Heading into the second half of baseball season, now is as good a time as any to be breaking out of a slump.
The Plant City Raiders are on their way to doing just that, if some good performances in the Saladino Tournament were any indication. Sure, the team is sitting on a 5-7 record (2-3 district) and hasn’t beaten Durant, Brandon or Strawberry Crest, but this is still a team to watch out for come district tournament time.
Why? Well, there are at least two reasons.
Plant City has, arguably, one of the best one-two pitching punches in Hillsborough County with Ryan Boyd and Billy McKay. These juniors still have room to grow, but they’re already making their names known around the area.
Like baseball purists have done throughout Felix Hernandez’s entire career, throw the win-loss records out of the window for these two. Neither has an ERA above 0.77 (McKay leads the regular pitchers with an 0.62 ERA), and both have eclipsed the 30-strikeout mark at this point. (McKay leads with 35 K, while Boyd has fanned 31 batters.) Combined, the two have walked 12 batters and given up just six earned runs.
Perhaps neither guy is as fearsome yet as, say, Strawberry Crest senior Mark Moclair, but it looks like these two are on their way to big things.
Boyd, who transferred from Durant last season, made an immediate impact on the Raiders’ 2014 squad with strong performances – including a few no-hitters. This season, head coach Mike Fryrear says Boyd’s taking strides to go from a talented pitcher to a consistent top guy.
“The one thing about Boyd is, he competes on the mound,” Fryrear says. “He doesn’t like giving up hits. When he wants a K, he goes for the K.”
With an arsenal that includes a curveball, a slider, a cutter, a changeup and a fastball – now hitting 87 on the radar gun – Boyd has all of the tools to get batters out. Fryrear says his ace is also getting better at picking up on the little things that turn good pitchers into consistent aces.
“He’s understanding about getting in the weight room, and eating right,” Fryrear says.
When Boyd’s gone more than four innings, he’s been great. In consecutive games against East Bay and Crest, on Feb. 17 and 24, he gave up one earned run and two walks while striking out 22 hitters.
McKay, working mostly in relief, has been successful by not overthinking things on the mound.
“He just keeps it simple,” Fryrear says.
McKay throws a curveball, a fastball and a changeup, and throws with an uncommon side-arm motion. Although his fastball is the most oft-used weapon he’s got, the junior has only issued three walks this season.
“That’s why we’re in every game,” Fryrear says. “And, when we do give up those walks, somehow, those guys score.”
The best game McKay has pitched so far was against Tampa Bay Tech on Feb. 20. In that 3-2 win – which he did earn – McKay was called up from the bullpen and went six innings with 10 K, one walk, one earned run and one hit.
These guys have kept the Raiders in a lot of games, despite the losses taken – many of which were 1-0 or 2-0 losses, and no defeat this season was by a greater margin than three runs.
With a defense that’s coming around, sparked in part by Miguel Martinez’s switch from pitching to second base, and some of the hitters beginning to wake up, Plant City looks primed to either have a good second half of the season, or make a run in the district tourney.
And, fans can bet that if Boyd or McKay is in the game, it’ll be worth watching.
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
ON DECK
Raider fans will be able to catch Ryan Boyd, Billy McKay and the Plant City team in action again on Tuesday, March 24, as the Raiders host Tampa Bay Tech at 7 p.m. The only other home games of the season will be at 7 p.m. March 31, against Brandon, and at the same time April 2, against Gaither.