Grant Kay

Grant Kay (born May 29, 1993) is a third baseman who is a free agent. Listed at 6' 0" (1.83 m), 185 lb. (84 k), Kay bats and throws right handed. He was selected by Tampa Bay in the 27th round of the 2014 MLB draft out of University of Louisville.[1]

Grant Kay
Kay batting for the Bowling Green Hot Rods in 2015
Free agent
Third baseman
Born: (1993-05-29) May 29, 1993 Omaha, Nebraska
Bats: Right Throws: Right

A native of Omaha, Nebraska, Kay is one of four siblings born into the family of Greg Kay and Dawn Pearsons. An all-around athlete, he lettered in baseball, basketball and football at Ralston High School, where he earned All-State and All-Super State honors as a senior in baseball, was All-Conference basketball selection in both junior and senior seasons, and hit a .500 batting average with 20 home runs and 65 runs batted in as a preparatory senior.[1]

Before Louisville, Kay attended Iowa Western Community College and won a national championship with the IWCC Reivers in 2012, rating as No. 3 prospect in the collegiate summer baseball New England Collegiate Baseball League the same year as a freshman to become the only junior college player named Collegiate Summer Baseball All-American in that season. Besides, he was selected to the First-team All-Conference and All-Region in both freshman and sophomore seasons at Iowa Western, hitting .373 and 13 home runs as a freshman, while driving in 37 runs and scoring 42 times. Unfortunately, a knee injury suffered as a sophomore limited his availability, even though he was rated as one of the top junior college ballplayers in the nation.[1][2]

In 2014, Kay posted a .285 average (59-for-207) with five home runs and 35 RBI as a junior for the Cardinals, including 49 runs, nine doubles and 23 stolen bases in 65 games, en route to their second straight trip to the College World Series.[3] While mulling his eligible options for the MLB Draft, Kay headed to the Cape Cod Baseball League, the premier summer wooden-bat circuit for collegiate players, where he went 14-for-26 (.538) with two homers and four doubles in only six games for the Cotuit Kettleers, and that short stint tipped the scales.[4] He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 27th round of the 2014 MLB Draft and signed.

Kay debuted on July 14, 2014 with the Hudson Valley Renegades of the New York–Penn League, Class A affiliate of the Rays, playing at second base for them while batting fifth in the order. He hit for the cycle in his first professional game, going 5-for-6 with five runs scored and three RBIs, leading the Renegades to a 16–4 victory over the Batavia Muckdogs. Kay hit a three-run home run in his first professional at-bat, following with a double in his third at-bat and singles in his fourth and fifth, before drilling a triple in the eight inning to complete a five-hit, five-run game and a cycle in his first professional contest.[4] In 42 total games for Hudson Valley he slashed .314/.376/.491 with two home runs and 20 RBIs. He spent 2015 with the Bowling Green Hot Rods where he batted .251 with one home run and 31 RBIs in 118 games, and 2016 with the Charlotte Stone Crabs where he posted a .242 batting average with eight home runs and 45 RBIs in 115 games. In 2017, Kay played for both the Durham Bulls and Montgomery Biscuits, compiling a combined .265 batting average with seven home runs and 54 RBIs in 115 total games between both teams.[5] He did not play in 2018 due to injury.