2017 College Player of the Year: Brendan McKay Excels On All Fronts
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Brendan McKay ‘just keeps getting better and better’ after three seasons spent starring on the mound and at the plate for Louisville. (Photo by Brian Westerholt)
SEE ALSO: Two-Way College Stars
LOUISVILLE—Even after Brendan McKay dyed his hair blond along with his teammates before Louisville began the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, nobody would confuse the lefthander/first baseman with Robert Redford. But Redford’s Hollywood looks are about the only thing separating McKay from becoming “The Natural.”
Baseball appears to come so easily to McKay. In his senior year at his Pittsburgh-area high school, he had a 72-inning scoreless streak. At Louisville, he has been a staple of the rotation and the middle of the lineup throughout his career.
He spent the last two summers playing for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team. He was Freshman of the Year in 2015 and has earned first-team All-America honors for three straight seasons. He’s just the third player to do so in Baseball America’s 37-year history, joining Texas’ Greg Swindell (1984-86) and Oklahoma State’s Robin Ventura (1986-88).
McKay’s junior season has been his best yet. Entering super regionals, he went 9-3, 2.31 with 131 strikeouts in 97.1 innings on the mound and hit .357/.474/.688 with 17 home runs. He helped lead Louisville to the ACC regular season title and the No. 7 national seed. For his sensational season and two-way talent, McKay is the 2017 College Player of the Year.
McKay has considerable physical talents, but his mental capabilities play a big role in his success as well. He shoulders a hefty burden for the Cardinals but never allows the pressure to overwhelm him.
“Baseball’s hard as it is, just being a regular player,” McKay said. “If you put any extra pressure on yourself, it can take even more of a toll. That’s when you play your best, when you’re free and you’ve got a clear mind and you’re just doing your thing out there.”
That attitude has served McKay well. He was a superstar at Blackhawk High in Beaver Falls, Pa.. He twice was named Gatorade player of the year in Pennsylvania and was drafted in the 34th round by the Padres.
While Louisville had high hopes for McKay, he first had to prove he belonged in the mix on the mound and in the lineup. He quickly did both. He opened his freshman year in the bullpen and earned four saves before moving into the rotation about a month into the season. He became a regular in the lineup in the first few weeks of the spring.
McKay went 9-3, 1.77 in 96.2 innings. At the plate, he hit .308/.418/.431 with four home runs. Just a year after Kentucky’s A.J. Reed won the College Player of the Year award, college baseball had found its next two-way superstar.
“If you put Brendan the pitcher on one side and Brendan the hitter on the other side, they could almost have their own competition to see who’s better at that craft,” Louisville coach Dan McDonnell said.
McKay only improved as a sophomore and junior. This year, he finally tapped into his raw power, slugging 17 home runs after hitting 10 in his first two seasons combined. On the mound, he worked with pitching coach Roger Williams to add a cutter, giving him another weapon.
In subtler ways, McKay has improved in nearly every aspect of the game. Indiana coach Chris Lemonis was Louisville’s recruiting coordinator when McKay committed. He said McKay has surpassed expectations.
“He just keeps getting better and better,” Lemonis said. “It’s scary. I’ve never seen the kid have a bad week.”
McKay has always been a two-way player, but pitching was long considered his forte and likely long-term position. His development at the plate this spring, however, led evaluators to seriously consider drafting him as a hitter. If pitching wins out, it will be the allure of a lefthander throwing 91-93 mph with a hammer curveball and solid changeup. Many also believe his stuff will play up a tick when he stops hitting every day.
Managing McKay’s workload has not been easy, but after three seasons of splitting his time, he said he has found a good routine. He does everything his position player teammates do, with the small concession of serving as the DH the day after he pitches. He has also condensed his post-start weight lifting into one session to minimize his soreness.
McKay does not want anything special, or to be treated differently from his teammates. In his start against Oklahoma in regionals, he tied former teammate Kyle Funkhouser for the most career strikeouts in program history with 376.
McDonnell is not shy about declaring McKay the best player in program history. He is a transformative talent and has played a critical role in Louisville winning the ACC title in two of its first three years in the league.
Winning drives McKay more than any individual records, awards or his draft position.
“He just wants to win,” McDonnell said. “He loves to compete. We’re so blessed to have him.”
COLLEGE PLAYER OF THE YEAR | |||||||
1981 | Mike Sodders | 3b | Arizona State | ||||
1982 | Jeff Ledbetter | of/lhp | Florida State | ||||
1983 | Dave Magadan | 1b | Alabama | ||||
1984 | Oddibe McDowell | of | Arizona State | ||||
1985 | Pete Incaviglia | of | Oklahoma State | ||||
1986 | Casey Close | of | Michigan | ||||
1987 | Robin Ventura | 3b | Oklahoma State | ||||
1988 | John Olerud | 1b/lhp | Washington State | ||||
1989 | Ben McDonald | rhp | Louisiana State | ||||
1990 | Mike Kelly | of | Arizona State | ||||
1991 | David McCarthy | 1b | Stanford | ||||
1992 | Phil Nevin | 3b | Cal State Fullerton | ||||
1993 | Brooks Kieschnick | dh/rhp | Texas | ||||
1994 | Jason Varitek | c | Georgia Tech | ||||
1995 | Todd Helton | 1b/lhp | Tennessee | ||||
1996 | Kris Benson | rhp | Clemson | ||||
1997 | J.D. Drew | of | Florida State | ||||
1998 | Jeff Austin | rhp | Stanford | ||||
1999 | Jason Jennings | rhp | Baylor | ||||
2000 | Mark Teixeira | 3b | Georgia Tech | ||||
2001 | Mark Prior | rhp | Southern California | ||||
2002 | Khalil Greene | ss | Clemson | ||||
2003 | Rickie Weeks | 2b | Southern | ||||
2004 | Jered Weaver | rhp | Long Beach State | ||||
2005 | Alex Gordon | 3b | Nebraska | ||||
2006 | Andrew Miller | lhp | North Carolina | ||||
2007 | David Price | lhp | Vanderbilt | ||||
2008 | Buster Posey | c/rhp | Florida State | ||||
2009 | Stephen Strasburg | rhp | San Diego State | ||||
2010 | Anthony Rendon | 3b | Rice | ||||
2011 | Trevor Bauer | rhp | UCLA | ||||
2012 | Mike Zunino | c | Florida | ||||
2013 | Kris Bryant | 3b | San Diego | ||||
2014 | A.J. Reed | 1b/lhp | Kentucky | ||||
2015 | Andrew Benintendi | of | Arkansas | ||||
2016 | Kyle Lewis | of | Mercer |
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