Menlo Alum Griff McGarry Reaches Philadelphia Phillies’ Triple-A Team

by JAKE LIEBERMAN

Pitcher and Menlo alumnus Griff McGarry, ‘17, has recently wrapped up his first season with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, which is a Triple-A affiliate with the Philadelphia Phillies. McGarry started the season in Single-A, made his way to Double-A and finished one step away from the Big Leagues: Triple-A.

“Probably since I was five, I always had that passion for baseball,” McGarry said. “[It was] always my dream [to play].” When he was around 12, he realized that the game could take him very far. He had a coach tell him that there could be a future for him, which blew McGarry away.

McGarry was a star pitcher at Menlo. In 2016 and 2017, during his junior and senior years, the Menlo baseball team won the Central Coast Section Championship. “During our senior year, the team got hot when we needed to and came together,” McGarry said. “That was probably my most memorable moment: winning the CCS Championship for a second straight season.”

During McGarry’s sophomore year of high school, he turned on the College World Series. The University of Virginia was playing Vanderbilt University, and UVA really intrigued him. “I started doing my research, following the team’s social media accounts, getting really excited about it,” McGarry recalled. Then, McGarry was out in Florida for a showcase, which the UVA coach attended. He proceeded to visit UVA a few weeks later and ended up committing to UVA.

In the 2021 College World Series for the Cavaliers, McGarry pitched extremely well. McGarry pitched a no-hitter into the eighth inning against Mississippi State. McGarry also closed out a no-hitter against Wake Forest University on May 14, 2021. Despite this, McGarry’s senior season wasn’t all smooth sailing; nevertheless, he knows the challenges made him a tougher pitcher. Throughout the season, McGarry had an Earned Run Average of 18.00 at one time, so he knew something had to change. He remained in the starting rotation but hit a rough patch. He had a meeting with his coaches where he was told the team needed to go with other pitchers. “I was able to use this as a drive to figure myself out and hone in before the end of the season. It felt like a big turning point for me,” McGarry said.

He knew that something had to change; McGarry really had to hunker down. “I worked with our pitching coach, and we were able to work something out,” McGarry said. After this, McGarry began throwing more strikes, and his new approach started to appear in games. The success came towards the final stretch of the season and into the College World Series. “I was just enjoying the moment,” he said.

McGarry remembers as he came back to the dugout during his no-hitter, he made the situation feel as normal as possible, even during a very special moment. Typically, pitchers who have no-hitters sit alone in the dugout to stay locked in, but McGarry elected to ensure the situation stayed as normal as possible. “There were a few moments of pure bliss, where I could feel I was just enjoying the moment.”

McGarry then closed out a no-hitter. He felt it was a “stepping stone moment,” and his performance was crucial. “My roommate actually started the game, and I was able to finish it out. It was a pretty wholesome moment,” McGarry said.

After his stellar performances in the College World Series, McGarry was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the fifth round with the 145th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. “I really enjoyed the season, and being at three different levels was really cool.” He finished the season with the Philadelphia Phillies Triple-A Team Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

McGarry enjoys visiting different ballparks and loves one most of all. “My favorite ballpark I’ve played at is the Charlotte Knights stadium in North Carolina. It has this amazing backdrop of the city. When you’re looking at center field, you literally see skyscrapers.”

While being on the Phillies, McGarry has spent time around one of the star pitchers in the organization, Aaron Nola. “Watching his bullpen sessions is truly incredible.” McGarry looks up to Nola and tries to emulate parts of Nola’s pitching.

All in all, McGarry is proud of how he handled adversity at UVA and ultimately became a stronger pitcher as a result. Griff McGarry’s journey is far from over. The young flamethrower who has touched triple digits is gearing up for a breakout year next season.