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Former IronPig Drew Maggi makes major league debut after 13 years in minors

Former Phillies minor leaguer Drew Maggi made his MLB debut with the Pirates after 13 years in the minor leagues on Wednesday. (Cheryl Pursell)

It’s the best story in baseball right now.

Drew Maggi, who was in Phillies camp last season on a minor league deal and spent parts of 2022 with the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs, made his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates after 13 years in the minor leagues.

Maggi, who had his contract selected by Pittsburgh on April 23, entered Wednesday’s game against the Dodgers as a pinch-hitter for Andrew McCutchen. The fans at PNC Park gave Maggi a standing ovation, which sadly led to an automatic strike one called against him.

Maggi struck out in his only at-bat of the game, but it was an incredible moment nonetheless.

“They told me to get ready in the dugout and my heart started pumping,” Maggi told the Pirates broadcast. “I was like, ‘This is it. This is the moment. Take a deep breath, really try to slow everything down.’ … It’s something I’ve been waiting so long for. I’m just happy for everything.”

It’s a heartwarming story on the power of persistence. Very few players can withstand a decade plus of grinding it out in the minor leagues for a chance at making the majors.

“It’s always nice to see because I know how much those guys grind down there and how tough it is financially and physically,” Rob Thomson, a former farm director, said. “To see that, it’s kind of a special moment.”

For Phillies outfielder Jake Cave, it was rewarding to see Maggi make it to the big leagues. The two played together in the Twins organization for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings in 2019.

“He’s one of my favorite teammates I’ve ever played with,” Cave said. “He plays really hard, he’s obviously grinded his whole life through the minors. Seeing that last night. Seeing the ovation the first at-bat, I loved that. I’m super happy for him.”

Playing minor league baseball is not an easy life. For 13 years and 1,155 games, Maggi, like all minor leaguers, withstood long bus rides, low pay and the uncertainty that comes with not being on a 40-man roster.

“You’re playing every single day except you’re doing it with less sleep and more bus trips,” Cave said. “You can be doing really well, but if you’re not on the 40-man roster, you’re kind of at the will of the team to whatever is going to happen. The only way that you might be able to get up is if somebody gets injured, stuff like that. And baseball is a game of failure.

“It’s a hard game. So when you add that up all together, it’s a very tough job. It’s worth it to get up here, but it’s definitely tough to get here.”

In 66 games with the IronPigs last season, Maggi struggled, slashing .209/.345/.250. The Phillies traded him to the Pirates for cash considerations last August. The Pirates originally drafted him in the 15th round in 2010 out of Arizona State University.

Nobody expects Maggi to be a key contributor on the Pirates, who are off to a surprisingly good 18-8 start. But for a day, it was nice to see a baseball lifer finally get his chance.