Phillies Prospect Griff McGarry Logs Another Strong Start for Reading

The Philadelphia Phillies' third ranked pitching prospect turned in another solid start for the Reading Phillies.

The Reading Phillies super-rotation got off to a strong first turn through the order on Friday, as Griff McGarry spun a solid five innings of two-run baseball, striking out four, despite walking five batters.

The 23-year-old wasn't exactly bolstered by his defense on Friday night, but five bases on balls is far from ideal. However, McGarry allowed just two hits, which aided him in limiting the damage caused by his free passes.

Through his first six starts with Reading, the right-hander has yet to allow more than three runs in a single start. He isn't striking out as many batters as he had been in lower levels, but McGarry continues to hold opponents to minuscule averages, and has been exceptional following an aggressive promotion by the organization.

McGarry's new rotation-mates Mick Abel and Andrew Painter will take to the mound on Saturday and Sunday. The combined talents of these three arms will be something to behold over these final couple weeks of the minor league season.

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Triple-A: Guthrie Steals the Show, Furthers Case for Callup

It was widely speculated that, after Phillies center fielder Brandon Marsh was injured in a game versus the Cincinnati Reds, the team would look to internal options to replace him.

Dalton Guthrie was a name that came to mind, and the 26-year-old once again proved he could be ready for the big leap on Friday, slugging his tenth home run of the season as part of a two-hit day.

The Phillies instead turned to the waiver wire, claiming center fielder Bradley Zimmer from the Blue Jays.

Guthrie makes for an interesting case for the upcoming offseason: he could choose to elect minor league free agency if he's not added to the Phillies 40-man roster, and his past year-and-a-half of progress certainly makes that option tempting. The former sixth-round pick plays all over the diamond, and has flashed a plus hit tool at times.

Double-A: Counter-Adjustments in Tow, Rojas Heats Up Once More

After a tough slump throughout the majority of the month of August, Johan Rojas has finally begun to see the ball well again.

The 22-year-old now has eight hits in his last 23 at-bats, including three on Friday, and has swiped six bags in that span, giving him a whopping total of 52 stolen bases on the season.

When Rojas gets on base, he is a force to be reckoned with, and can impact the game purely through his adept skill on the basepaths. He just has to reach base first.

Still, the young outfielder has handled the jump to Double-A well. He'll likely begin at the same level to start the 2023 season.

High-A: Another Scoreless Inning for Schulze, Extends Streak

Make it six consecutive scoreless appearances for Brett Schulze. He is finally beginning to find his stride.

The Phillies seventh round pick from 2019 fell victim to the injury bug and lost some key development time over the last few years, no thanks to the lost minor league season.

The 24-year-old is strictly working out of the bullpen now, and he is immediately seeing results. He'll be one to watch as time goes on.

Single-A: Jordi Martinez Continues Under-the-Radar Dominance

He hasn't garnered a ton of attention, but southpaw Jordi Martinez has managed to turn in a season full of successes with the Threshers.

In his second consecutive year with Clearwater, the primary goal for the lefty was to stay healthy. He sustained an injury prior to the season's start, missing a little over two weeks, but was able to get to work by May 1.

Since then, the 22-year-old has tossed 66 uninterrupted innings of 3.95 ERA ball, and has been particularly effective over his last three starts, allowing just one earned run in 13.1 innings of work.

His timeline has been slowed by the lost year and consistent injury issues, but Martinez finally managed to stay healthy for the majority of this season. He'll likely begin 2023 with Jersey Shore.

Lehigh Valley IronPigs vs. Buffalo Bisons: W 8-7

LHP Kent Emanuel - 5.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

INF Will Toffey - 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 K

Reading Fightin Phils vs. Portland Sea Dogs: L 6-3

OF Jhailyn Ortiz - 2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K

OF Carlos De La Cruz - 2-for-4, HR, R, RBI

Jersey Shore BlueClaws vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks: L 4-1

RHP Matt Russell - 5.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K

RHP Rodolfo Sanchez - 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Clearwater Threshers vs. Daytona Tortugas: W 7-6

INF Alexeis Azuaje - 2-for-3, R

RHP Carlos Bettancourt - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

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