Billy McKinney Bio
William Landis McKinney (born August 23, 1994) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. Across his Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he has played for the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Texas Rangers. McKinney was selected in the first round, 24th overall, by the Athletics in the 2013 MLB Draft before reaching the majors with the Yankees in 2018.
Early Life and Background
McKinney grew up in the Plano, Texas area, where he attended Plano West Senior High School. He developed into a highly regarded outfield prospect on the Wolves baseball team and led the program to the University Interscholastic League Class 5A state semifinals during his high school career. That run helped establish him as one of the top prep hitters in Texas.
Following his senior season, McKinney committed to play college baseball at Texas Christian University, where he was expected to join the Horned Frogs program. Instead, his strong amateur resume pushed him into first-round draft consideration. He signed with the Oakland Athletics after being selected in the 2013 MLB Draft, receiving a reported $1.8 million signing bonus, and launched his professional career that summer.
Path to Baseball
McKinney began his climb through the minors in the Oakland system, splitting his first professional season between the rookie-level Arizona League Athletics and the Low-A Vermont Lake Monsters. He moved up to the Stockton Ports of the High-A California League in 2014, where he batted .241 with 10 home runs and 33 runs batted in across 75 games, showing the power potential that had drawn first-round attention.
On July 4, 2014, the Athletics included McKinney in a major trade with the Chicago Cubs, sending him along with Addison Russell and Dan Straily in exchange for Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel. The deal pushed McKinney into the Cubs organization, where he continued to develop across the High-A Florida State League and Carolina League. A hairline fracture in his right knee in August 2015 briefly stalled his progress, but he returned to the Double-A Tennessee Smokies in 2016 and reestablished himself as a corner-outfield prospect.
Billy McKinney Career
Early Career (2013–2017)
McKinney spent his first full professional seasons climbing Oakland’s system before his trade to the Cubs. After his 2014 season at Stockton, the July deal sent him to the Daytona Cubs of the Florida State League, where he batted .301 in 51 games. He advanced to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Carolina League in 2015 and was promoted to the Tennessee Smokies of the Southern League in May, only to have a right knee hairline fracture end his season early.
The Cubs traded McKinney, along with Adam Warren, Gleyber Torres, and Rashad Crawford, to the New York Yankees on July 25, 2016, in the package that brought Aroldis Chapman to Chicago. McKinney joined the Trenton Thunder of the Double-A Eastern League, batted .246 with four home runs and 44 RBI in 2016, and added 16 home runs and 64 RBI between Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2017. The Yankees added him to their 40-man roster after that season, clearing the path to the majors.
New York Yankees Debut (2018)
The Yankees optioned McKinney to Triple-A Scranton at the end of spring training in 2018, but an injury to Aaron Judge, later reported as an Aaron Hicks injury that opened the outfield door, led to McKinney’s promotion on March 30, 2018. He made his MLB debut that day and recorded a first-at-bat hit. He sprained the AC joint in his left shoulder the next day and landed on the disabled list before being activated and optioned back to the minors on May 25.
Toronto Blue Jays (2018–2020)
On July 26, 2018, the Yankees traded McKinney and Brandon Drury to the Toronto Blue Jays in the deal that brought J. A. Happ to New York. Toronto assigned him to the Buffalo Bisons before promoting him to the majors on August 17. McKinney hit his first MLB home run off Baltimore Orioles pitcher Ryan Meisinger on August 21, and he appeared in 36 games for the Blue Jays in 2018, batting .252 with six home runs and 13 RBI. In 2019, he produced 12 home runs and 28 RBI across 84 games before being designated for assignment by Toronto on September 11, 2020.
Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets (2021)
The Milwaukee Brewers claimed McKinney off waivers on September 14, 2020. He batted .207 with three home runs and six RBI in 40 games for Milwaukee before being designated for assignment on May 22, 2021. The New York Mets then acquired him on May 25, 2021, in exchange for Pedro Quintana. McKinney slashed .220/.304/.473 with five home runs and 14 RBI in 39 games for the Mets before being designated for assignment again on July 16.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2021)
The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired McKinney from the Mets on July 21, 2021, in exchange for minor league outfielder Carlos Rincon. He hit .146 with one home run and seven RBI in 37 regular-season games for Los Angeles and appeared in four postseason games as a defensive replacement. McKinney was designated for assignment on November 19, 2021, then traded to the Texas Rangers with Zach Reks for cash considerations on November 22, only to be non-tendered and reach free agency on November 30.
Oakland Athletics Return (2022)
McKinney signed a minor-league deal with the Oakland Athletics on March 16, 2022, with an invitation to spring training, and the club selected his contract on April 7. He went 5-for-52 with one home run and four RBI in 23 games before being designated for assignment on May 9. After clearing waivers, he played 69 games for the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators, batting .295 with 12 home runs and 49 RBI, and elected free agency on November 10, 2022.
New York Yankees Return (2023)
The Yankees signed McKinney to a minor-league contract on December 19, 2022. He opened 2023 at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, hitting .274/.388/.511 with nine home runs and 25 RBI in 40 games before being selected to the major league roster on June 7, 2023, when Aaron Judge went on the injured list. McKinney batted .227 with six home runs and 14 RBI in 48 games for New York before being removed from the 40-man roster in November and re-signing on a minor-league deal in December.
Pittsburgh Pirates (2024)
On December 14, 2023, the Yankees traded McKinney to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations. He played 40 games for the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, slashing .295/.356/.450 with five home runs and 18 RBI, before having his contract selected on August 19, 2024. McKinney went 5-for-25 with two RBI in 10 games for Pittsburgh before being designated for assignment on September 6, clearing waivers, and electing free agency on October 1.
Texas Rangers (2025)
After a brief minor-league stint with the New York Mets organization in early 2025, McKinney signed a minor-league contract with the Texas Rangers on May 27, 2025. He batted .295 with three home runs and 18 RBI in 24 games for the Triple-A Round Rock Express before the Rangers selected his contract on July 1. McKinney went 1-for-7 with a walk in two games before being designated for assignment on July 4, clearing waivers, and electing free agency a day later. Texas re-signed him to a minor-league deal, recalled him on September 24, and then removed him from the 40-man roster on November 5, after which he rejected the outright assignment and elected free agency.
Driving Style and Strengths
McKinney is a left-handed hitting outfielder whose game leans on plate discipline and on-base skills, with the power to post double-digit home run totals when he gets regular playing time. He has played all three outfield spots in the majors, giving managers the flexibility to plug him into corner spots or fill in at designated hitter. His best stretches, including a .295/.396/.530 line at Las Vegas in 2022, have come when he locked in consistent at-bats in the minors.
Notable Events and Milestones
McKinney’s first MLB hit came in his first at-bat on debut day, March 30, 2018, and his first MLB home run followed on August 21, 2018, off Ryan Meisinger of the Orioles. He was part of the 2021 Dodgers club that reached the National League Division Series and appeared in four postseason games that fall. The first-round selection in 2013 and a reported $1.8 million signing bonus stand as his marquee amateur and pre-deal milestones.
Billy McKinney Career Wins
Across his MLB career through the 2025 season, Billy McKinney has batted .209 with 34 home runs and 89 runs batted in. His production has come in short bursts, reflecting a profile that has bounced between organizations, Triple-A stints, and quick major-league call-ups since his 2018 debut.
MLB Highlights
McKinney’s most productive major-league months came during his first stint with the Blue Jays, including 12 home runs and 28 RBI in 2019 and a 2021 Mets run in which he hit five home runs in 39 games. His most recent big-league work came with the 2025 Texas Rangers, where he added at-bats in July and late September. He also appeared in the 2021 NLDS with the Dodgers, picking up his first postseason playing time.
Other Wins & Performances
Outside the majors, McKinney has delivered several strong Triple-A seasons, including a .295 average with 12 home runs for the Las Vegas Aviators in 2022 and a .274 mark with nine home runs for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in 2023. His Myrtle Beach and Daytona production in 2014 and 2015 also reinforced his standing as a corner-outfield prospect within the Cubs system.
Billy McKinney Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
McKinney was raised in the Plano, Texas, area, where he developed into a top amateur outfielder at Plano West Senior High School. Public sources do not detail a multi-generational baseball background for his family.
Personal Life
McKinney was born William Landis McKinney on August 23, 1994. Verified biographical sources do not list a spouse, children, or residence details, and those personal-life items are therefore omitted here.
2025 Season Performance
McKinney opened 2025 with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets after signing a minor-league deal on March 21, batting .184 with three home runs and nine RBI in 33 appearances before being released on May 18. He quickly landed with the Triple-A Round Rock Express on a minor-league contract with the Texas Rangers on May 27 and produced one of his strongest stretches of the year, batting .295/.433/.487 with three home runs and 18 RBI across 24 games.
Texas selected McKinney’s contract on July 1, and he went 1-for-7 with a walk in two major-league games before being designated for assignment on July 4. After clearing waivers and electing free agency, he re-signed with the Rangers on July 8 on a minor-league deal, returned to the active roster on September 24, and added three more hits in four games before being removed from the 40-man roster on November 5.
Following the 2025 season, McKinney rejected an outright assignment from the Rangers and elected free agency, leaving him available to sign with any club entering the 2025–2026 offseason. His 2025 campaign, anchored by strong Triple-A production and brief major-league cameos, sets the stage for his next contract as he looks to lock in a more consistent MLB role.