There aren’t many ladders as tough to climb as the one a player must take on to play Major League Baseball.

Mars graduate David Bednar completed the journey when the San Diego Padres called him up a couple of years back. This year, he’s enjoying his first full season in the big leagues with the Pirates at age 26.

Bednar’s younger brother, Will, is now on the bottom rung of that ladder, albeit as a first-round draft choice with San Francisco.

Another local product and pitcher — Butler graduate Colin McKee — has reached the top rung. He can practically taste that first call-up to The Show.

It just hasn’t happened for him yet.

When it does, one thing is certain.

He will have earned it.

McKee, 27, is a 6-foot-3, 225-pound right-hander who throws hard. Since being drafted in the 18th round by the Houston Astros in 2016 following a stellar career at Mercyhurst University, he’s been fighting the obstacles.

A shoulder ailment hampered him early in his professional career. He’s had to overcome control issues with his pitches as well.

After a dominant season with Class AA Corpus Christi of the Texas League in 2019 — he was unhittable at times — McKee looked like he was on the fast track to the major leagues. He seemed certain to begin the 2020 season in Class AAA.

From there, it’d be a matter of time.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no 2020 minor league baseball season, however.

Because McKee was not on the Astros’ 40-man roster, there was no 2020 season for him, either.

Instead of going through a critical year in the process of his development as a pitcher, McKee worked out in his apartment and fired pitches into a net all summer.

Though the 2021 minor league season started later than usual, McKee was ready.

He was only in Class AA for a short time before the Astros promoted him to the Sugar Land Skeeters in Class AAA.

McKee has appeared in 24 games for the Skeeters, putting together a 5-2 record and 4.96 earned run average. While the ERA is a bit high, McKee’s stuff has remained lethal.

As he’s done at every level of the minor leagues, he is averaging more than a strikeout per inning. McKee has fanned 49 batters in 32.2 innings this season. He’s only allowed 27 hits.

He has walked 20, a number I’m sure he’d like to cut in half.

Regardless, this guy has major league stuff. But the Astros are a pitching-rich organization.

With potential September call-ups to the big leagues looming, McKee is listed as being on the injured list right now.

Could this be yet another setback?

Patience is a virtue and Colin McKee is certainly showing it.

When that phone call does come — and that ladder climb is complete — such patience will be rewarded.

Journalists are supposed to be impartial, but I can’t help it.

I’m really rooting hard for that guy.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle