The Philadelphia Phillies sparked debate with a major roster decision ahead of Wednesday’s MLB Rule 5 Draft — the annual event that allows clubs to select eligible minor leaguers from other organizations. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski opted not to protect former top prospect Griff McGarry, leaving the 26-year-old right-hander off the team’s 40-man roster.
That choice meant the 2025 Paul Owens Award winner — recognized as the Phillies’ top minor league pitcher — was exposed to selection by any franchise during the Rule 5 Draft, held on the final day of the Winter Meetings in Orlando.
Unsurprisingly, another team pounced. The Washington Nationals, one of Philadelphia’s NL East rivals, used the third pick of the Major League phase to snap up McGarry, who originally joined the Phillies as a fifth-round selection out of Virginia in 2021.
McGarry Among Minor League Strikeout Leaders
McGarry’s four-seam fastball regularly reaches 100 mph and sits comfortably above 95, per MLB Pipeline, but his reputation stems from his dynamic pitch mix and raw ability.
“On pure stuff alone, McGarry stacks up with some of the top pitching prospects in baseball,” MLB Pipeline noted. His mid-80s slider flashes plus potential and generates heavy swing-and-miss, and his upper-70s curveball is another deceptive offering. Though he doesn’t use his changeup as frequently, it also rates as a potential plus pitch.
He recently added a firm cutter, giving him a deep five-pitch mix filled with high-end offerings.
The numbers reflect that dominance: in 2025, McGarry ranked fourth among all minor leaguers with 13.34 strikeouts per nine innings, and his 120 punchouts were fourth-most in the Phillies’ system. Across his five minor-league seasons, he has piled up 420 strikeouts in 287 innings — a career K/9 rate of 13.2.
The Concern: Consistency and Command
McGarry opened 2025 at Double-A Reading, logging 17 starts. At one point, he retired 27 consecutive batters without surrendering a hit — essentially the equivalent of a nine-inning no-hitter. He struck out 13 hitters in his first eight innings of the season, reinforcing the elite potential in his arsenal.
His pure “stuff” is undeniable. In the annual Stuff+ rankings — which evaluate the overall quality of a pitcher’s repertoire on a scale centered around 100 — McGarry placed third in the entire minor leagues at 121. That ranked him one spot ahead of Brewers breakout star Jacob Misiorowski, who earned an NL All-Star nod soon after reaching the majors and posted a Stuff+ score of 119.
But the underlying issue, and the reason the Phillies have repeatedly refrained from adding him to the 40-man roster, remains his command.
“His command has consistently been well below average,” wrote MASN’s Mark Zuckerman. “Across his 287 professional innings, he’s issued an alarming 202 walks. He actually walks more hitters per nine innings (6.3) than he allows hits to (5.7).”
Still, new Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni believes the club may have the framework needed to help McGarry harness his talent.
“His bat-missing ability and his knack for inducing weak contact are major draws,” Toboni told MASN. “And if you ask Griff, he’d probably tell you he wants to be in the zone more often. We’re going to try to simplify things, give him clarity, and see where it takes him.”
What Comes Next
Under Rule 5 Draft requirements, any selected player must remain on the acquiring club’s major league roster for an entire season or be offered back to his original team. That means McGarry is poised to finally get his first real opportunity in the big leagues.
As for whether Washington envisions him as a starter or a reliever, Toboni didn’t reveal any plans, according to MASN.