BILLINGS — Grant McCray, a Billings native, made his Major League debut with the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 14, batting ninth and playing center field against the Atlanta Braves at Oracle Park.
McCray went 0 for 4 with a strikeout in a 13-2 loss, but he busted out in a big way the following day, collecting his first career hit in the second inning and launching a home run over the center field wall in the sixth.
McCray, the son of former big league player and Pioneer League coach Rodney McCray, was born in Billings on Dec. 7, 2000. He attended Lakewood Ranch High School in Bradenton, Florida. He was a third-round pick of the Giants in the 2019 MLB amateur draft.
McCray's first hit was a bunt single against Braves pitcher Max Fried, scoring Jerar Encarnacion from third base. In the sixth, McCray swatted the first pitch he saw from reliever Jesse Chavez for his first career home run, a solo shot.
“I blacked out, honestly,” McCray was quoted afterward. “I rounded second and was like, ‘This is for real.’ I was just overwhelmed with excitement.”
McCray had split time with Class Double-A Richmond of the Easter League and Triple-A Sacramento of the Pacific Coast League in 2024 before being called up to the big-league club. He is the No. 11-ranked prospect in the Giants' organization, according to MLB.com.
