And what better way to get used to the pressure that comes with playing for the Leafs than by tackling one of the most weirdly high-pressure scenarios in all of sports?That's right, he threw out the first pitch at a Blue Jays game.EX-NFL STAR TAYLOR LEWAN HAS 'WORST DAY OF MY ATHLETIC LIFE' WITH DISASTROUS FIRST PITCHToronto Maple Leafs first overall draft pick Gavin McKenna throws out the first pitch at Saturday's Toronto Blue Jays game.(Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)Not even 24 hours after throwing on a Leafs sweater, McKenna was at Rogers Centre, where he went out to the mound to a huge ovation from the Toronto fans.He wound up and delivered what is still technically a pitch, even if it looked like he was trying to hit the top of the CN Tower with it.I've watched and analyzed many a first pitch in my day, and I think I know what happened.The last thing you want with a first pitch is not getting it across the plate.
That's just embarrassing.What I would do is put a little too much muscle behind my pitch just to make sure that it gets over the plate without any question.Control is secondary.CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGEI suspect this is what happened to Gavin McKenna.And don't think for a second he didn't realize that it was an underwhelming first pitch performance.
He knew."It was a tough throw," he said."Wasn't proud of that."Hey, no harm, no foul.
That's why he plays hockey.And, boy, can he play hockey.CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APPThe Toronto Maple Leafs selected Penn State's Gavin McKenna with the first-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)McKenna was the top dog in the 2026 draft class for several years, and his one solid season at Penn State just solidified that.That's good, though, as he's no stranger to pressure, and will be expected to help turn around a Maple Leafs team that was a mess last season.Matthew Reigle is a writer for OutKick.Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most po...