Brendan McKay 2017 MLB Draft Profile
Brendan McKay is a left handed pitcher and first baseman for the University of Louisville Cardinals. The media guide lists him at 6’2″., and 220 lbs. Hailing from Darlington, PA, the junior has secured multiple player and pitcher of the week awards. His ERA in a very tough ACC this year is 1.92 with a WHIP of 0.81. His three-year career numbers show an ERA of 2.02 and a WHIP of 0.99. He also has some pop at the plate, possessing a career slash line of .339/.442/.547/989, with 25 home runs in 596 collegiate at bats. The San Diego Padres drafted him in the 34th Round of the 2014 draft, but he chose to play college baseball instead.
Strengths
McKay owns good command of a fastball that hits 94 mph early in the game, and dips to around 90 mph in the late game. As a two-way player, he hasn’t been able to focus on pitching alone. Such focus should bring his fastball to a higher velocity and give it more consistency. He also has a solid curveball and a decent change-up in his arsenal. Once he focuses on pitching full-time, adding a split-finger or a two-seam will help his game.
At the plate, McKay’s pop will make him a good prospect for a National League squad. Both as a starter and as a pinch hitter, his bat would be useful to any team.
Weaknesses
He’s not going to be the ace of a rotation. He is looking at a career as either a third starter or middle reliever. While his fastball has some speed, there is not a lot of room for the 22-year-old to develop much more. His heater may develop into the 96-to-98 range, and be able to hold the velocity throughout the game. However he will not have the right combination of power and good stuff to be the Jon Lester of a rotation.
MLB Comparison
The 2016 version of Travis Wood.
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