson were both named to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
In 2025 he moved into the rotation and made 15 starts. His 91 strikeouts ranked second on the staff, and his 11.02 strikeouts per nine innings ranked 14th in the SEC. He struck out a career-high 11 against Vanderbilt and fanned 10 against No. 3 Texas. In his final OU start he threw six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts against Nebraska, earning a spot on the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional All-Tournament Team.
The Detroit Tigers drafted him in the second round (62nd overall) in 2025. In 2026 he made 21 starts for Single-A Lakeland, striking out 93 in 77 innings. He spent part of late summer on the development list before being activated on September 21. As of October 8, 2026, he is a pitcher in the Tigers organization.