Cavaliers Now

Report: Virginia Pitcher Cullen McKay Enters Transfer Portal

Matt Newton

Cullen McKay reacts during the Virginia baseball game vs. Boston College at Fenway Park.
Cullen McKay reacts during the Virginia baseball game vs. Boston College at Fenway Park. / Virginia Athletics

Virginia baseball has its first roster casualty of the offseason. Three days after the Cavaliers saw their season ended at the College World Series, UVA sophomore right-handed pitcher Cullen McKay has reportedly entered his name into the transfer portal.

A 6'1" righty from Norfolk, Virginia, McKay was the No. 5 overall recruit from the state of Virginia in the class of 2022 according to Perfect Game, which also rated him as the No. 38 right-handed pitcher in the country coming out of high school. McKay had a promising freshman campaign for the Cavaliers in 2023, posting a 3.78 ERA in 10 total appearances and seven starts. That season saw McKay record 26 strikeouts to just nine walks in 16.2 innings pitched, including a two-inning outing with zero earned runs allowed against Army in an NCAA Tournament game.

With each of Virginia's three core starters leaving the team following the 2023 season, McKay was primed for a big role in the starting rotation in his sophomore season. For nearly the first two months of the 2024 season, McKay was indeed a starter for the Cavaliers, starting ACC games against Miami, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Duke and North Carolina.

But he struggled with command, giving up seven earned runs to Wake Forest and six to Duke. McKay returned to the bullpen, but continue to have difficulties getting into a rhythm. An outing on May 8th against George Washington in which he pitched two-thirds of an inning ended up being his final appearance in a Virginia uniform, as he did not pitch in any of UVA's last 15 games of the season.

For the season, McKay logged seven starts and 13 total appearances, posting a 2-1 record, an 8.45 ERA and 39 strikeouts to 28 walks in 33.0 innings pitched.

Cullen McKay enters the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining.

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Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.