Brendan McKay is projected to be one of the top picks in June’s Major League Baseball draft, but the question is whether the former Blackhawk High School star will be a pitcher or a hitter in the future? Some teams like him as a pitcher and some as a hitter.
On Tuesday, he hit like only one other player in University of Louisville history.
McKay, a junior at Louisville, had four home runs in a 14-4 victory at Eastern Kentucky. McKay, who also had nine RBIs, became only the second player in Louisville history to hit four homers in a game. The other was Jim LaFountain in 1976.
As a freshman and sophomore, McKay won the John Olerud Award, given to the top two-way player in college baseball. He seems to be a shoe-in for the award again this year and also is one of the top candidates for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the top player overall in the country.
McKay, who plays first base when he doesn’t pitch, is having a tremendous season as a hitter and pitcher. He is now hitting .405 with 11 home runs and 39 RBIs. His slugging percentage is .746. But don’t forget about his pitching ability. A left-hander, McKay is 5-3 this season with a 1.83 ERA and is among the NCAA leaders in strikeouts with 83 in 59 innings. He is hoping to lead Louisville to the College World Series. The Cardinals are the No. 2-ranked team in the country.
But back to McKay’s future. Baseball America had a mock draft last week and had McKay being taken by the Minnesota Twins as the No. 1 pick overall - and as a pitcher.
In talking to McKay earlier this month, he said he has no preference of being a pitcher or position player/hitter in the future. Whatever gets him to the majors faster.
But there is a part of McKay that would maybe like the chance to be both a pitcher and hitter after college. Would a major-league team allow him to try it in the minor leagues? That is a big question. But why not let him try? What would it hurt?
“It’s really up to the [major-league] teams,” said McKay. “They could have you set as being a hitter, but you also have the pitching background. So you start off as a hitter, and for whatever reason, if that doesn’t work out, you can go to pitching. I figure that whatever they invest in you for whatever position, just got at it with everything you have.
“But I have as much confidence in hitting as I do pitching. It’s whatever teams want to do.”
McKay was a star hitter and pitcher at Blackhawk High School. As a junior and senior, he had a streak of 72 1/3 scoreless innings, which tied for the second-longest in U.S. high school history. But he was also a standout hitter.
Things haven’t changed.
Mike White: mwhite@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mwhiteburgh
First Published: April 26, 2017, 1:41 a.m.