There have been many great pitchers that have made their way to pitch in Storrs for UConn Baseball over the years. And in the last 6 years, pitching coach Josh McDonald and head coach Jim Penders have produced All American Hurlers...Carson Cross was the first of those six, Anthony Kay was the second. And right now, he's making the most of his opportunity in the Majors with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Kay's road to Storrs started at Melville High School in East Setauket, Long Island. The same school that produced Stephen Matz who signed with the Mets in 2009. Kay was a 2 time All County selection, All LI Honors and the 2012 Gibson Award Winner as the top pitcher in Long Island where in 49 innings of work, he posted an ERA of 0.00. And when Melville struggled in his senior year, they put Kay in center field and his team won 15 of it's last 16 games...Kay was selected in he 2013 MLB Draft, but Jim Penders convinced Kay and his father to come to Storrs where they could develop him into a first round pick. Kay chose UConn...
In the spring of 2014, the Huskies posted a 27-31 record..His debut against Wichita State was impressive, seven strikeouts in four innings of work in mid February. His first start came at USF in March 21st where where he allowed a run and struck out 6 in five innings of work...In a dual role as reliever and starter, Kay was 5-4 with a 3.49 ERA in 67 innings, 56 k's and 2 saves. He set the school record with 8 pickoffs. Out of the pen was even better with a 1.57 ERA in 23 innings of work. He spent the Summer with Wareham of the Cape League and was 2-2 with a 2.74 ERA in 39 innings of work.
In 2015, steady improvement for the team...a 35-25 record where the Huskies earned a spot in the American Conference Championship Game against East Carolina. Carson Cross was the #1, Kay moved up to the #2 starter in his second season. Seven shutout innings in his debut at Florida Atlantic. And he was durable, going at least 6 innings in his starts. But come AAC Tournament time, Coach Penders sent him to the bullpen, where in three appearances and four innings of work, Kay struck out 7 and walked two....In a season where he went 8-6 with a 2.07 ERA in 100 innings of work, Kay struck out 96 and walked just 25...He picked off more runners (5), than stolen bases allowed (4). He was named the team's unsung hero, All AAC First Team, ABCA/Rawlings All Northeast 2nd Team and first team NEBA ALl New England...That summer, USA Baseball came calling where he played on the Collegiate National Team...in 4 appearances and one start, he struck out 13 in 9 innings of work with a 1.93 ERA.
It set up a tremendous 2016 fro Kay and the Huskies where he was the clear #1 guy....a 9-2 record with a 2.65 ERA and led the American Conference with 111 strikeouts. The season included a pair of 10 strikeout performances against Missouri State and East Carolina...The Huskies won 12 of it's last 13 though the AAC Tournament..The Huskies took 2 of three from Memphis, including the opener where Kay beat them...Then on three days rest with an NCAA Berth on the line, threw 6 innings of two run ball as his mates beat Houston 7-2 to win the Tournament to earn MOP honors. Penders saying they don't win the event without Kay's heroics. ..In the NCAA's, Kay faced top ranked Florida where the Gators got him for 5 runs on 8 hits over 5 2/3 in a no decision....Even future Met Pete Alonso got him for a homer. Not only was Kay a First Team All AAC Selection, he was named the Conference Pitcher of the Year and a 2nd Team Louisville Slugger All American....
In that NCAA Game, perhaps he overthrew that day....and after going #31 overall in the MLB Draft by the Mets, Kay felt soreness in his elbow...It led to Tommy John Surgery later in 2016....But once healthy, Kay made quick work in the Minors. Columbia and St. Lucie in 2018, Binghamton in early 2019 that included a start in Hartford then Syracuse to finish the season where Kay played in the MLB Future's Game at the All Star Break....And at the trade deadline, he was sent to Toronto in the Marcus Stroman trade..With the Blue Jays, he made his Major League Debut out of the pen last September 7th...his first win came against the Orioles on September 19th....In the pandemic shortened season, Kay has come out of the pen, making 11 appearances to date with a 2-0 record and a 2.45 ERA in 18 innings of work..where he's stuck out 17 and walked 10.
Jim Penders describes Kay as "one of the best competitors and athletes to ever take the mound in Storrs. Was at his best in the biggest games. Truly confident in his ability and tough as nails. Was as smart a baseball player as Penders has ever coached. Knows the game and how to get hitters out better than any pitcher he's had...And to think, Jim Penders nearly passed on him after seeing him struggle in a summer league game, but thanks to Josh McDonald, he saw Kay pitch again. Good decision...Jim shared a story with me regarding a game at USF...1st and 2nd with nobody out. Kay got the next hitter to pop up a bunt near him/ Checked the runners and let the ball drop to try and get a triple play. He got two of them...
A young man from Long Island whose best years appear to be ahead of him in the Major Leagues. Lefty Anthony Kay, a 2016 All American and a UConn Legend...