OLSM graduate Ryan McKay named among top defenders in Northwoods Baseball League

ROYAL OAK/ORCHARD LAKE — He was one of the toughest players to strike out in the National Collegiate Athletics Association this past season, and now he’s one of the top second basemen in the Northwoods League.

The NWL, one of the largest organized baseball leagues in the world with more than 340 players advancing to the Major League Baseball level, released its list of 2024 recipients for the Rawlings “Finest in the Field” award for baseball and softball, recognizing the top defensive players at each position.

Posting 85 putouts, 122 assists, and only three errors in 374 innings, the Royal Oak Leprechauns’ Ryan McKay, who tallied a .986 fielding percentage in the NWL, was awarded the honor for his standout performance at second base.

“I’ve literally played second base since I was 6 years old,” McKay said. “Here and there I would pitch when I was younger, but I stopped pitching freshman year of high school. I never was a full-time shortstop or third baseman. I was always playing second base every single game. I think just knowing that position like the back of my hand has helped me so much, and obviously the work ethic helps. Just being so comfortable there is the reason I can perform the way I do, and I have a great fielding coach at Michigan State with Andrew Stone.”

While the glove was hot for the incoming sophomore at Michigan State University, McKay also provided a spark at the plate with 10 doubles, 23 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, and an offensive slash line of .302/.420/.413.

McKay’s success on the field was a continuation of his successful freshman year with the Spartans, where he posted a .958 fielding percentage and hit .287 with seven doubles and 30 RBIs.

With only 14 strikeouts in 189 at-bats, McKay was ranked the 14th toughest player to strike out in Division 1 baseball, striking out once in every 13.5 at-bats.

“He’s got incredible hands,” said Jonathan Vance, head coach of the Royal Oak Leprechauns. “His hand-eye coordination is really good, so the swing-and-miss really isn’t there. It’s really good bat-to-ball, but at the same time he understands counts and count leverage. He still runs into baseballs and gets his extra base hits. He hit a couple (home runs) this year, and same thing in college. He’s not a one-dimensional hitter because he can do it all. He was a pleasure to watch this summer.”

A 2023 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s graduate and Clarkston native, McKay was a two-time state champion for the Eaglets before packing his bags for East Lansing.

For any player who competes in the NWL, they’re automatically part of a distinguished group. In terms of defense, NWL alumni Matt Chapman (San Francisco Giants), Marcus Semien (Texas Rangers) and Nico Hoerner (Chicago Cubs) are all current MLB infielders who went on to win a Rawlings Gold Glove Award.

McKay has already put together strong seasons in his first year with both the Leprechauns and the Spartans, so it will be exciting to see how he progresses in his sophomore year at MSU.

“We faced this kid from Gonzaga, and I think he was throwing 94 to 96 (mph), and I think I was lucky enough to go 3-for-3 off of him,” McKay said. “If I’m seeing guys like that in the summer, that’s the most ready I’ll ever be. Then it leads right into fall ball. The Northwoods League is the best.”