By Zach Zook
NORMAL – “Hectic” is the way Normal West baseball standout and Western Illinois graduate has described his last week.
Following a senior season in which he posted a monster .355/.471/.566 slash line (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage), hit six home runs, drove in 37 runs, and even tallied eight stolen bases from the catcher position, the All-Summit League catcher still wasn’t selected in the 2017 MLB Draft.
He didn’t stay on the market for long, inking a deal with the Chicago White Sox just one day after the draft. Upon receiving the call, McGinnis hardly had time to pack his bags, flying out to Arizona the following morning. Following the logistics of physicals and then actually signing the contract, he was placed in the Arizona Rookie League, which starts its games Saturday.
“The deal with the AZL is that you can start here and you can move up at any time,” McGinnis said. “It’s all a need-based thing in the organization and what different teams at different levels need, because at any time someone could get hurt or someone could not be performing.”
McGinnis has finally been able to settle into a routine the last few days, getting to know the staff and the rest of the new guys. So far, his development hasn’t been that much different from his development in college.
“Basically I just develop myself the way I’ve been developing over the past four years,” said McGinnis. “Always being in better shape, hitting the weight room hard, and refining all of the little things that have gotten me to the point I’m at now in my career.”
One difference McGinnis did highlight however, was his ability to focus solely on baseball at the professional level.
“It’s kind of nice not having to worry about coming home from a long day, maybe a two hour practice plus lifting and then have to worry about study tables.” For what it’s worth, it doesn’t appear that McGinnis ever had any trouble balancing his education with baseball, becoming an All-Academic selection as well during his career at Western Illinois.
Being able to take some live at-bats and start playing in games will be a welcome feeling of familiarity for McGinnis as it will mark the official start of his professional career. Although the past week has been McGinnis’ dream, he still has a chip on his shoulder.
“Getting signed to be a professional baseball player was definitely my dream, but personally I like feel this is only the beginning for me because being in this I’m going to try and make it as high as I can,” said the White Sox organization’s newest catcher.
Perhaps that chip comes from not being drafted, perhaps it comes from people that feel McGinnis has already reached his peak in being signed. Whatever the case may be, McGinnis is just getting started and plans to become a household name in the White Sox organization in the years to come.
Zach Zook can be reached at [email protected].
