The Philadelphia Phillies entered the Rule 5 Draft with a few open roster spots, but also with a few players who could be selected.
While they put Andrew Painter on the 40-man roster to avoid him being selected by another team in the Rule 5 Draft, a different right-handed pitching prospect was selected.
As Todd Zolecki of MLB.com shares, the Phillies are losing right-hander Griff McGarry to the Washington Nationals in the Rule 5 Draft with the 3rd overall pick.
Phillies lose former top pitching prospect to Nationals in Rule 5 Draft
"The Nationals took Griff McGarry with the third pick in the Rule 5 Draft," Zolecki shared on Twitter/X.
McGarry, the 11th-ranked prospect in the Phillies' farm system in 2024, was someone who was finally turning the corner as a prospect in 2025.
After a few rough years, a 6.00 ERA in 17 starts in 2023 and a 4.55 ERA in 30 games as a reliever in 2024, the Phillies prospect bounced back in a major way in 2025.
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In 21 starts, McGarry had a 3.44 ERA with 124 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.22. While he wasn't as great as he could've been as a former top prospect, the promise he showed was a lot more encouraging after 2025.
But the Phillies didn't select him to the 40-man roster, and he is now joining the Nationals Major League roster for the 2026 season.
A 2021 MLB Draft pick by the Phillies in the fifth round at 145th overall, McGarry wasn't able to make it to the Majors through the Phillies' farm system. But now, he will be by way of the Rule 5 Draft, joining the Nationals, an NL East rival of the Phillies.
The 26-year-old right-hander will likely get a chance to pitch against the Phillies in 2026, and fortunately for the Phillies, they will have a very detailed scouting report ready to go.
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