Coming into the season, the New York Mets made an emphasis on adding depth to their team. Little did they know that they would have 17 players all on the injured list less than two months into the season. That included their first basemen, second basemen, third basemen, and four outfielders, along with several of their top arms.
Acting general manager Zack Scott made some moves. One of his best acquisitions this season has been Billy McKinney.
Former first-round draft pick in 2014 of the Oakland Athletics, McKinney has spent the past three years on three different teams. He was designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers Then, McKinney was sent to the Mets in a trade for Pedro Quintana.
Role With Mets
All he has done as a Met is hit. McKinney has already surpassed his home run total with the Brewers with four and has 12 RBI in 14 games. The power has been the most prominent part of his game. Coming into the year, he had only 18 career home run.
McKinney has seven RBI as a Met as he also has 10 of his 13 hits go for extra bases as he has five doubles and one triple.
His defense has also stood out in his brief tenure with New York. McKinney is a guy that can play anywhere in the outfield and has made several spectacular catches. He reads the ball well of the bat and has a strong arm. McKinney has also shown that he can run. The Mets have been very aggressive on the base paths with their injury-plagued team.
Future Role
Billy McKinney has certainly earned himself a chance to stick with the Mets. The only issue is that New York is expected to get back Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, and Albert Almora back soon.
With Dominic Smith playing left field, if New York wants to keep McKinney on the roster, they will likely have to part ways with someone. Kevin Pillar, Jonathan Villar, and Tomas Nido will be players to remain on the roster in a bench role.
Jose Peraza has been excellent as well, and Luis Guillorme just recently returned from the injured list. The Mets will likely need to move on with one of those players if they can get back to full strength to keep McKinney on the roster.
“I’m just trying not to make too much of the moment and enjoy it,” McKinney said. “I feel like I’m having fun and everybody in the clubhouse is doing that. It’s an easy team to join and just have fun.”
The Mets scratched McKinney from the lineup on Saturday against the San Diego Padres with left knee soreness. The injury should not be serious. Right now, the Mets are currently playing their best baseball of the season. They sit in first place in the NL East with a four-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies with a record of 33-25.
Up next, the Mets will play Game 2 of a four game series with the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday at Citi Field. These games will continue a stretch of 15 games in 13 days without an off day.
Players Mentioned: Billy McKinney, Pedro Quintana, Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Albert Almora, Kevin Pillar, Jonathan Villar, Tomas Nido, Jose Peraza, Luis Guillorme
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
