Welcome back to another edition of Husky History, the column that highlights a former UConn athlete and their accomplishments in Storrs and their professional careers.
The weather is finally starting to come around at UConn after a long and cold winter, so what better way to spend a warm day than at the ballpark?
That being said, I want to look at a more recent example of a UConn great on the Huskies’ baseball squad: Anthony Kay.
Kay was born on March 21, 1995. Pitching at Ward Melville High School in East Setauket, New York, Kay earned All-Long Island Honors. For showcasing tremendous potential, Kay was drafted in the 29th round by the New York Mets, but opted to attend UConn instead.
In his freshman season in 2014, Kay was best used out of the bullpen. In 10 appearances, he posted a notable 1.57 ERA in 23.0 innings. Kay was as attentive as anyone on the bump, picking off a UConn record eight baserunners.
Following his freshman season, Kay played for the Wareham Gatemen in the famous Cape Cod Baseball League. In his time, the young pitcher turned in a 2-2 record with a 2.74 ERA in 39.1 innings.
Returning for his sophomore season, Kay only improved. Finishing with an 8-6 record and a 2.07 ERA, Kay earned himself his first American Athletic Conference All-Conference First Team honor. During the season, he was named NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week and shutout No. 23 Kennesaw State in 8.0 innings, striking out eight batters.
In summer 2015, Kay accepted an invitation to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. He recorded a 1.93 ERA in 9.1 innings with the squad, striking out 13 batters.
It seemed inevitable Kay would continue improving to a point where he would attract similar MLB interest as he did in high school.
In 2016, Kay added more accolades to his resume. Along with a second AAC All-Conference First Team nod, the junior was also named the AAC Conference Pitcher of the Year and a Louisville Slugger Second Team All-American.
That season, Kay recorded two wins in the AAC Tournament against Memphis and Houston to deliver UConn their first AAC Tournament title. He was also named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
Kay was drafted 31st overall in the 2016 MLB Draft by the New York Mets following his tremendous three-year career in Storrs.
In his young career, Kay has been given some opportunities with major league clubs, but most of his time has been spent in the minor leagues. The former Husky has spent time with the Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and the Chicago Cubs.
Despite injuries, there have been highlights. Kay made a career-high 13 appearances in 2020 with the Blue Jays, compiling a 2-0 record and a 5.14 ERA. His next highlight was appearing for the Chicago Cubs in the 2023 season in 13 games.
Kay’s last stint in the MLB came in the Mets organization once again.
Following the end of his tenure in New York, Kay opted to travel overseas earlier this year to continue his professional playing career and signed with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. In his first season he posted a 2-0 record with a 1.54 ERA, while punching out 10.
Kay remains on the BayStars roster to this day. At 29 years old, Husky fans hope to see him continue playing at the professional level no matter the location.