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TAMPA, Fla. — Billy McKinney wasn’t even supposed to be there.
The young outfielder stood surrounded by the conglomerate of New York Yankees beat writers after a March 18 loss to the Baltimore Orioles just soaking in the moment. Sure, it was a game the Yankees didn’t win, but McKinney should have been down the road at the minor league complex, not with the big-league club hitting a game-tying home run.
McKinney received a non-roster invite to the Yankees’ major league camp after first baseman Tyler Austin broke a bone in his left foot during a batting-practice session just days before the full team was supposed to report.
Participating in his first big-league spring training, the 22-year-old prospect made the most out of every opportunity.
“Everybody — it doesn’t really matter how much time you have in the big leagues — they’ve been great to every player and they’ve helped me feel a part of the team,” McKinney said last week. “I know it’s spring training and everything, but it’s been a lot of fun. Just been a great experience over here.
“I wouldn’t say I try to set a standard, but just give it my all every day and I just try and let my bat do the talking and just give it my best.”
Even Yankees manager Joe Girardi noticed.
“He’s swinging the bat great. Even his outs are hard,” Girardi told reporters after the game. “He’s taken advantage of his situation where he got to come to camp because of a couple injuries. He’s been swinging it extremely well. I’m excited to follow him this year.”
Though McKinney was reassigned to Double-A Trenton last Friday, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility that the outfielder could make his way to Moosic this season.
In fact, both Baseball America national writer Ben Badler and MLBPipeline.com senior writer Jim Callis told the Times Leader in February that they could see McKinney making an Austin-like rise.
Austin started in Trenton last year, before making a stop in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and ending the season with the Yankees.
“I’ve always liked him,” Badler said. “He has a good understanding of the strike zone. He doesn’t swing and miss much. He has a good approach. He just doesn’t have the power and he’s kind of not good enough defensively for center field, which puts more pressure on his bat.”
“Billy McKinney, a couple years ago was considered one of the top hitting prospects in the minors, kind of like Tyler (Austin),” Callis added. “He’d be the candidate because he’s followed that same path — a really good hitting prospect derailed by injuries.”
Similarly to Austin, who struggled in 2015 and was sidelined with an undisclosed injury for part of the season before rising up the ranks last year, McKinney saw his 2015 campaign end in mid-August after suffering a hairline fracture after fouling a ball off of his leg. The outfielder then struggled in 2016, finishing with a career-low .246 batting average.
“I worked real hard this offseason, trying to get on top of getting my legs underneath me, just be strong,” McKinney said. “That’s been a big goal of mine, just trying to maintain and get my strength back, but maintain it without really just giving out on extra work, early work.”
Ironically, it was Austin’s injury that opened the door for McKinney.
“An injury’s always unfortunate and you never want anybody to get hurt — a guy like Tyler, just a great teammate and person, hope for him to have a quick recovery and get back on the field as soon as possible — but I’m just glad I got the chance,” McKinney said. “I’m glad I got the call from (New York Yankees vice president in player development) Gary Denbo and Joe (Girardi) and the whole front office gave me an opportunity to come over.”
For now, all McKinney can do is play ball and wait.
“I guess we’ll see what happens,” McKinney said. “It’s not my call, though. Just trying to do my best.”