5 Collegiate Pitchers to Know for the 2017 MLB Draft

LHP/1B Brendan McKay, Louisville

The Skinny

Brendan McKay is the current College Player of the Year for the Louisville Cardinals, who have not only won the ACC's Atlantic Division for the second straight season, but they also punched their ticket to Omaha over the weekend.

He's one of the most interesting prospects this season because he's a two-way player that's been so good on both ends, that it's still to be determined as to how he'll be used in professional ball.

In 210 at-bats this year, he slashed a cool .343/.464/.657 on the year. That slugging percentage ranked 21st among all qualifying NCAA hitters and was supported by slugging 17 home runs, 13 doubles and 1 triple.

The first-team All-American out of Pennsylvania is the ideal 6'2", 220-pound left-handed pitcher, armed with a low-to-mid 90s fastball. His 33 walks allowed in 104 innings pitched this season speaks volumes about the control of his primary pitch, along with his changeup and curveball.

While he took a step in tuning up his offspeed pitches, he hasn't had much work to do along those lines. Both have seen considerable praise as plus pitches.

Defining Quote

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

College Career

In 53 appearances on the mound (46 starts), he's holding hitting to a .191 average while striking out 385 in 310.1 innings pitched.

At the plate, he's slashed .328/.432/.533 in 649 at-bats, with 27 home runs, 46 doubles, 107 walks drawn and just 111 strikeouts.