Brendan McKay and ACC Baseball Tournament Prospects Headed for MLB Stardom

The ACC Championship Tournament kicks off Tuesday in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Louisville also happens to be the college home of Brendan McKay, a two-way standout prospect who appears to be on a collision course with MLB stardom.

McKay's not the only potential future big leaguer in the tournament, though. A few of the 12 participating teams (which include Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Virginia and Wake Forest) feature players with the tools and stats to make a splash in The Show.

If you want to see them in action, regional networks will carry the entire tournament, and the championship game will be televised Sunday on ESPN2.

Until then, here's a primer on seven names to watch.

Stuart Fairchild, OF, Wake Forest

A career .329 hitter at Wake Forest, 21-year-old Stuart Fairchild has upped his game in his junior season, particularly in the power department.

In 55 games for the Demon Deacons, Fairchild launched 13 home runs after hitting 10 in his freshman and sophomore seasons combined. Oh, and he posted a .350/.430/.602 slash line while continuing to flash the defensive skills to stick in center field.

"He can do it all, he's a five-tool guy," Wake Forest head coach Tom Walter said in March, per Baseball America's Josh Norris. "He can beat you in so many different ways. He can hit the ball out of the park, he can steal bases, he can beat you on defense. You just don't see many guys who can beat you in all phases like that."

Brian Miller, OF, North Carolina

After cracking the roster as a walk-on in his freshman season, Brian Miller broke out for North Carolina in 2016. The speedy outfielder paced the team with a .345 average, .440 on-base percentage and 21 stolen bases in 54 starts.

In his junior campaign, the 21-year-old is hitting .336 with a collegiate-career best .504 slugging percentage while swiping 21 bases in 26 attempts. 

Like Fairchild, he's got the defensive chops to remain a center fielder. 

In fact, as Baseball America put it in its most recent ranking of the top college and high school prospects, discussing Fairchild and Miller, "There's a healthy debate among scouts as to who the best ACC center fielder is after Adam Haseley." (More on Haseley in a moment).

Logan Warmoth, SS, North Carolina

Sticking with North Carolina (and there's more to come), we turn to shortstop Logan Warmoth.

The 21-year-old junior middle infielder is hitting .336 for the Tar Heels with a .562 slugging percentage, nine home runs and 18 stolen bases. 

Christopher Crawford of Hero Sports projected Warmoth to go to the San Francisco Giants—a franchise that knows something about developing infielders—with the 19th overall pick.

"Warmoth has seen his stock rise a ton since the start of the season, thanks to his ability to make hard contact to all parts of the field and put the ball into the gaps," Crawford noted.

Warmoth's defense remains a work in progress, but in a relatively thin shortstop class, he figures to be a coveted commodity.

Adam Haseley, OF, Virginia

Adam Haseley has distinguished himself as a pitcher during his time with Virginia, posting a 2.51 ERA in 172 innings over three seasons.

The 21-year-old profiles best as an everyday player, however, and will almost certainly be drafted accordingly. 

Haseley has enjoyed easily his best season at the plate in 2017, hitting .400 with 14 home runs in 53 games. 

There's some question as to whether he can remain in center field or will slot into a corner, but plus speed and a strong arm round out a skill set that should leave draft suitors drooling.

Pavin Smith, 1B, Virginia

Pavin Smith doesn't like to strike out.

The 21-year-old lefty swinger whiffed just eight times in 210 at-bats with Virginia while clubbing 12 home runs and hitting .348.

He cut that strikeout total from 40 in 2015 to 23 in 2016, and he profiles as an above-average defensive first baseman with good range and supple hands.

As John Sickels of Minor League Ball noted: "Smith was seen as a potential first-round pick before the start of the college season and has certainly consolidated his standing with an excellent spring, putting him in contention for the Top 10."

J.B. Bukauskas, RHP, North Carolina

J.B. Bukauskas battled a blister issue in his most recent start on May 20, per Hudson Belinsky of Baseball America. 

The 20-year-old Tar Heels' right-hander hasn't had to battle much this season, as he's posted a 1.87 ERA with 106 strikeouts through 82 innings.

His slider grades as a plus offering with excellent late break, and his emerging changeup shows potential as well.

Even with the blister, Bukauskas impressed, as Belinsky noted: "He showed the pitchability to work through a lineup multiple times without his best stuff, staying composed and working to correct himself as the game progressed."

Brendan McKay, P/1B, Louisville

As a pitcher, Brendan McKay posted a 2.22 ERA with 166 strikeouts in 85 innings while flashing a mid-90s fastball and plus curveball.

As a hitter, the 21-year-old posted a .361 average with 15 home runs in 54 games. Four of those homers came in a single contest on April 25 against Eastern Kentucky, when McKay tied a Louisville record for long balls and drove in nine, per MLB.com's Michael Clair. 

McKay is a solid bet to go No. 1 overall in the June 12 amateur draft. If he's selected as a pitcher, he could also be a weapon as a pinch hitter, particularly for a National League club, as Baseball America's Matt Eddy noted.

He could be snatched up by the American League's Minnesota Twins with the top pick, however. 

MLB.com's Jim Callis raved about McKay's potential in the batter's box, saying he "might be the best pure college hitter available, with fine control of the strike zone and emerging power."

Either way, as with all the players on this list, he defines intriguing.

All statistics courtesy of NCAA.com, WakeForestSports.com and TheBaseballCube.com.