THE FLATS – Georgia Tech baseball junior Kyle McCann was named to the Buster Posey Award watch list, the organization announced this week.
Previously known as the Johnny Bench Award, the honor is awarded to the nation’s most outstanding collegiate catcher.
McCann currently ranks in the top five of eight offensive categories in the Atlantic Coast Conference, highlighted by leading in home runs (19) and ranking second in slugging percentage (.707). He also ranks in the top 25 in four offensive categories, including walks (49) and walks/game (1.04).
His 19 home runs currently rank tied-for-13th in Georgia Tech history for a single season, needing just seven for the record. Entering the season, only two catchers returned with a higher weighted runs created+ rating* than McCann’s 164 – Oregon State’s Adley Rutschman (196) and Jacksonville State’s Nic Gaddis (166). Over just the last 10 games, McCann has five home runs and 12 RBI, scoring 14 times himself.
One of five ACC catchers on the watch list, McCann has made his mark in both defensive prowess and pure offensive power. Catching all but two games this year, the Suwanee, Ga. native has posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and has caught three of the last seven would-be base stealers. Offensively, McCann has reached base a career-best 21-straight games entering the Duke series.
The nomination marks the second-straight year that Georgia Tech has been represented on award’s watch list. Eventual No. 2-overall MLB Draft pick Joey Bart won the award last year.
* Weighted Runs Created (wRC) attempts to quantify a player’s total offensive value and measure it by runs. + compares it with league averages after considering park effects.
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