Oakland A's Prospect Preview: Kyle McCann
Previously in our Prospect Previews, meeting talented Oakland Athletics Minor Leaguers just in case we see them in Lansing this season: - Power-hitting shortstop Logan Davidson - Power-hitting shortstop Jeremy Eierman Today, let's meet 2019 fourth-rounder Kyle McCann, who is not a power-hitting shortstop. He's a power-hitting catcher.
Previously in our Prospect Previews, meeting talented Oakland Athletics Minor Leaguers just in case we see them in Lansing this season:
- Power-hitting shortstop Logan Davidson
- Power-hitting shortstop Jeremy Eierman
Today, let's meet 2019 fourth-rounder Kyle McCann, who is not a power-hitting shortstop. He's a power-hitting catcher.
The name McCann carries with it a notable baseball familiarity, whether it's Brian McCann, the former Braves catcher, or James McCann, the current Mets catcher.
Kyle McCann, hailing from Suwanee, Ga., isn't related to either one.
Joe McCann was drafted by the Mets in the 47th round in 1988 and pitched in pro ball from 1989-1993, rising to High-A St. Lucie in 1991-1992 and 1993 with High-A Winston-Salem. In 1991, he was managed by John Tamargo Sr., father of the former Lugnuts manager, and was teammates with current Toronto Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker.
Joe's younger son, Cooper, turned to pitching, and is a member of Mercer University Bears baseball team, but Joe's older son, Kyle, became a catcher. After beginning baseball at age four, Kyle McCann first made headlines at Lambert High School, where he was teammates with future Clemson star and 2018 first-rounder Seth Beer.
In 2014, the Lambert Longhorns reached the state championship. In the decisive Game 3 against Milton, Kyle scored the game-tying run in the fourth inning on a Will Dunavant RBI single and singled in the go-ahead run an inning later in a 2-1 championship-clinching victory.
A year later, Kyle's 18U East Cobb Yankees captured the Connie Mack World Series title and the Perfect Game WWBA national championship.
Then Kyle graduated from Lambert Longhorn to Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket.
Going to Georgia Tech meant overcoming a defensive obstacle of sorts: The Yellow Jackets already had a star catcher in Joey Bart, plus a commitment from star high school catcher Tyler Stephenson. Stephenson never arrived on campus, signing with the Cincinnati Reds after being drafted 11th overall in 2015, but Bart remained the No. 1 catcher -- and for good reason, winning the prestigious Johnny Bench Award as the nation's top catcher and becoming the No. 2 overall selection in the 2018 draft.
Converting to a combination catcher/first baseman/designated hitter, McCann hit .198/.383/.430 with nine home runs in his freshman year, and then smoked his sophomore year to the tune of 26 homers, 17 doubles, and a .327/.461/.709 slash line. In all, he reached base a remarkable 148 times on base in 2018 (83 hits, 60 walks, five hit-by-pitches), accomplished in a mere 72 games.
"Even when he was kind of the backup to Joey, I think guys enjoyed throwing to him. He's very well liked by his teammates, he's just an easy guy to like," Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall told D1Baseball's Aaron Fitt a year later. "It's kind of funny, James Ramsey just came in here in January and joined the staff, but he has nicknamed McCann 'the low-key genius.' He's got a good baseball IQ, but he's not just gonna throw something on somebody, it'll be more on the low-key, comforting side."
As far as offense goes? "I think he's right in there with the best power hitters I've coached," Hall said.
Without Joey Bart around in 2019, Kyle McCann at last became the No. 1 catcher at Tech. He opened his junior year by slamming ten homers in the Jackets' first 14 games, including a walk-off 11th-inning roundtripper against UCLA, and finished the year batting .299/.468/.674 with a conference-leading 23 homers and 62 walks in 62. He was named one of two runners-up for the top catching award (renamed from Bench to the Buster Posey Award).
Next stop, professional baseball.
With the 134th pick of the 2019 #MLBDraft, the @Athletics select @GTBaseball catcher Kyle McCann, No. 88 on @MLBPipeline's Top 200 Prospects list: https://t.co/OHooNdL3XW pic.twitter.com/8oAqK08KMj
— MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) June 4, 2019
Sheesh.
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) June 4, 2019
➡ ACC HR leader (23)
➡ Dick Howser Award Semifinalist
➡ Buster Posey Award Finalist
➡ 70 RBI pic.twitter.com/W81u69Al5R
Kyle's name was called in the fourth round in June 2019, with the A's selecting him 134th overall and subsequently signing him for $500,000.
“Kyle McCann’s power potential as a left-hand bat with the possibility to catch at the major-league level is what most impressed me,” wrote Oakland scout Jemel Spearman to The Athletic's Melissa Lockard. "A left-handed hitting slugging catcher is hard to come by in the draft. Kyle is an extremely strong individual with flexibility."
McCann split his professional debut in 2019 between a ridiculous five-game stretch in the rookie level Arizona League (two singles, two doubles, two triples, two home runs, five walks, scoring ten runs) and a struggle of a 55-game span in the Short-Season A New York-Penn League (55 games, .192/.289/.343, seven homers). A red flag on top of this: six strikeouts in the AZL, 81 strikeouts in the NYPL, adding up to 87 whiffs in 60 games.
If there had been a 2020 Minor League season, it's likely Kyle McCann would have moved up to be the No. 1 catcher for Low-A Beloit. As it was, he was invited to be a part of the Athletics' 60-man Summer Camp player pool in 2020 and then took part in Instructional League ball following the season, where he received strong reviews on how his defensive was developing.
That brings us to 2021, where MLB.com's prospect triumvirate of Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra declared McCann the top power prospect in the Oakland organization, writing, "The left-handed hitter’s pop reminds some of Chris Davis, and it has come with Davis-like swing-and-miss, too, though the backstop does draw walks to help mitigate the strikeouts."
MLB rated Kyle as the No. 18 prospect in the system, with the note that "His power as a left-handed hitter reminded some in the organization of Carlos Delgado. Once considered a possibility to move to first base, McCann's willingness to improve his defense behind the plate keeps him profiled as a power-hitting backstop."
Baseball America placed Kyle McCann as its No. 21 A's prospect, with Mark Chiarelli writing, "The 2021 season will be revealing for McCann. He still must prove he's the player the A's saw at the alternate site instead of the one who floundered in his pro debut."
The Athletic's Keith Law rated McCann as his No. 12 prospect in the organization: "He might have 70 raw power, and he is going to strike out at pretty high rates, but there’s enough of the former to hope he can be a 20-25 homer guy with a .290 OBP who is good enough to stick at catcher."
It was made clear from his inclusion in the 60-man Summer Camp player pool that Kyle McCann's continued catching development is a priority for Oakland, which means he'll need to have a No. 1 spot once the Minor League season opens on May 4th. This spring, there have been seven catchers utilized by the A's in Cactus League play: Sean Murphy, Francisco Peña, Aramís García, Austin Allen, Carlos Pérez (2011-2012 Lugnut!), Tyler Soderstrom and McCann. Murphy arrived in the Majors last year and has overcome a collapsed lung this offseason to return to action; he'll be counted on as the A's No. 1 catcher. It is likely that García will be his backup, with Austin Allen heading to Triple-A Las Vegas with the veterans Pérez and/or Peña.
Then there's a gap: McCann's highest level is Short-Season A. Soderstrom, drafted in the first round last year and regarded as the A's No. 1 position-player prospect, has yet to make his pro debut. Collin Theroux played in 93 games in Double-A Midland in 2019 and remains a part of the organization; the sensible move is to send him to the RockHounds as a dependable defensive catcher. But what to do in High-A Lansing and Low-A Stockton?
The guess here is that the A's send the 23-year-old McCann, with his greater experience, to the Lugnuts, while starting the 19-year-old Soderstrom in Stockton. Both are organizational priorities, both need to play, both need to continue to develop defensively.
McCann in a way feels similar to shortstop Jeremy Eierman, possessing a great deal of power while being vulnerable to strikeouts at an above-average rate -- except that McCann has more power, the most of any A's minor leaguer, draws more walks, and may be even more vulnerable to striking out. (Does this remind you of 2019 Griffin Conine?) This would be a two-level jump for McCann, challenging him further offensively at the same time that his defense will be scrutinized.
At the very least: expect some monstrous home runs.
Orioles' Honeycutt joins The Show Before the Show
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Red Sox prospect rips double THROUGH Fenway-esque scoreboard
Red Sox No. 4 prospect Franklin Arias, an infielder for High-A Greenville, REALLY didn’t want to let visiting Asheville score any runs in the top of the eighth inning on Friday night. With runners on first and second base in the bottom of the fourth, Arias showed he apparently held
April's hottest hitting prospects -- one for each organization
The Minor League season is a month old and several of the game's best hitting prospects are off to fast starts. Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is tearing up Triple-A (just like he did at the end of last year), Padres shortstop Leo De Vries is leading the High-A Midwest
Check out the best -- and wackiest -- Minor League promos happening in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast coming LIVE to a Somerset this June
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
New ballparks highlight 2025 MiLB road trip stops
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Minor League Baseball partners with TruGreen
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- TruGreen, the nation's leading lawn care treatment provider, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Minor League Baseball that includes activations across all 120 clubs, a makeover of the home dugout in each market, sponsorship of select MiLB team grounds crews, and a new initiative called
Podcast explains why the Syracuse Mets are looking for Jim Morrison
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Dash im-prom-tu promo and Mets' Suero joins the podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minor League Baseball partners with Circle K
Minor League Baseball announced a new national partnership with Circle K, which will see the convenience store giant become the “Official Convenience Store of Minor League Baseball.” During the 2025 season, the Circle K brand will be integrated into the MiLB in-stadium experience through in-game video board assets at most
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Everything you need to know for Triple-A Opening Day
First, there was big league Opening Day. Now it's Triple-A's turn to take the spotlight. The Minor League season opens Friday when the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League seasons get underway for the first of MiLB’s two Opening Days. And right out of the gates, several of baseball's
Top prospects to watch at Triple-A -- one for each organization
It’s Triple-A’s turn up to bat on Friday. The regular season begins for the Minor Leagues’ highest level one day after the action starts on the Major League side. Fun fact: it’ll be the earliest start to a Minor League season since 1951 (March 27). Double-A, High-A and Single-A will
Here's where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
The 2025 Opening Day prospect roster announcements began last week when the Cubs informed Matt Shaw (MLB No. 19) he was making the trip overseas to compete in the Tokyo Series. Roki Sasaki (No. 1) also received the good news, but his assignment was much less of a surprise. Now
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”
Stewart embraces Spring Breakout: 'What's not to love?'
PHOENIX -- Sal Stewart was one fired-up Reds prospect. On Sunday in the first inning during the organization's 9-7 Spring Breakout win over Brewers prospects, Stewart lifted a 2-2 pitch that sailed over the center fielder's head to the wall. Already not known as a speedster, he stumbled running between