Rays two-way prospect Brendan McKay understands why he’s not playing first base

PORT CHARLOTTE — Rays two-way prospect Brendan McKay would rather be in the field, but he understands why the Rays are limiting him to designated-hitter duties when not pitching this year.

"I want to be on the field and play first base, but I understand where they're coming from,'' McKay said Monday. "Taking care of stress, not really taking you over the top, to keep you healthy, I understand that aspect of it. You get to focus on hitting. That might be a little behind pitching, but honestly, if you get more focus on it you might get a little bit better, being more focused and have a better feel for it over the course of a season.''

In playing his first full pro season last year primarily at Class A Bowling Green and Charlotte, the 2017 top draft pick was much better statistically as a pitcher.

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In 19 games (17 starts) on the mound, he posted a 5-2 record with a 2.41 ERA with 110 strikeouts, and only 14 walks, in 78-1/3 innings.

In 56 games as a position player, including 28 at first, he hit .214 with six homers, 39 RBI and a .727 OPS.

The Rays made the change to simplify McKay’s pre-game schedule, allowing him to focus more on his hitting and, they hope, stay healthy after being sidelined twice in 2018 with oblique injuries.

The Rays say they remain committed to developing McKay as a two-way player, and he is, too.

"Absolutely,'' he said. “I’ve been doing it a year-and-a-half of pro ball and I’m still making successful moves with it, so I don’t see why not. Until the point where either you’re stuck, not from a performance standpoint, but you want to move and you’re kind of just sitting there waiting, or you’re to the point where you want to do one and not the other.”

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