Make or Break: Billy McKinney

Billy McKinney (25) was acquired by the Blue Jays in the 2019 JA Happ trade after a short stint with the Yankees. After the acquisition, McKinney became known mostly as trade bait, as the Jays would become the fourth organization thus far to acquire the former first round pick. In the final half of the 2019 season, he would find time in the Toronto outfield (corners primarily), as well as at first base, but after a poor performance in the major leagues, the team might not be able to squeeze him in as much as they did in 2019.

McKinney made his debut as a Yankee in 2018, but only got into two games before being passed along to Toronto. Since the trade, he has appeared in 122 games, good for 370 at bats. As a Jay he holds a .227 batting average with 18 home runs. 12 of the home runs came in 2019, where he averaged a home run every 21 at bats, but only hit for a .215 average. Although the power was there, his contact hitting was a concern. This has become a common problem for the team however, pointing to a potential problem with coaching rather than individual player ability. As a result, minor league performance will be used for a more accurate analysis.

The first AAA game in McKinney’s career was played in 2017 as a member of the Scranton Railriders (Yankees). From then until now, he bounced around the minor league levels, but played a large chunk of his games in AAA. In his AAA career (3 seasons total) he owns a batting average of .261 with 30 home runs in 614 at bats. The power is solid, and the contact is about average, making him look like an average MLB starter. In 2019 as a member of Buffalo, his contact hitting improved as he hit for a .271 average, but he only hit 4 home runs in 129 at bats, hitting a home run every 32.25 at bats on average.

A significant fear for McKinney headed into the 2020 season was his opportunity to prove himself with the team after his poor 2019 season. Fortunately for him, the shortened season with taxi players, and the 60 man player pool will give him that opportunity that he otherwise wouldn’t have gotten. Anything can happen in a 60 game span where anyone could come down with an injury or infection, and he has to be ready to step up when the team needs him the most. Although his time in the field might not be consistent, he will have a chance to crack the lineup each and every week, which is all that he could ask for at this point.

Although McKinney was a first round pick in the 2013 draft, his offensive stats at the major league level, and the upper minor league levels tend to indicate that he lacks the potential he was thought to once have, and the team is beginning to see that. After a lackluster 2019 from a contact perspective, his future has come into question with the team, especially with an outfield as crowded as theirs with more young players coming up every season. Time is not on his side, and McKinney will need a big 2020 if he wants to prove he can be a viable option for the team going forward. Between injury history and lack of consistent success, another subpar season could send his career into a quick downward spiral, making this season a serious make or break year for the still young lefty.