As a corner outfielder with little power or speed, it seems strange on the surface that Billy McKinney is considered a top prospect. Looking at his numbers this year certainly doesn’t solve the mystery.
The 21-year-old McKinney, who was recently acquired by the Yankees along with Gleyber Torres, Adam Warren, and Rashad Crawford in the Aroldis Chapman trade, is hitting just .252/.355/.322 (101 wRC+) with a solitary homer in 349 Double-A plate appearances on the year.
However, it seems likely that his sub-par production this season is the result of lingering effects of missing the last two months of 2015 with a hairline fracture in his knee after fouling a ball off of his leg.