Ryan McKenna (baseball)

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Ryan McKenna
Baltimore Orioles – No. 65
Outfielder
Born: (1997-02-14) February 14, 1997 (age 24)
Grants Pass, Oregon
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 5, 2021, for the Baltimore Orioles
MLB statistics
(through 2021 season)
Batting average.183
Home runs2
Runs batted in14
Teams

Ryan Shea McKenna (born February 14, 1997) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021. Listed at 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) and 195 pounds (88 kg), he bats and throws right-handed.

Amateur career[]

McKenna attended Portsmouth Christian Academy in Dover, New Hampshire, as a freshman,[1] and then transferred to St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Dover following his freshman year. He committed to attend Liberty University on a college baseball scholarship.[2][3]

Professional career[]

The Baltimore Orioles selected McKenna in the fourth round of the 2015 MLB draft. He signed with the Orioles and made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast Orioles of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, playing in only ten games due to an ankle injury.[4] In 2016, he played for the Aberdeen IronBirds of the Class A-Short Season New York-Penn League, and batted .241 in 62 games.[5] He played for the Delmarva Shorebirds of the Class A South Atlantic League in 2017[6][7] where he batted .256 with seven home runs and 42 RBIs in 126 games.[8]

McKenna began the 2018 season with the Frederick Keys of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League,[9] and earned a midseason promotion to the Bowie Baysox of the Class AA Eastern League.[10] After the 2018 season, he played for the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League.[11][12] He returned to Bowie to start the 2019 season.[13] McKenna was added to the Orioles 40–man roster following the 2019 season.[14] McKenna did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[15]

On April 5, 2021, McKenna was promoted to the major leagues for the first time to fill in for Austin Hays, who was dealing with a hamstring strain.[16] He made his MLB debut that day as the starting right fielder against the New York Yankees.[17] He collected his first major league hit on April 11, a triple off of Nick Pivetta of the Boston Red Sox.[18] On July 25, McKenna collected his first career home run with a solo shot off of Washington Nationals starter Paolo Espino.[19]

References[]

  1. ^ Mike Zhe. "Ryan McKenna thriving with Orioles' short-season A affiliate". fosters.com. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  2. ^ "High School Baseball: St. Thomas phenom faces tough decision | New Hampshire". Unionleader.com. April 23, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  3. ^ "MLB Draft: A five-tool find in STA's McKenna - Boston High School Blog". ESPN. June 2, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  4. ^ John Doyle jdoyle@fosters.com. "McKenna enjoying life with GCL Orioles - Sports - fosters.com - Dover, NH". fosters.com. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  5. ^ "Granite State Baseball Dinner: Now, McKenna has more stories to tell". New Hampshire. November 17, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  6. ^ "As draft approaches, breakout Orioles prospect Ryan McKenna becomes rare prep outfielder to emerge". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  7. ^ Mike Zhe. "Painful finish, but bright future ahead for Orioles prospect Ryan McKenna - Sports - seacoastonline.com - Portsmouth, NH". seacoastonline.com. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  8. ^ "Ryan McKenna Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  9. ^ Mike Zhe. "Zhe: Ryan McKenna among local pro ballplayers on the move this spring - Sports - seacoastonline.com - Portsmouth, NH". seacoastonline.com. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  10. ^ "Outfielder Ryan McKenna earns back-to-back Orioles Minor League Player of the Month honors". Baltimore Sun. October 22, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  11. ^ "McKenna's four-hit day keys Dogs' offense". MiLB.com. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  12. ^ "Toolshed: O's McKenna making most of AFL". MiLB.com. November 2, 2018. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  13. ^ Karpovich, Todd. "Orioles Prospect Ryan McKenna Looking To Build On Big Fall League". Pressboxonline.com. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  14. ^ Jon Meoli (November 2019). "Orioles protect top prospects Ryan Mountcastle, Keegan Akin, two others from Rule 5 draft". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  15. ^ "2020 Minor League Season Canceled". mlbtraderumors.com.
  16. ^ Byrne, Connor (April 5, 2021). "Orioles Place Austin Hays On 10-Day Injured List". mlbtraderumors.com.
  17. ^ Pinsonnault, Jay (April 8, 2021). "'Moment you dream about': Dover's Ryan McKenna shares MLB debut story". seacoastonline.com.
  18. ^ Pinsonnault, Jay (April 11, 2021). "Orioles' St. Thomas grad Ryan McKenna triples vs. Red Sox for first big league hit". Foster's Daily Democrat. Dover, New Hampshire. The Portsmouth Herald. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  19. ^ https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-nationals-july-25-20210725-hz2dtk4vavcqtoerb3n3o44mcy-story.html

External links[]

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