Rays land two-way Louisville star Brendan McKay with 4th pick

With the fourth overall pick in the 2017 MLB amateur draft Monday night, the Tampa Bay Rays selected Louisville product Brendan McKay, a two-way star who's committed to both pitching and playing a position in pro baseball as long as he can.

"It is hard," McKay told USA Today's Steve Jones in May, "but if you could figure out a way to manage it, (a two-way player) could help a lot. … As long as I can do it, I want to try to do it. When it comes to the point when somebody says, 'Hey, it’s got to be one way or the other,' then at that point, you’ll make that choice."

He's one of two highly touted two-way players in this year's draft, along with prep phenom and No. 2 pick Hunter Greene. McKay, a left-handed pitcher and slugging first baseman, won his third straight John Olerud Award - given to the top two-way college player in the nation - this year, cementing his legacy as one of the top NCAA players in recent history.

"Usually with two-way guys, nine times out of 10, it's pretty clear-cut on if the guy's better at one thing or the other, and with Brendan, I don't think there’s a consensus," MLB.com columnist Jim Callis said. "I've talked to people who are convinced he’s better as a pitcher, and I've talked to people who are convinced he's definitely better as a hitter."

Bio

Age: 21
Position: LHP/1B
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 212 pounds
Bats/Throws: L/L
School: University of Louisville
Pick, value (#4): $6,153,600
MLB.com money quote: "He's a potential No. 1 overall pick, though clubs are still split as to whether he'll be better as a hitter or a pitcher. He's a consensus top-10-overall choice either way, the first player regarded that highly since Dave Winfield in 1973."

2017 stats

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