Kevin Keyes Named Carolina League Player of the Week

As predicted this morning, Kevin Keyes has indeed been named the Carolina League Player of the Week for April 14-20.

Keyes went 9-for-26 with four home runs, 11 RBI, and eight runs scored for a line of .346/.433/.846. Those four homers also represent his season total, for which he is tied for third place in the Carolina League with teammate Brandon Miller while his tally of 15 RBI is good for second place.

The 25-y.o. native of Austin, TX was drafted in 7th Round of the 2010 Draft out of the University of Texas, three years after being drafter out of Connolly High School by the Rangers. Keyes had an abysmal rookie season in Vermont, batting just .175, though he did draw 24 walks in 39 games.

He rose to prominence in 2011 when he posted a mark of .281/.355/.528 in the second half for the Hagerstown Suns. He moved up to Potomac in 2012, but has stalled there since, struggling with a sub-.300 OBP in his two previous seasons for the P-Nats and seeing his slugging percentage drop from .459 to .370.

In 2013, he was converted from the outfield to first base with relative success, as he’s been able to play adequate defense and show decent range for his size and experience at the position, which earned him a place on the 2013 Watchlist as the position of first base is (and remains) relatively thin in the Washington organization.