Getting to Know Astros/ValleyCats OF Alex McKenna

After being drafted by the Astros in the 4th round this past June out of Cal Poly, OF Alex McKenna quickly got to work with the short season A Tri-City ValleyCats and has been one of their most consistent performers this summer. In his first 30 professional games, he is hitting .315/.409./.519 with five doubles, one triple, five home runs and six stolen bases. I had the opportunity to sit down with McKenna last month at "The Joe" (Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy, New York) in an attempt to get to know him a little better. The impression I came away with was one of an intelligent, inquisitive player, one who is very grounded and even-keeled.

Alex McKenna - July 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Asked about his draft experience, McKenna told me that he had "no idea" that the Astros were seriously considering him. "I didn't talk to a single Astros scout or person in the office the entire year so it was definitely a surprise when my name was called. It was cool. Not what I was expecting, but when you get drafted by the defending World Champs, there's definitely worse situations. I was excited."

In his brief time as a professional, McKenna said his biggest accomplishment may very well be "just getting adjusted to things as a professional." He said, "It's a little different from college obviously. Just adjusting to pitching. Adjusting to what the everyday schedule's going to be like is the biggest thing I think. Just trying to acclimate myself as much as possible to make sure that I'm getting my stuff done, day in and day out, what I've got to do to prepare for every game, for every practice."

Although McKenna is highly regarded for his offensive abilities, that is still his primary focus right now, "Offensively, I want to work on elevating the baseball more and unlocking my power because I know I have it in my body, but it's about translating it into the game. I can do it in batting practice, I can do it in settings where I'm just working on mechanics, but translating it into the game when there's consistent velocity is the biggest key for me. I've seen a little of it so far, but I'm trying to tap into it more as the season goes on."

The one thing I did not see much written about was McKenna's defense so I asked him to characterize his defensive capabilities. "I think I'm not the prototypical blazing fast centerfielder, but I take a lot of pride in my routes and how efficient they are. And I think that's why I'm able to play a pretty good centerfield, at least at this level right now, and I want to play that as along as I can until they tell me I can't. I've played all three positions. I've played left, right and center and I'm comfortable at all three, but I would love to play centerfield and stay there as long as I can. I'm still working on some things out there as far as getting rid of the ball quicker, I'm trying to get my arm a little bit stronger, just the basic stuff. But going out there right now, I feel very confident in my ability to play defense," said McKenna.

McKenna acknowledges that his hit tool is probably his best tool, but he feels that the rest of his tools are solid. "I try and make sure my game is consistent in everything I do. I don't want to be weak in anything, and I also don't want to be one-dimensional and only be able to do one thing. Working on the other tools, my other qualities I have as a baseball player, and try to get those to eventually become plus tools is my goal and that's what this organization does a good job of is player development. That's what I'm looking forward to, seeing how far I can push the envelope and see where my ability takes me."

As McKenna works to improve in all areas of his game, he embraces the information that he is given. Tri-City Manager Jason Bell has enjoyed coaching McKenna of whom he said, "It's been awesome to work with him because he is always curious to why we do what we do and why the Astros believe in what we believe in. He asks a lot of questions, moreso than most of the players, because he wants to know more and he wants to be able to apply it to his game right away with the facts on why we do things. So if it's outfield, if it's baserunning, if it's offense, hitting, whatever it is, he always is there to ask questions which I like as a coach. It challenges me more, but at the same time, it's because he wants to learn and grow as a player."

McKenna grew up a Dodgers fan so being signed by the Astros was "a little bit weird" for him. "Honestly, I like the Dodgers because they're the closest team to me. But it was a little weird, for sure, hearing everybody (remarking about me) going to the team that beat the Dodgers in the World Series. But there couldn't be a better situation, I think, for myself. My family and everyone is super happy that I ended up where I am and it's a good situation so far."

Even with the Dodgers loss, McKenna enjoyed the back-and-forth drama of the postseason as a fan of baseball, "That just goes to show how talented these guys are. When they're put in the biggest stage, everyone seems to play better than their ability. And that's what it's kind of about when you're playing in those big playoff games and some guys rise to the occasion and it's pretty cool to watch that stuff."

In the offseason, McKenna will be back home enjoying his time with family and friends, "I live in California and I'm going to be living there during the offseason so (you) definitely don't run out of stuff to do out there. This offseason for me is just going to be very baseball heavy, honestly, because I want to work out, get a little bit stronger, get a little bit faster, work on my swing, kind of work on my game. This is a big offseason. They say the first offseason is the biggest one. You can see what happens when you come back and if you can make your game a little better. So I'm really focused on that, but in the offseason, maybe I'll go camping or something with my family during the winter. That's about it. I don't have too many plans right now. I like to hang out with my family and friends."

I often end my conversation with a player by asking him, "What should I ask you that I haven't already?" It's more of a way to let the player add some random parting thought than a real question. I think McKenna was the first player to ever actually answer the question. He told me I should ask him what we could expect of him on a daily basis. He responded to his own question, "I would say that I just hope that people see that I'm a hard worker, I put in time and I don't take for granted the opportunity that I'm given. I'm going to put in 100% in this thing and see where it goes from there."

Thank you for your time, Alex, and best of luck as the season winds toward its conclusion.

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