Alex McKenna

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Houston Astros #17 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: McKenna won Big West Conference player of the year honors in 2018 at Cal Poly and received a $432,500 signing bonus after the Astros selected him in the fourth round. He played just 65 games after dislocating his finger and straining a hamstring during his first minor league season in 2019. He reshaped his body during the coronavirus shutdown and got off to a torrid start at High-A Asheville in 2021, hitting .305/.389/.616, but he encountered more injury issues during an unproductive stint in Double-A Corpus Christi to end his season.
  
  Scouting Report: McKenna shows above-average raw power, but it comes with a propensity for swings and misses. He is a feast or famine hitter with huge exit velocities and a bevy of strikeouts. His ability to handle advanced pitching is suspect after a subpar end to his 2021 season at Double-A, and he is likely a below-average hitter, at best. McKenna’s above-average speed and instincts translate well in the outfield, but his range is suspect in center field. He has an average arm.
  
  The Future: McKenna profiles best as a fourth outfielder who doesn’t hit enough to play everyday in a corner. He’ll return to Double-A in 2022.
  
• 
  Ranked Houston Astros #27 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: McKenna has a lengthy track record of being a productive hitter. He hit .347 over his final two seasons at Cal Poly and also showed he could handle a wood bat by hitting .298 in the Cape Cod League in the summer before his junior season. That feel to hit was also apparent in his pro debut.
  
  Scouting Report: McKenna is the kind of well-rounded player who gets the most out of a solid but unspectacular set of tools. He's strong, athletic and an above-average runner. The Astros will have to help him unlock power that isn't always as apparent in games as it is during batting practice. McKenna has a high handset and a modest load to start his swing with an all-fields contact-oriented approach, but he can show off above-average raw power when he really squares one up. Defensively, McKenna is reliable in all three outfield spots and has a solid-average arm, but his range is a little limited for center field.
  
  The Future: McKenna is the kind of player who sometimes exceeds expectations. If his power develops, he could be a regular. If not, he has enough athleticism and hitting ability to be a fourth outfielder.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #105 prospect in 2018 draft
  McKenna has been one of the leading hitters in the Big West Conference in each of the last two years. He also put together a strong summer in the Cape Cod League, establishing himself as one of the premier college hitters on the West Coast. He has a short, quick swing and makes consistent contact. An unconventional setup at the plate with his hands close to his chest helps his contact-based approach and swing path, but may limit his power. Listed at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, the righthanded hitter has above-average power to unlock, but more typically hits doubles to the gap. McKenna has played center field throughout his college career and is a solid runner with an average arm. Though he covers ground well in the outfield and has solid speed, he is unlikely to stick in center field in pro ball. He offers value as someone who can play all three outfield positions thanks to his strong arm and outfield instincts. He earns praise for his approach to the game.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked New York-Penn League #7 prospect in 2018
  McKenna posted a .323/.402/.472 slash line for Cal Poly in the spring and kept it up after the Astros made him their fourth-round pick. McKenna built upon his offensive production in college, rolling along with a .423 on-base percentage at Tri-City before being promoted to the low Class A Midwest League for the final 12 games of the season. McKenna profiles as a strong-bodied, instinctual outfielder who has developing power. McKenna hit seven doubles and five home runs while driving in 21 runs in just 34 games for Tri-City, and then hit two more home runs in the Midwest League. “He’s a good fastball hitter,” one scout said. “Not exactly a natural hitter, but the hit tool is solid.” Scouts applaud McKenna for his decision-making in the field, although he profiles more as a corner outfielder because he has only average speed and a fringe-average arm. His routes and reads make him playabe in center field in limited exposures, however.

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: McKenna won Big West Conference player of the year honors in 2018 at Cal Poly and received a $432,500 signing bonus after the Astros selected him in the fourth round. He played just 65 games after dislocating his finger and straining a hamstring during his first minor league season in 2019. He reshaped his body during the coronavirus shutdown and got off to a torrid start at High-A Asheville in 2021, hitting .305/.389/.616, but he encountered more injury issues during an unproductive stint in Double-A Corpus Christi to end his season.
  
  Scouting Report: McKenna shows above-average raw power, but it comes with a propensity for swings and misses. He is a feast or famine hitter with huge exit velocities and a bevy of strikeouts. His ability to handle advanced pitching is suspect after a subpar end to his 2021 season at Double-A, and he is likely a below-average hitter, at best. McKenna’s above-average speed and instincts translate well in the outfield, but his range is suspect in center field. He has an average arm.
  
  The Future: McKenna profiles best as a fourth outfielder who doesn’t hit enough to play everyday in a corner. He’ll return to Double-A in 2022.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Like Barefoot, McKenna is a fourth-outfielder candidate, but their approaches are somewhat different. McKenna is looking to do damage with every swing, seeing plenty of strikeouts as the price of admission for making an impact. He has a better shot of being playable in center field than Barefoot.