William Landis McKinney (born August 23, 1994) is an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

in the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

organization. McKinney was a first-round draft pick (24th overall) of the Athletics in 2013. He was traded to the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

in 2014, and the

in 2016. He made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 2018, and was traded to the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

during the season, with whom he played until 2020. He also played for the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

in 2021, and

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

in 2022.

Career

Amateur career

McKinney attended

Plano West Senior High School Plano West Senior High School (commonly West, Plano West, or PWSH) is a public high school in Plano, Texas serving high school juniors and seniors. Plano West is named after its geographic location within West Plano. The school is part of the P ...

Plano, Texas Plano ( ) is a city in Collin County, Texas, Collin County and Denton County, Texas, United States. It had a population of 285,494 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is a principal city of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Hist ...

. He led the school's baseball team to the state's Class 5A semifinals. He committed to play

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the Add-Ran Male & Female College. It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples ...

Oakland Athletics

The

selected McKinney in the first round, with the 24th overall selection, of the

2013 Major League Baseball draft The 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. Each team received one selection per round, going in ...

. He signed with the Athletics, receiving a $1.8 million

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

. McKinney began the 2014 season with the

Stockton Ports The Stockton Ports are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. They are located in Stockton, California, and are named for the city's seaport. The team plays its home games at Ba ...

of the

Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leag ...

. He batted .241 for the Ports.

Chicago Cubs

On July 4, 2014, the Athletics traded McKinney to the

with

Addison Russell Addison Wayne Russell (born January 23, 1994) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). Russell was drafted 11th overall by the Oakland Athletics in the 2012 Major League Baseb ...

and

Dan Straily Daniel Steven Straily (born December 1, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). The Oakland Athletics selected Straily in the 24th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball ...

, in exchange for

Jeff Samardzija Jeffrey Alan Samardzija (; born January 23, 1985), nicknamed "Shark", is an American professional former baseball pitcher. He played college baseball and football for the University of Notre Dame, and was recognized as a two-time All-American ...

and

Jason Hammel Jason Aaron Hammel (born September 2, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Orioles, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, ...

. He was assigned to the

Daytona Cubs Daytona refers to the city of Daytona Beach, Florida, or things named after it. Daytona may also refer to: Locations * Daytona Beach Shores, Florida * South Daytona, Florida * The Daytona Beach metropolitan area * Halifax area, also known as Dayt ...

of the Class A-Advanced

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

. He batted .301 in 51 games for Daytona. McKinney began the 2015 season with the

Myrtle Beach Pelicans The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a Minor League Baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Pelicans compete in the Carolina League. Home games are played at TicketReturn.com Field, which open ...

of the Class A-Advanced

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

. After he batted .340 in 29 games, the Cubs promoted him to the

Tennessee Smokies The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Kodak, Tennessee, a suburb of Knoxville. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They play at Smokies Stadium, directly off Int ...

of the Double-A Southern League in May. He suffered a hairline fracture in his right knee in August, ending his season. McKinney returned to Tennessee in 2016.

New York Yankees

On July 25, 2016, the Cubs traded McKinney, Adam Warren,

Gleyber Torres Gleyber David Torres Castro (born December 13, 1996) is a Venezuelan professional baseball shortstop and second baseman for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut on April 22, 2018. Torres was an All-Star i ...

, and Rashad Crawford to the

for

Aroldis Chapman Albertín Aroldis Chapman de la Cruz (; born February 28, 1988) is a Cuban-born American professional baseball relief pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees and Chica ...

, and McKinney joined the

Trenton Thunder The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the Doub ...

of the Double-A Eastern League. McKinney ended the 2016 season with a .246

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

, four home runs, and 44 RBIs. McKinney began the 2017 season with Trenton, and was promoted to the

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pen ...

of the Triple-A

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

in late June. He finished the 2017 season with a combined .277 batting average with 16 home runs and 64 RBIs between both clubs. The Yankees added him to their 40-man roster after the season. The Yankees optioned McKinney to the RailRiders at the end of spring training in 2018. An injury to

Aaron Hicks Aaron Michael Hicks (born October 2, 1989) is an American professional baseball center fielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the first round of the 2008 MLB draft. He made his ...

led the Yankees to promote McKinney to the major leagues on March 30. He made his major league debut that day, and recorded his first

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from ''Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization in ...

in his first

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

. The next day, McKinney sprained the

AC joint The acromioclavicular joint, or AC joint, is a joint at the top of the shoulder. It is the junction between the acromion (part of the scapula that forms the highest point of the shoulder) and the clavicle. It is a plane synovial joint. Structure ...

in his left shoulder, and went on the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

. On May 25, McKinney was activated from the disabled list and optioned to the minors.

Toronto Blue Jays

On July 26, 2018, the Yankees traded McKinney and

Brandon Drury Brandon Shane Drury (born August 21, 1992) is an American professional baseball utility player for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue ...

to the

for

J. A. Happ James Anthony Happ (born October 19, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Pittsburgh Pirates, New Y ...

. The Blue Jays assigned McKinney to the

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

of the International League and promoted him to the major leagues August 17. On August 21, McKinney hit his first major league home run off

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

pitcher

Ryan Meisinger Ryan Thomas Meisinger (born May 4, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals, and Chicago Cubs. Amateur career Meisinger a ...

. McKinney appeared in 36 games for the Blue Jays in 2018, hitting .252 with six home runs and 13 RBIs. In 2019, McKinney hit 12 home runs with 28 RBI in 84 games. On September 11, 2020, McKinney was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...

by the Blue Jays.

Milwaukee Brewers

On September 14, 2020, McKinney was claimed off waivers by the

. McKinney hit .207 with three home runs and six RBI in 40 games for the Brewers before being designated for assignment on May 22, 2021.

New York Mets

On May 25, 2021, McKinney was traded to the

in exchange for Pedro Quintana. In 39 games with the Mets, McKinney slashed .220/.304/.473 with five home runs and 14 RBI, before being designated for assignment on July 16.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On July 21, 2021, McKinney was traded to the

in exchange for minor league outfielder Carlos Rincon. He played in 37 games for the Dodgers, hitting .146 with one homer and seven RBI. McKinney appeared in four games in the postseason, primarily as a defensive replacement and only had one plate appearance, in the

2021 NLDS The 2021 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-games series in Major League Baseball (MLB) to determine the participating teams of the 2021 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners, seeded first through thir ...

, in which he struck out. On November 19, 2021, McKinney was designated for assignment by the Dodgers. On November 22, he and

Zach Reks Zachary Joseph Reks (born November 12, 1993) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers. He has also played in the KBO ...

were traded to the Texas Rangers for cash considerations. However, the Rangers non-tendered him on November 30, making him a free agent.

Oakland Athletics (second stint)

On March 16, 2022, McKinney signed a minor-league deal with the

that included an invitation to Spring Training. On April 7, the Athletics selected McKinney's contract, adding him to their opening day roster. McKinney was designated for assignment on May 9. He elected free agency on November 10, 2022.

New York Yankees (second stint

On December 31, 2022, McKinney signed a minor league deal with the

. https://www.milb.com/transactions/2022-12-31

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McKinney, Billy 1994 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada Arizona League Athletics players Baseball players from Texas Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Daytona Cubs players Las Vegas Aviators players Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball outfielders Milwaukee Brewers players Myrtle Beach Pelicans players New York Mets players New York Yankees players Oakland Athletics players Oklahoma City Dodgers players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Sportspeople from Plano, Texas Stockton Ports players Tennessee Smokies players Toronto Blue Jays players Trenton Thunder players Vermont Lake Monsters players