Finding command has defined Griff McGarry’s pro career. He’s fighting to take control

Griff McGarry needed a reset. As McGarry worked through his third full professional season in 2024, his command issues hit rock bottom.

McGarry walked 10.23 batters per nine innings and failed to find consistency with his repertoire in a bullpen role. Philadelphia’s front office decided to transition McGarry back into a starting role in the Arizona Fall League.

His tenure with the Glendale Desert Dogs was that reset.

Once regarded as highly as the Phillies’ No. 3 prospect, McGarry is now out of their top 30, according to MLB Pipeline. He’s no longer the spry talent fresh into Philadelphia’s system. He’s a 26-year-old fighting for a chance in the Major Leagues.

Though, McGarry is seeing improvements in 2025 with a walk rate decreased by 9%. It remains a work in progress. But the signs are there of a turned corner.

“I'm happy with the way I've done that this year, especially from last year, not having my best year. But I’m bouncing back,” McGarry said. “(Command) is something I continuously work on.”

To McGarry, it simply wasn’t clicking. He was on the doorstep of MLB entering 2024 as a key piece on Triple-A Lehigh Valley’s staff out of Spring Training. Yet, at the same time, he was so far from breaking down the door. An injury kept him out from late May to late July and he never found his groove.

The AFL gave him a “fresh start,” where he allowed just five earned runs in 12.0 innings, decreased his BB/9 ratio and was named to the Fall Stars roster. It was a confidence boost. A much-needed one.

McGarry was back to the form of the star talent that helped him reach professional baseball. As a young athlete from Menlo School in Atherton, California, McGarry already had the 6-foot-2 frame that allowed him to throw a high-powered fastball. His head coach, Sean Riley, saw similarities to San Francisco Giants Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, mixing freakish athleticism with twitchy velocity.

Riley said even back then, McGarry struggled with his command. But his talent was undoubtedly there, and he moved on to the University of Virginia to become a frontline starter. McGarry advanced through the years and as a senior in 2021, he helped the Cavaliers reach the College World Series with Major Leaguers like Andrew Abbot, Kyle Teel and Zack Gelof. To relief pitcher Stephen Schoch, McGarry stood out daily with his natural ability. However, he felt a mental roadblock.

“I think (McGarry) thought a little bit too hard at times,” Schoch said. “Because if I were him, I would have woken up every day, thrown a bullpen and just said, ‘Hey, I’m a great baseball player.’ But for him, it was a demanding perfection of himself.”

McGarry had his fair share of ups and downs in his senior year. Following a stellar 1.35 ERA in 20.0 innings in his junior year, he fell to a 5.44 ERA in 43.0 innings. His SO/9 was 14.4, but his BB/9 was 8.8. Schoch said everything moved so fast that McGarry was too nasty for his own good.

Though when his team needed him on the biggest stage in Omaha at the College World Series, McGarry delivered. He doesn’t remember too much from June 22, 2021. McGarry was so mentally locked in that he lost touch with his actual thoughts. Years later, he looks back at videos of the outing. He jumps off the mound with a fistbump, yells at his dugout and shows off his emotions in celebration. It was a rarity for him.

McGarry took a no-hitter and a 4-0 lead into the eighth inning against Mississippi State. Though McGarry began to falter and the bullpen struggled further to allow the Bulldogs to complete a comeback win. UVA’s season ended two days later, but the signs of McGarry’s stardom were present.

So why hasn’t McGarry reached that peak level since Philadelphia selected him in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft? Command struggles are the simple answer. But the solution isn’t so simple.

Clearwater pitching coach Tyler Higgins saw McGarry’s “loose mobility” as a blessing and a curse. While helping his velocity, it’s harder to create the necessary tension to control the velocity. Added muscle would partially solve the issue. After his stint in the AFL, McGarry added mass with a consistent weight room routine. It has translated to what McGarry feels is consistency with his arm pattern. He knows command is the difference between a four-inning and a seven-inning start. He’s striving for the latter. And his fastball is key to the operation.

“The fastball is just natural. (McGarry) has a very unique release point,” Higgins said. “Some would call it a unicorn fastball.”

McGarry said his immediate goal once getting to two strikes is using the top of the strike zone to produce a swing and miss. He strayed away from the idea in 2024 with a lower fastball velocity. Now, he's ramped back up and using it to his advantage. The fastball hasn’t been perfect, as opponents have a .370 OBP against it, according to Data Operator Ethan Kagno. Though in a starting role, the routine of throwing bullpens with a fake hitter in the batter’s box has helped with command.

He’s also continuously adding to his arsenal. McGarry has flipped between using a changeup throughout his career, but is sticking with it this season thanks to his time with Higgins, a former professional who made the changeup his go-to. A sweeper has also paid dividends, striking out batters at a 40.5% rate and keeping opponents to a .146 batting average, per Kagno. McGarry battled some inflammation in his throwing arm early in the season, which halted his progression. Though he worked through the issue and is now in the Fightin Phils rotation.

Alongside his statistical improvements, McGarry has improved as a professional, too. As he rehabbed in Clearwater in early June, Higgins saw a switch in his presence. The negatives no longer carry the same weight on McGarry. When something goes wrong, his posture doesn’t change.

“I’m just trusting my stuff,” McGarry said. “I think that's something I've always had. It's just how well I can execute.”

His command is an ongoing project. And as a result, so is McGarry.