Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Cutter: 45 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40

McGarry spent four years at the University of Virginia tantalizing with his premium raw stuff while struggling to throw strikes. The Phillies signed him for his arm strength for a bit under slot in the fifth round of the 2021 Draft, and the results have been much of the same, McGarry missed a ton of bats and reached Triple-A in his first full season, then struggled even more in a regressive year in 2023. A move to the bullpen this season did not help in the command department.

The right-hander's raw stuff is still worth not walking away from. He is capable of getting outs with as many as five pitches, albeit not consistently. His fastball averaged close to 95 mph and touched 99 in 2023, and it generates swings-and-misses thanks to his vertical approach angle. His mid-80s slider is a true out pitch when he can land it in or near the strike zone, with a 52 percent miss rate last year. He throws his 80-mph curve less frequently but gets swings-and-misses with it as well. He doesn't throw his cutter or changeup that much, but they can be effective.

What McGarry hasn't been able to do is throw any of them for strikes consistently enough for prolonged success, with a career 6.1 BB/9 rate entering 2024. He worked with the Phillies to remap and shorten his arm path in the hopes of improving his command this season. The hope is that the move to the bullpen will allow him to carve out some kind of big league role.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 40 | Overall: 50

McGarry has been a prospect since his high school days, when he was a late-round pick of the Rangers before honoring his commitment to Virginia. With the Cavaliers, he showed off his premium arm strength as well as a lack of familiarity with the strike zone, making him an intriguing, yet enigmatic college arm in 2021. The Phillies thought McGarry's stuff was worth taking in the fifth round, and he pitched his way from High-A to Triple-A in his first full season of pro ball.

If you’re just evaluating pure stuff, McGarry could be considered one of the better pitching prospects in the game. He’s flirted with 100 mph in the past and was up to 99 mph at the upper levels in 2022, averaging over 95 mph. It’s an elite pitch not just because of velocity, but because of his vertical approach angle as well. His mid-80s slider can be plus at times, missing a ton of bats, and he fools hitters with an upper-70s curve too. He doesn’t throw his changeup nearly as much as the breaking stuff, but it has characteristics of a plus pitch. He added a hard cutter at the end of last year to give him a potential five-pitch mix.

How often McGarry can land his elite-level stuff in the strike zone will determine exactly what he can be in the big leagues. A 13.9 K/9 rate to start off his pro career shows he can fool pro hitters, but even with some improvements since joining the Phillies, he’s walked 5.4 per nine entering 2023. There’s hope that as he adds mass to his loose 6-foot-2 frame, he can keep refining his delivery and throw enough strikes to start, a role he’ll continue for now unless there’s a need as a reliever in Philadelphia.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50

Ever since his high school days in California, there’s never been any question about McGarry’s pure stuff, but he was almost as likely to walk a hitter as he was to strike one out during his four years at the University of Virginia. Even though he had some big outings in postseason play for the Cavaliers, it was a little tough to figure out where McGarry belonged on Draft boards. The Phillies took a flier on the raw arm strength in the fifth round, signing him for a bit below slot, then saw him be dominant, and more efficient, during his pro debut.

McGarry’s stuff is elite, plain and simple. His fastball touched triple digits in college and he was regularly up to 98-99 mph during his pro debut and at instructs. He was known for a nasty slider in college, one that produced a 67 percent miss rate in 2021, but he also has a very good and distinct curve that can miss bats as well. McGarry continued working on his changeup, which flashes plus as well.

It was a small sample size, but McGarry cut his walk rate from 8.8 per nine in his college career to a more manageable 5.2/9 during his pro debut. The Phillies think his command and control are trending up as he continues to streamline his delivery, finding a lower arm slot that seems to work more consistently for him. He has the pitches to start, and he’ll get the chance to work on all his offerings in that role, with a more likely outcome being an elite-level bullpen piece.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 35 | Overall: 40

McGarry has long had electric stuff, dating back to his high school days in California, and he honored his commitment to Virginia rather than signing with the Rangers in the 31st round of the 2017 Draft. He spent four years with Virginia missing a ton of bats and walking nearly as many, though he did come up huge in the NCAA Super Regional and the College World Series in June, no-hitting eventual champion Mississippi State for seven innings in Omaha. He kept throwing well after the Phillies drafted him in the fifth round of this year’s Draft, topping all 2021 draftees with 43 strikeouts in just 24 1/3 innings between Low-A and High-A while recording a 2.96 ERA and .153 opponents' average.

McGarry has reached triple-digits with his fastball and flashed a plus slider and that carried over to his pro debut. Even at instructs after a long year, he was up to 98 mph and the Phillies reported seeing glimpses of two distinct breaking balls. He also worked on his changeup at instructs, though that’s further behind, using a slightly lower slot than he had for much of college. 

The biggest thing holding McGarry back has always been his ability to find the strike zone. He walked 8.8 per nine at Virginia and did manage to improve that to 5.2 over the summer with the Phillies. He made some more strides with his strike-throwing at instructs. Most foresee him in a bullpen, where his power repertoire could be nasty and he can have an impact with below-average command.

Awards

EAS Pitcher of the Month

Month	Team
07/2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	11/08/2024	National League Fall Stars activated RHP Griff McGarry.
	09/25/2024	RHP Griff McGarry assigned to Glendale Desert Dogs.
	07/19/2024	Lehigh Valley IronPigs activated RHP Griff McGarry from the 7-day injured list.
	07/13/2024	Lehigh Valley IronPigs sent RHP Griff McGarry on a rehab assignment to Jersey Shore BlueClaws.
	05/24/2024	Lehigh Valley IronPigs placed RHP Griff McGarry on the 7-day injured list.
	03/07/2024	Philadelphia Phillies Prospects activated RHP Griff McGarry.
	01/18/2024	Philadelphia Phillies invited non-roster RHP Griff McGarry to spring training.
	09/25/2023	Lehigh Valley IronPigs activated RHP Griff McGarry.
	08/28/2023	Lehigh Valley IronPigs transferred RHP Griff McGarry to the Development List.
	08/19/2023	Lehigh Valley IronPigs activated RHP Griff McGarry.
	08/16/2023	Lehigh Valley IronPigs transferred RHP Griff McGarry to the Development List.
	08/04/2023	RHP Griff McGarry assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs from Reading Fightin Phils.
	05/11/2023	Reading Fightin Phils activated RHP Griff McGarry from the 7-day injured list.
	05/05/2023	Reading Fightin Phils sent RHP Griff McGarry on a rehab assignment to Clearwater Threshers.
	04/05/2023	RHP Griff McGarry assigned to Reading Fightin Phils.
	01/24/2023	RHP Griff McGarry roster status changed by Philadelphia Phillies.
	01/24/2023	Philadelphia Phillies invited non-roster RHP Griff McGarry to spring training.
	09/05/2022	RHP Griff McGarry assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs from Reading Fightin Phils.
	07/23/2022	Reading Fightin Phils activated RHP Griff McGarry from the 7-day injured list.
	07/07/2022	Reading Fightin Phils placed RHP Griff McGarry on the 7-day injured list.
	07/02/2022	RHP Griff McGarry assigned to Reading Fightin Phils from Jersey Shore BlueClaws.
	09/30/2021	RHP Griff McGarry and assigned to Phillies Organization.
	09/30/2021	RHP Griff McGarry assigned to Phillies Organization.
	09/02/2021	RHP Griff McGarry assigned to Jersey Shore BlueClaws from Clearwater Threshers.
	08/03/2021	RHP Griff McGarry assigned to Clearwater Threshers.
	07/16/2021	Philadelphia Phillies signed RHP Griff McGarry.
	02/14/2019	RHP Griff McGarry assigned to Virginia Cavaliers.