Anthony Kay Stats & Scouting Report

IP	82
ERA	5.598
WHIP	1.646
BB/9	5.049
SO/9	9.329

Full name Anthony Benjamin Kay
Born 03/21/1995 in Stony Brook, NY
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Connecticut
Debut 09/07/2019
Drafted in the 1st round (31st overall) by the New York Mets in 2016 (signed for $1,100,000).

View Draft Report

A 29th round pick of the Mets out of high school, Kay was one of three promising Long Island prep arms, with Stephen Woods and Matt Vogel also showing promise. All three chose to go to college, and Kay has emerged as the best of the group. The ace of UConn's staff, Kay throws three pitches for strikes. His fastball works in the low 90s and touches 95 early in his starts. Scouts see his changeup is an above-average or plus pitch; it shows both fade and tumble and generates swings and misses from righthanded hitters regularly. Kay has a tendency to throw his changeup from a slightly lower arm slot, giving scouts concerns that elite hitters will be able to see the pitch coming. He throws a breaking ball with slurvy shape. Kay usually throws the pitch against righthanded hitters, and has not thrown it with conviction this spring. Kay is on the shorter side, standing at 6-foot, but he has a wide, sturdy build.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

TRACK RECORD: Kay was drafted by the Mets with the 31st overall pick in 2016 but missed the following year after having Tommy John surgery. He returned to pitch well in 2018 and the Blue Jays acquired him with Simeon Woods Richardson at the 2019 trade deadline in exchange for Marcus Stroman. Kay made his major league debut shortly after the trade and returned to the majors for 13 appearances in 2020.

SCOUTING REPORT: Kay's 91-96 mph fastball has above-average velocity from the left side, but it comes in fairly straight and got hit hard in the majors, especially when he was behind in the count and hitters were looking for it. Kay throws an average curveball at 76-80 mph that can get swings and misses when he keeps it down. His 85-88 mph changeup is a tick below-average but flashes average. Kay threw strikes up through Double-A, but his command has been below-average in Triple-A and the majors.

THE FUTURE: Kay came up through the minors as a starter and some think he could still handle that role in the back of a rotation. But he will be 26 in 2021 and it's yet to click for him in the major leagues, so he could end up returning to relief.
TRACK RECORD: The Mets drafted Kay with the 31st overall pick in 2016, but he missed the entire 2017 season due to Tommy John surgery. He returned in 2018, and in July 2019 the Mets traded him and righthander Simeon Woods Richardson to the Blue Jays for Marcus Stroman. He made his major league debut as a September callup.

SCOUTING REPORT: Kay has a strong fastball from the left side, sitting at 92-94 mph with the ability to reach 96. Early in the year at Double-A, Kay commanded his fastball well to both sides of the plate, though when he moved up he got himself into trouble when his command escaped him and he fell behind in the count too often. Kay mixes in a curveball and changeup, with scouts split on which pitch they prefer depending on when they see him. When Kay got to Toronto, his curveball was more effective, an average pitch in the upper 70s. His mid- 80s changeup is a fringe-average pitch that can flash a tick better.

THE FUTURE: If Kay tightens his fastball command, he projects as a back-end starer. He should be in Toronto's rotation immediately. His future could improve with a better third pitch.
Track Record: The 31st overall pick in 2016, Kay had Tommy John surgery after signing and missed the entirety of his first two pro seasons. He made up for lost time in 2018 by pitching at two Class A levels, striking out a batter per inning as he regained feel he lost after his layoff.

Scouting Report: Kay returned to the hill in 2018 as a different pitcher than he was in college. More a fastball/changeup lefty at Connecticut, he emerged in pro ball with a vicious, top-to-bottom 80 mph curveball that he locates to both sides of the plate. His peak curveball approached 3,000 revolutions per minute, while his average spin rate ranked inside the top 10 percent in the minors. Kay tops out at 96 mph and sits 92-94 with an above-average, high-spin fastball that plays at the top of the zone in conjunction with his curve and mid-80s changeup at the bottom of the zone. His change flashes above-average potential and sinking action. Kay pitches with a bulldog demeanor and wants to strike out opponents.

The Future: Kay has mid-rotation potential if he can refine his curveball into a swing-and-miss pitch and improve his overall command. He will be ready for Double-A at some point in 2019 with a possible big league ETA of 2020.
Kay attended the same Long Island, N.Y., high school as Steven Matz, and joined the Mets as the 31st overall pick in the 2016 draft after three years at Connecticut. He had his bonus offer reduced to an under-slot $1.1 million after a physical turned up an elbow injury. Kay had Tommy John surgery in October of his draft year, and returned to action at 2017 instructional league, where he threw bullpen sessions. In college, he drew praise for one of the best changeups in his draft class. The pitch features late fading action and could develop into a plus offering once he recovers his feel post-surgery. He pitches in the low 90s and topped out near 95 mph while in college. A high-spin curveball rounds out his repertoire. Barring further setbacks, Kay should be ready to begin 2018 with a full-season club and log his first pro innings. A realistic ceiling for his workload should fall between 90 to 110 innings.
The Mets selected Kay with the 31st pick in the 2016 draft and signed him for $1.1 million, about $872,000 below slot after a physical turned up an elbow injury. A Long Island native, Kay attended the same high school as Mets lefthander Steven Matz and at Connecticut set a school record with 263 career strikeouts. The Mets had previously drafted Kay in the 29th round out of Melville High in 2013. As a three-pitch lefty with the ability to work both sides of the plate, he would have been a prime candidate to move rapidly in pro ball, but he had Tommy John surgery in early October and probably will not pitch in 2017. Kay improved his fastball and changeup while in college, and his changeup ranked as one of the finest in the 2016 draft class. His change is a swing-and-miss pitch because of its late fading action and could grade as plus one day, though he drops him arm slot slightly to throw it. Kay works his fastball in the low 90s and touches 95 mph with an ability to run the ball to his arm side and cut it to his glove side. His curveball shows tight spin but not consistent depth--he used it only against lefthanded batters in college--and could be an average pitch if he develops it in pro ball. Kay throws strikes and has a ceiling of No. 3 starter if he makes a full recovery from surgery.

Draft Prospects

A 29th round pick of the Mets out of high school, Kay was one of three promising Long Island prep arms, with Stephen Woods and Matt Vogel also showing promise. All three chose to go to college, and Kay has emerged as the best of the group. The ace of UConn's staff, Kay throws three pitches for strikes. His fastball works in the low 90s and touches 95 early in his starts. Scouts see his changeup is an above-average or plus pitch; it shows both fade and tumble and generates swings and misses from righthanded hitters regularly. Kay has a tendency to throw his changeup from a slightly lower arm slot, giving scouts concerns that elite hitters will be able to see the pitch coming. He throws a breaking ball with slurvy shape. Kay usually throws the pitch against righthanded hitters, and has not thrown it with conviction this spring. Kay is on the shorter side, standing at 6-foot, but he has a wide, sturdy build.

Minor League Top Prospects

Before his mid-season departure to Toronto via trade, Kay was busy carving up Eastern League hitters and was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse in mid-June. Kay's 1.49 ERA was tops in the league for any starting pitcher with at least 50 innings pitched, and his 0.92 WHIP was tied for league lead as well. Kay tends to work fast on the mound, and he has no trouble attacking hitters with all three of his offerings. His fastball works in the low to mid-90s with solid command. His curveball has good downward break and shows signs of being an above-average offering that can draw swings and misses. Kay showed impressive feel for his third-pitch changeup, which profiles as a useful weapon to get hitters off his fastball-breaking ball combo. The lefthander recently made his major league debut with the Blue Jays and will get more starts at the back of the rotation.
Fellow first-rounder David Peterson posted a 1.82 ERA with Columbia while Kay scuffled to a 4.54 ERA, but it was Kay who impressed scouts thanks to better stuff and his ability to be a potential mid-rotation starter. In his first season back after Tommy John surgery, Kay showed a plus 91-95 mph fastball with above-average command and late life. He showed an ability to cut it and manipulate the spin and movement of his heater. Kay pairs that fastball with a plus 76-80 mph curveball that has excellent spin and depth and that he can locate to both sides of the plate. Kay's changeup is less consistent right now but flashes above-average as well. For an experienced college pitcher, Kay's pitch selection and feel is less advanced than scouts expected, but he has upside as he moves farther away from surgery.

Best Tools List

Rated Best Changeup in the New York Mets in 2019

Scouting Reports

TRACK RECORD: Kay was drafted by the Mets with the 31st overall pick in 2016 but missed the following year after having Tommy John surgery. He returned to pitch well in 2018 and the Blue Jays acquired him with Simeon Woods Richardson at the 2019 trade deadline in exchange for Marcus Stroman. Kay made his major league debut shortly after the trade and returned to the majors for 13 appearances in 2020.

SCOUTING REPORT: Kay's 91-96 mph fastball has above-average velocity from the left side, but it comes in fairly straight and got hit hard in the majors, especially when he was behind in the count and hitters were looking for it. Kay throws an average curveball at 76-80 mph that can get swings and misses when he keeps it down. His 85-88 mph changeup is a tick below-average but flashes average. Kay threw strikes up through Double-A, but his command has been below-average in Triple-A and the majors.

THE FUTURE: Kay came up through the minors as a starter and some think he could still handle that role in the back of a rotation. But he will be 26 in 2021 and it's yet to click for him in the major leagues, so he could end up returning to relief.
TRACK RECORD: Kay was drafted by the Mets with the 31st overall pick in 2016 but missed the following year after having Tommy John surgery. He returned to pitch well in 2018 and the Blue Jays acquired him with Simeon Woods Richardson at the 2019 trade deadline in exchange for Marcus Stroman. Kay made his major league debut shortly after the trade and returned to the majors for 13 appearances in 2020.

SCOUTING REPORT: Kay's 91-96 mph fastball has above-average velocity from the left side, but it comes in fairly straight and got hit hard in the majors, especially when he was behind in the count and hitters were looking for it. Kay throws an average curveball at 76-80 mph that can get swings and misses when he keeps it down. His 85-88 mph changeup is a tick below-average but flashes average. Kay threw strikes up through Double-A, but his command has been below-average in Triple-A and the majors.

THE FUTURE: Kay came up through the minors as a starter and some think he could still handle that role in the back of a rotation. But he will be 26 in 2021 and it's yet to click for him in the major leagues, so he could end up returning to relief.
TRACK RECORD: The Mets drafted Kay with the 31st overall pick in 2016, but he missed the entire 2017 season due to Tommy John surgery. He returned in 2018, and in July 2019 the Mets traded him and righthander Simeon Woods Richardson to the Blue Jays for Marcus Stroman. He made his major league debut as a September callup.

SCOUTING REPORT: Kay has a strong fastball from the left side, sitting at 92-94 mph with the ability to reach 96. Early in the year at Double-A, Kay commanded his fastball well to both sides of the plate, though when he moved up he got himself into trouble when his command escaped him and he fell behind in the count too often. Kay mixes in a curveball and changeup, with scouts split on which pitch they prefer depending on when they see him. When Kay got to Toronto, his curveball was more effective, an average pitch in the upper 70s. His mid- 80s changeup is a fringe-average pitch that can flash a tick better.

THE FUTURE: If Kay tightens his fastball command, he projects as a back-end starer. He should be in Toronto’s rotation immediately. His future could improve with a better third pitch.
TRACK RECORD: The Mets drafted Kay with the 31st overall pick in 2016, but he missed the entire 2017 season due to Tommy John surgery. He returned in 2018, and in July 2019 the Mets traded him and righthander Simeon Woods Richardson to the Blue Jays for Marcus Stroman. He made his major league debut as a September callup.

SCOUTING REPORT: Kay has a strong fastball from the left side, sitting at 92-94 mph with the ability to reach 96. Early in the year at Double-A, Kay commanded his fastball well to both sides of the plate, though when he moved up he got himself into trouble when his command escaped him and he fell behind in the count too often. Kay mixes in a curveball and changeup, with scouts split on which pitch they prefer depending on when they see him. When Kay got to Toronto, his curveball was more effective, an average pitch in the upper 70s. His mid- 80s changeup is a fringe-average pitch that can flash a tick better.

THE FUTURE: If Kay tightens his fastball command, he projects as a back-end starer. He should be in Toronto's rotation immediately. His future could improve with a better third pitch.
Before his mid-season departure to Toronto via trade, Kay was busy carving up Eastern League hitters and was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse in mid-June. Kay's 1.49 ERA was tops in the league for any starting pitcher with at least 50 innings pitched, and his 0.92 WHIP was tied for league lead as well. Kay tends to work fast on the mound, and he has no trouble attacking hitters with all three of his offerings. His fastball works in the low to mid-90s with solid command. His curveball has good downward break and shows signs of being an above-average offering that can draw swings and misses. Kay showed impressive feel for his third-pitch changeup, which profiles as a useful weapon to get hitters off his fastball-breaking ball combo. The lefthander recently made his major league debut with the Blue Jays and will get more starts at the back of the rotation.
A first-round pick in 2016 out of Connecticut, Kay had Tommy John surgery after signing, which delayed his pro debut until this season. Once healthy, the hard-nosed southpaw advanced quickly to the Florida State League thanks to a 93-94 mph fastball that touches 96 and an elite spin-rate curveball. Kay also throws a quality changeup. Developing his curve as a swing-and-miss pitch could make him a No. 3 starter.