Tampa Bay Rays taking Brendan McKay off of the field

The Tampa Bay Rays are planning on continuing their efforts to develop Brendan McKay was a two way player. However, he will not be on the field any longer.

When the Tampa Bay Rays drafted Brendan McKay with the fourth overall selection in the 2017 MLB Draft, they had a vision. The idea was to let McKay develop as a two way player, a left handed pitcher/first baseman, as they looked for ways to maximize their roster. McKay had put together solid numbers through college both on the mound and in the batters’ box, leading to Rays to allow him to pursue both as a professional.

Thus far, the experiment has not gone as planned. While McKay has displayed his potential on the mound, he has not had the same success with the bat. That has not hurt his standing as a consensus top 100 prospect; however, there have been rumblings that McKay would progress faster if he focused on pitching.

While the Rays are not willing to go that far just yet, they have decided to make a change when it comes to McKay’s development. Even though he will continue to hit on days when he is not on the mound, it will strictly be as a designated hitter, as he will not take the field at first base. This change is being labeled as a way to limit his workload, especially after McKay suffered two oblique injuries last year.

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His production last year certainly calls into question McKay’s future role as he progresses through the Rays system. He was phenomenal on the mound last season, posting a 5-2 record with a 2.41 ERA and a 0.881 WHiP. In his 78.1 innings across three levels, McKay struck out 103 batters against 14 walks, showing that he was ready to advance beyond High-A ball.

However, his bat lagged behind. While McKay was dominant on the mound, he struggled at the plate. Overall, in his 242 plate appearances, McKay produced a .214/.368/.359 batting line, hitting six homers and eight doubles. He did show a good batting eye, with 44 walks while striking out only 52 times.

By allowing McKay to stop worrying about playing first base, the Rays may be able to jumpstart his offense. The foundation, at least in terms of his eye at the plate, appears to be there. Now it is a matter of getting him to make more consistent hard contact. Otherwise, the two way experiment could be coming to an end in the near future.

The Tampa Bay Rays are allowing Brendan McKay to continue forth as a two way player. The difference is, he will be a pitcher/designated hitter, as he will not be playing first base.