McKenna 2024

[KJLyon]

Are you kidding me!! We have better!!! Stowers is still doing better against lefties than McKenna. Plus Mayo please!!

[RZNJ]

Didn’t know where else to post this.

1. McKenna goes in as a PR has 2B stolen easily and over slides the bag and is tagged out.

2. On the line drive double over his head, which may have been uncatchable, it looked like he took a bad route.

3.  On the sac fly it seemed like he was waiting to see if the runner from 3rd was going.   He was in fairly shallow RF, close to the line, took 3 extra steps before actually throwing the ball.   

[Flash- bd]

27 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Didn’t know where else to post this.

1. McKenna goes in as a PR has 2B stolen easily and over slides the bag and is tagged out.

2. On the line drive double over his head, which may have been uncatchable, it looked like he took a bad route.

3.  On the sac fly it seemed like he was waiting to see if the runner from 3rd was going.   He was in fairly shallow RF, close to the line, took 3 extra steps before actually throwing the ball.   

Yeah, it was an ugly night for him. Don't know if the line drive was catchable but definitely took a bad route. The sac fly was what annoyed me the most, just catch it and make a good throw, didn't seem to expect the runner to go. 

[Spakman]

21 minutes ago, Flash- bd said:

Yeah, it was an ugly night for him. Don't know if the line drive was catchable but definitely took a bad route. The sac fly was what annoyed me the most, just catch it and make a good throw, didn't seem to expect the runner to go. 

Most nights are pretty ugly for him. He doesn’t have his head in the game ever. It’s like he doesn’t even care.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

39 minutes ago, Flash- bd said:

Yeah, it was an ugly night for him. Don't know if the line drive was catchable but definitely took a bad route. The sac fly was what annoyed me the most, just catch it and make a good throw, didn't seem to expect the runner to go. 

I've been a McKenna defender, but it's hard to defend him even with the two home runs he has hit in limited playing time. McKenna is supposed to be on this team for his defense and running, but has been poor at both so far.

I agree that maybe that line drive wasn't catchable, but he took a bad route to it and in general takes bad routes to balls hit his way. It will be interesting to see who stays between Kjerstad and McKenna when Hays returns. 

McKenna would make more sense as a utility outfielder and defensive replacement, but not when he's playing like this.

Edited May 9 by OsFanSinceThe80s

[Malike]

I honestly thought the last out of the game was misplayed as well. He had plenty of time but had to reach back for it a bit. I don't get why he's considered a plus defender.

[Brooks The Great]

McKenna was terrible tonight. Way too frequently when he gets put into the game as a defensive replacement going back to last season, he looks like he's never played the outfield before. Santander would have thrown out the runner at plate easily, and Santander doesn't take bad routes in the outfield (McKenna consistently does so). Hyde can't make the mistake of bringing in McKenna to replace Santander in RF for "defense" again, but Hyde definitely will while McKenna is still on the roster.

It's frustrating that both Elias and Hyde refuse to recognize that benching Mullins against lefties, sliding Cowser over to CF, and playing Kjerstad in LF not only makes the team better, but also gives Heston the best opportunity to get playing time. Elias and Hyde have handled Kjerstad's playing time extremely poorly.

Elias's infatuation with McKenna is ridiculous. He's a bad baseball player that no other team's decision-makers value. Except for Elias and Hyde.

[Roy Firestone]

McKenna was finally beginning to grow on me after years of my derision. He's done a few good things offensively. But I think he wouldn't  start for another team in the American League. I would DFA him(they won't) and bring up Hays in LF, Cowser in CF for a while, and Santander in RF. I still think if they give Kjerstad enough at bats, and not just coming off the bench as a PH, he will hit and hit for power....I dont like him getting 4 at bats a week... I think he needs to play. Mullins needs to sit for a few games.He simply cant track the ball all of a sudden.Its almost hard to watch. Maybe he's hurting.

[Spy Fox]

14 minutes ago, Roy Firestone said:

McKenna was finally beginning to grow on me after years of my derision. He's done a few good things offensively. But I think he wouldn't  start for another team in the American League. I would DFA him(they won't) and bring up Hays in LF, Cowser in CF for a while, and Santander in RF. I still think if they give Kjerstad enough at bats, and not just coming off the bench as a PH, he will hit and hit for power....I dont like him getting 4 at bats a week... I think he needs to play. Mullins needs to sit for a few games.He simply cant track the ball all of a sudden.Its almost hard to watch. Maybe he's hurting.

I think they will DFA him. They already did it once. And the fact nobody claimed him means you’re probably right about not starting for other teams. 

[sportsfan8703]

As someone that was all for DFA’ing McKenna for Hicks last week, I really can’t fault him for tonight.
 

I’m impressed he stole the base. He sort of had to run there with two outs. He stole it. He just came off the bag. That happens. 

The route may have not been the best because he was going to his left and as a RH thrower he was just trying to position himself to throw home. He doesn’t have Vlad Sr’s arm out there. That’s a .01% chance play there. 

Our CF depth is pretty thin. I think the only way we DFA McKenna is if Hicks comes here. Kjerstad will be the one to go for Hays. Remember last August when at full strength/healthy Mullins, and only a 26 man roster, we rolled with a 4 man bench of McCann, Hicks, Mateo, Urias/Frazier/Westburg. 

Oddly, we’re deep enough into the season, and CF depth is thin, that I’d say there’s a 50/50 shot McKenna doesn’t clear waivers. I don’t know we have the luxury of CF depth to DFA him w/o Hicks in the mix. 

Edited May 9 by sportsfan8703

[SilverRocket]

3 hours ago, RZNJ said:

1. McKenna goes in as a PR has 2B stolen easily and over slides the bag and is tagged out.

2. On the line drive double over his head, which may have been uncatchable, it looked like he took a bad route.

3.  On the sac fly it seemed like he was waiting to see if the runner from 3rd was going.   He was in fairly shallow RF, close to the line, took 3 extra steps before actually throwing the ball.   

I feel like plays like these have been a part of his entire tenure here. He has the speed but not the mental game. I expect him to be gone once Hays is ready.

[Roll Tide]

5 hours ago, RZNJ said:

Didn’t know where else to post this.

1. McKenna goes in as a PR has 2B stolen easily and over slides the bag and is tagged out.

2. On the line drive double over his head, which may have been uncatchable, it looked like he took a bad route.

3.  On the sac fly it seemed like he was waiting to see if the runner from 3rd was going.   He was in fairly shallow RF, close to the line, took 3 extra steps before actually throwing the ball.   

Doesn’t look to a  sound defensive player to me. 

[Moose Milligan]

McKenna>Hays 

[Aristotelian]

6 hours ago, RZNJ said:

Didn’t know where else to post this.

1. McKenna goes in as a PR has 2B stolen easily and over slides the bag and is tagged out.

2. On the line drive double over his head, which may have been uncatchable, it looked like he took a bad route.

3.  On the sac fly it seemed like he was waiting to see if the runner from 3rd was going.   He was in fairly shallow RF, close to the line, took 3 extra steps before actually throwing the ball.   

Also he got nothing on that throw

[sportsfan8703]

1 hour ago, Moose Milligan said:

McKenna>Hays 

Crap, that’s a tough pill to swallow, but it might be true. McKenna just might need more reps to fix the gaffes. Hays has early onset grandpa syndrome.