A Seattle Mariners hat and glove sits in the dugout before a game against the Detroit Tigers in 2018. Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle Mariners Prospect Makes Pro Debut with Modesto Nuts

Originally posted on Seattle Mariners on SI
By Teren Kowatsch | Last updated Aug 6, 2024 9:45 AM ET

The Seattle Mariners have one of the best farm systems in all of baseball and it's only getting better.

The Mariners at one point had the most top 100 prospects in the league with eight according to Baseball America and were ranked as the No. 1 farm system in baseball according to Bleacher Report.

And that was before the professional debut of 2023 draft pick Teddy McGraw.

McGraw debuted for Seattle's Low-A affiliate Modesto Nuts on Sunday. He pitched two innings and struck out three batters and walked one. He allowed no hits and threw 29 pitches in total.

▶️ All 29 of Teddy McGraw's pitches in his pro debut for @ModestoNuts:

95-99 mph FB
Flashed the plus slider
Changeup with late sink and some ASR

➡️ Went two innings, 3 Ks, 1 walk. pic.twitter.com/3W9BY2I1zK
— Jason A. Churchill (@ProspectInsider) August 5, 2024

McGraw was considered a first-round talent but dropped to the third round due to his second-ever Tommy John surgery that he suffered in Jan. 2023. McGraw had a 4.08 ERA in 15 appearances (12 starts) in his last full season with the Demon Deacons in 2022.

McGraw was drafted out of Wake Forest and was thought to be one of the best gets in terms of talent and where he was selected. Baseball America had the following assessment of him before the draft:

"McGraw is a physical righthander with power stuff. His fastball sits 93-95 mph and touches 98 with sinking action at the bottom of the strike zone. His best pitch is a high-spin, vertical slider in the mid-80s that misses bats and projects to be a plus pitch. McGraw primarily throws those two pitches, but he also has an average, mid-80s changeup with sinking action that keeps balls on the ground. He’s a heavy groundball pitcher who avoids serving up home runs."

McGraw was a first-round talent that slipped to the third round due to his injury. And given the Mariners' penchant for developing top-flight pitchers, that might have been the best place for McGraw to be.

This article first appeared on Seattle Mariners on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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