Early on in the 2017 season, a National League scout tracking the New York Yankees farm system saw outfielder Billy McKinney and came away underwhelmed.
"Marginal prospect," the scout said, and while he had some kinder words about the way McKinney approaches the game, it's hard to get past those first two words. First-round picks aren't supposed to be marginal prospects. Minor leaguers who become part of big midseason deals are supposed to be better than that, significantly better.
It turns out maybe Billy McKinney is better than marginal, that maybe he's just one of those players who needed a while to develop, one of those guys who will eventually get a chance and justify that first-round pick and those big trades.