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.
Let’s hope he keeps it up, he was rapidly reaching OG status after leveling off last year.
He’s still only 25.
25 in High A ball is not exactly age appropriate, so he’s got to really move to put himself back on the prospect lists.
Kevin Keyes was also the featured player on “Down on the Farm” on the big board at Nats Park tonight. I thought this guy was OG, but it appears he’s Original Gangsta in the Carolina League right now. Hope he gets some action at Harrisburg this year and congratulations!
I love Matt Skole, but maybe Keyes and Skole should switch teams ans allow Kevin to have more of a challenge and Matt to build confidence… I am concerned with our AA team
I’m concerned with Harrisburg as well. They looked godawful the two games that I saw them play in Bowie early on and judging by this website (all the minors I have time to follow right now), it appears that it has been more of the same.
Relative success???
The guy has one speed
That’s a very gentle way of saying “He ain’t no Chris Marrero,” who was slower and far less defensively accomplished than Keyes at either first or in left.