Reigning American League MVP Shohei Ohtani turned in the most impressive 13-strikeout performance in the baseball world Wednesday, but Philadelphia Phillies prospect Griff McGarry was probably No. 2.
In a start for the High-A Jersey Shore BlueClaws, McGarry struck out 13 batters over 5 1/3 innings against the Brooklyn Cyclones, the affiliate of the New York Mets:
In McGarry’s previous start, he struck out 10 batters over six innings. The 2021 fifth-round pick has struck out seven or more batters on five occasions in 2022. The 23-year-old is 2-3 with a 4.41 ERA in 11 starts in his first full season in the Phillies organization.
MLB Pipeline has ranked McGarry as the No. 8 overall prospect in the Phillies’ system, saying that while the Phillies are currently seeing what he could be as a starter, the “more likely outcome [is him becoming] an elite-level bullpen piece.”