New York Yankees Working Billy McKinney At 1B In AFL
No. 23 #Yankees prospect Billy McKinney cranks a three-run homer for the Scorpions in his @MLBazFallLeague opener. https://t.co/lF6Akx149k pic.twitter.com/1AgPnKfR7o
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) October 11, 2017
With a glut of outfield prospects in front of him, 23rd rated New York Yankees’ prospect Billy McKinney is giving first base a try.
New York Yankees‘ prospect Billy McKinney’s highest chance to burst onto the Major League scene seems to be at another position and with the Arizona Fall League in full swing, one of his main goals is versatility.
According to William Boor of MiLB.com, the outfielder is playing first base for the Scottsdale Scorpions, a position the 23-year-old hasn’t played since high school.
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On MLB.com’s Pipeline top prospect list, there are two outfield prospects ahead of McKinney and while that doesn’t necessarily mean his name won’t be called first, the picture in the Majors is crowded by Jacoby Ellsbury, Aaron Hicks, Aaron Judge, Clint Frazier and Brett Gardner for the foreseeable future.
Adding another tool to his arsenal, especially as a left-handed first baseman, will undoubtedly bode well for a potential debut for the Yankees in 2018.
In 55 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season, McKinney slashed .306/.336/.541 with 10 home runs and 35 RBI’s. He is 7-for-24 (.292) with two doubles, a triple and a homer in six games so far in the AFL.
Considering the success McKinney experienced last season with the RailRiders and looking at the track record of Yankees’ in the AFL (Greg Bird, Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres), don’t be surprised to see the 24th overall pick in the 2013 draft knock on the door of Yankee Stadium as soon as 2018.
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Christian Kouroupakis covers the New York Yankees and is the Editorial Director for ESNY. Interact with him and view his daily work by “liking” his facebook page and follow him on Twitter. All statistics are courtesy of Baseball Reference.com unless otherwise noted. Don’t hesitate to shoot him an email with any questions, criticisms, or concerns.
