Tampa Bay Rays: Brendan McKay showing his two way promise
The Tampa Bay Rays could have a two way phenom of their own in the next couple of years, as prospect Brendan McKay is showing his ability in the Midwest League.
Out on the Bowling Green Hot Rods, the Tampa Bay Rays entrant in the Midwest League, another two way prospect is truly beginning to emerge. Brendan McKay, the Rays first round pick in the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft, and the fourth overall selection, had entered the season as a consensus top 40 prospect. However, a large part of that ranking was due to his prowess on the mound, as he struggled with the bat during his time with the Hudson Valley Renegades in 2017.
This season has been much different for McKay. He is dominating the Midwest League on the mound, while showing his potential at the plate. Heading into Sunday’s action, McKay had posted a stellar 1.45 ERA and an incredible 0.482 WHiP, striking out 33 batters with just two walks in his 18.2 inning. At the plate, he has posted a .278/.473/.370 batting line, drawing 20 walks with only 12 strikeouts in 74 plate appearances.
As impressive as those numbers are, they really cannot compare to the weekend that McKay had. On Friday, he fired 4.2 innings, not allowing a hit as he struck out nine batters. Then, for an encore on Saturday, he drove in a career high five runs, hitting a double and his first homer of the season. That outburst helped the Rays prospect break out of a 6-33 slump.
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This performance, as well as his overall production for the 2018 campaign, lead to the question of how long the Rays will keep McKay in the Midwest League. He has been utterly dominant on the mound, putting together numbers would would seem out of place in a video game. As a pitcher, he is certainly ready to take that next step.
However, his offense is not quite there yet. McKay has three extra base hits on the year, two of which came on Saturday. While he has displayed a solid batting eye, and has a decent enough slash line, the Rays would likely want to see more. In fact, one could even make the case that his batting line is better than it should be, as McKay has a .341 BABiP. That mark, coupled with a low 14.6% line drive rate, and a ridiculous 35.7% infield fly rate, show that there is still plenty of room for improvement.
That difference between his two positions complicates matters for the Rays. Yes, he is showing his potential as a hitter and first baseman, but McKay could easily move through the system pitching. Of course, if McKay has truly broken out, and his offense can even come close to his dominance on the mound, that move through the system would be forthcoming.
Next: Rays finding their stride
Regardless, Brendan McKay is showing that two way potential the Tampa Bay Rays had hoped for. As dominant as he has been on the mound, McKay has been solid enough at the plate to let Rays fans dream.