2018 Pinstripe Preview: Billy McKinney

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The Yankees farm system is all the rage right now in the world of baseball, with Gleyber Torres, Miguel Andujar, Estevan Florial, and many more, but one man that has gone under the radar until recently is Swiss army knife Billy McKinney. One of the players acquired in the 2017 Aroldis Chapman trade, McKinney is having a great spring so far, putting his name among the other Baby Bombers.

BaseballAmerica.com

2017 Review
Stats: (AAA/AA) 124 G 441 AB, 66 R, 122 H, 29 2B, 7 3B, 16 HR, 64 RBI, .277 BA, .338 OBP, .821 OPS

McKinney improved from 2016 to 2017, increasing his batting average, slugging, OPS, doubles, and quadrupled his home runs as well. Most players struggle going from AA to AAA, but not McKinney who put up significantly better numbers in Scranton than in Trenton, showing the increased competition in Triple-A wouldn’t deter McKinney from producing at a high level.

This is a great sign for the lefty, who could feast on the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium. The 23-year-old has played all three outfield positions and first base in his minor league five-year career, a testament to his versatility.

2018 Preview
The Yankees 19th ranked prospect is showing off his power stroke in Tampa right now, with four home runs in 16 at-bats while sporting a .313/.522/1.063 and a 1.584 OPS. McKinney's offense has improved, and if he can keep up this torrid pace, the Yankees will be hard-pressed to keep him down in the minors for 2018.




The Yankees are flushed with depth across the diamond, and with a top-flight bullpen, there isn’t much wiggle room for one position depth players on the active roster. This is where McKinney’s skill set makes him invaluable, as McKinney could be the backup first baseman behind Greg Bird, and could also provide depth to the outfield as well. Right now McKinney is battling with Adam Lind and Tyler Austin for the backup first base job for 2018, and even if McKinney doesn’t win the job coming out of camp, expect to see him in the majors sooner rather than later

 Article by: Maxx Hotton

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