Lakewood Ranch High alum Grant McCray gets his MLB moment

Lakewood Ranch High graduate Grant McCray woke up Aug. 14 expecting to play a game with the AAA-level Sacramento River Cats, a San Francisco Giants affiliate. 

That night, McCray would play a baseball game, but not in Sacramento.

Instead, he was in San Francisco, at Oracle Park, with the Giants. They were playing the Atlanta Braves.

McCray, a center fielder, stepped to the same plate where Giants legends like Barry Bonds and Buster Posey once took their swings. He patrolled the Giants' outfield wearing the same uniform that Willie Mays once wore. 

"When I first got to the outfield, I turned around and took in the whole stadium," McCray said. "It was cool." 

Image courtesy of S.F. Giants

McCray was selected out of high school by the Giants in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft, pick No. 87 overall. His speed and defense impressed the organization and scouts alike. As of Sept. 5, McCray is ranked as the No. 10 prospect in the Giants' system by MLB.com. 

McCray said that, in the days before his call-up, he had an inkling that his first trip to the big leagues could be in the works based on other moves the organization had made.

The morning of Aug. 14, McCray said, he received a call from Sacramento manager Dave Brundage, asking McCray to get to the park early for long toss. But not Sacramento's park, Brundage clarified. Oracle Park. After the initial shock of the moment, McCray was thrilled — but he could only process the situation for so long. He had to get to San Francisco. 

"I was thinking, 'This is what you have been waiting for, all your life,'" McCray said. "'You have to make the most of your opportunities.'" 

If early results mean anything, McCray appears capable of outplaying scouts' expectations of him, adding some solid hitting to his speed and defense. His first game was not his best as he went 0-4 and said he "blacked out" from nerves and excitement. He quickly rebounded. Through 16 games (55 at-bats) as of Sept. 4, McCray is hitting .236 with three home runs, three doubles, a triple and four RBIs, plus three walks and two stolen bases. McCray's OPS — on-base percentage plus slugging percentage — is .767; the mark would tie McCray for 52nd on the MLB leaderboard if he had enough at-bats to qualify. 

Image courtesy of S.F. Giants

His first home run came in his second game, against the Braves and pitcher Jesse Chavez. It was a shot to center field, traveling 404 feet. McCray clapped his hands as he rounded third base. It was a moment he had been anticipating for a long time, he said. 

McCray's family was in attendance. McCray is the son of Rodney McCray, a former MLB outfielder himself, best known for crashing through the outfield wall to make a catch in 1991, at the time a Chicago White Sox minor leaguer.

During his first home run trot, Grant McCray felt like he had arrived. 

"It was eye-opening for me," McCray said. "It made me feel like I belong on this team. I can help this team win." 

McCray said the Giants have been welcoming, but starting pitcher Logan Webb has been an especially helpful resource. McCray said Webb, who finished second in the National League in Cy Young Award voting in 2023 and was an All-Star this season, gave him advice after a three-game hitless streak. 

"I had shown a little frustration, and he (Webb) said, 'You're putting too much pressure on yourself,'" McCray said of Webb. "'Just go out there and have fun. We all know you can play, just go out and do it.' I felt like that was able to cool me down a bit, knowing I have the veterans on my side." 

In the weeks since his debut, McCray said, he has received hundreds of text messages of congratulations. Some of those have been from Lakewood Ranch, like Ryan Kennedy, who coached McCray at Lakewood Ranch High and is now the Head Coach at Parrish Community High. McCray said it is nice knowing that people from the area care about him enough to continue following his career.

He also knows, despite all the congratulations, that this is just the beginning of a new journey. Making the majors is one thing, staying is another.

McCray said he still has work to do at the plate. As of Sept. 4, McCray has struck out 26 times, a higher number than he would like. McCray said he is working on being in a good position to make sure he "puts the barrel on the ball" more often.

That work will continue into the offseason, whether that offseason starts in October or later. As of Sept. 6, the Giants are 69-72 and sit 7.5 games out of a Wild Card playoff spot. The team will need a prolonged winning streak in order to qualify. 

Regardless of how his team finishes, McCray is doing his best to make his opportunities count.

"I want to put on some more size and come back stronger (next year)," McCray said. "Hopefully I can put up some good numbers next season and put Lakewood Ranch back on the map."