He’s Back: Washington Nationals foolishly allow Griff McGarry to return to the Philadelphia Phillies

Griff McGarry was returned to the Phillies organization by the Washington Nationals just before Opening Day after failing to make their roster. He has been assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Griff McGarry is BACK

legend.

— The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) March 24, 2026

The Phillies lost Griff McGarry in the Rule 5 Draft over the offseason when they left him unprotected, which at the time told you one of three things.

1. Nobody would risk carrying him on a major league roster for an entire season
2. The organization had run out of patience waiting for the command issues to click
3. They had already quietly moved on.

Phillies add three prospects to the 40-Man Roster ahead of Rule 5 Draft

I’m not sure what happened in Washington, but when you’re not getting picked up by the Nationals, that’s a tough look.

The problem was that electric never meant anything when the ball was ending up six feet off the plate. The Phillies spent years trying to figure out the command and eventually made a quiet decision that someone else could have that project.

Washington took a shot and apparently could not figure it out either in a small Spring Training sample across 5.2 innings.

Something actually did click in 2025. Griff McGarry made 21 starts and posted a 3.44 ERA. That came after a 4.55 ERA in 2024 and a 6.00 ERA in 17 starts in 2023.

The trajectory was real and the Phillies lost him in the Rule 5 before finding out where it was going. Now they have him back.

Griff McGarry has always had electric stuff.

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Griff McGarry earns Eastern League Pitcher of the Week after dominant start in AA

Griff McGarry is in the midst of a Hidden No-Hitter

At 26 with a legitimate developmental year behind him, McGarry sitting at Lehigh Valley is worth paying attention to. The Phillies have Wheeler on the injured list, a bullpen that still needs to prove itself behind the top arms, and a long season ahead of them.

Getting him back is a quiet win and hopefully a sign that whatever he figured out in 2025 is still there. More improvement like last year would be a very welcome sight.

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