Tampa Bay Rays Minor League Pitcher of the Year: Brendan McKay
Level(s): GCL Rays, low-A Bowling Green, high-A Charlotte
Stats: 5-2, 19 G, 17 GS, 78 1/3 IP, 2.41 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 14/103 BB/K ratio
Few players have received as much note in their pre-draft season as Brendan McKay did in the 2017 season as he played first base and pitched for Louisville. The question of whether he would pitch or play first base dominated much of the pre-draft talk in the 2017 draft season, ahead of many other tremendous talents in that season’s draft, who also certainly deserved note.
The Tampa Bay Rays drafted McKay with the 4th overall selection with the intention to let him do both – hit and pitch. In 2018, he came out of some preseason injury, but was tremendous thereafter. He was able to show exceptional command and control while using that command and control to set up hitters to swing and miss at his cutter frequently.
For note, McKay hit .214/.368/.359 in 2018 in 242 plate appearances, with 8 doubles and 6 home runs.
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Runners-up
A great example of the way Tampa Bay’s slow development of their draft picks can truly allow pitchers to develop well, Brock Burke actually had a better run in 9 starts in AA than he did in his first 16 games in high-A. Combined, Burke posted a 3.08 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and a 44/158 BB/K ratio from the left side in 137 1/3 innings. He very well could open 2019 in AAA with a chance to see major league time at the end of the year.
Drafted in the 5th round out of Webster University in 2017, Josh Fleming was able to pitch across both A-ball levels in 2018 and put up very impressive numbers. He posted a 2.53 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and a 19/80 BB/K ratio over 110 1/3 innings.
Riley O’Brien was drafted in the 8th round in 2017 out of the College of Idaho, and he pitched very well across both A-ball levels in 2018. The lean 6’4″ righty posted a 2.75 ERA over 88 1/3 innings split in 25 games between 13 starts and 12 relief appearances, with a 1.14 WHIP, and a 42/103 BB/K ratio.
The best relief season in the minor leagues in 2018 was posted by Colin Poche, though he posted a portion of that season with AA Jackson in the Arizona system before coming to the Tampa Bay system in a deal. With the Rays, he made 31 appearances, tossing 55 innings, with a 0.98 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and an incredible 17/87 BB/K ratio. Overall on the season, he posted a 0.82 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and a 19/110 BB/K ratio over 66 innings pitched.
The Tampa Bay Rays showed their young team could definitely compete going forward, and there are more players coming to help the 2019 team possibly be even better.