First-Ever Westfield Starfire Reaches Major Leagues as Garcia Debuts

ROCKLAND, Mass. 一 Just hours after a Westfield Starfire won the Futures League All-Star Home Run Derby title late last month, a former member of the club made more history on another level across the country.

Brandyn Garcia became the 28th overall Futures League alum and the first former Starfire to reach Major League Baseball, working an inning for the Seattle Mariners in their July 21 game against the league-leading Milwaukee Brewers at T-Mobile Park. He also pitched a scoreless inning and recorded his first career strikeout two nights later.

The Seattle organization's No. 13 overall and No. 1 left-handed pitching prospect according to MLB Pipeline at the time of his debut, Garcia shot through the ranks in two years following his 11th-round draft selection in 2023. He received his first call to the bigs less than a month after being promoted to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers, where he threw just 8.1 innings in eight appearances. 

Similarly to his college career at both Quinnipiac and Texas A&M, Garcia has experienced both starting and relief roles thus far as a professional. After beginning his career as a reliever, the native of Granby, Conn., started 25 games for the High-A Everett AquaSox and Double-A Arkansas Travelers in 2024, leading qualifying Mariners prospects in both ERA (2.25) and strikeouts per nine innings (10.4).

As a result of last season's performance, Garcia earned a non-roster invite to major league Spring Training with the Mariners in 2025 and has since recorded a 3.51 ERA with 42 strikeouts and 17 walks in 33.1 combined innings for Arkansas and Tacoma.

Garcia is now wearing different colors, however, after being acquired by the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of the July 24 deal that sent infielder Josh Naylor to Seattle. He has also made two MLB appearances for Arizona and has since reported to the Triple-A Reno Aces. Following the organizational move, he ranks as Arizona's No. 20 prospect.

Following his freshman year at Quinnipiac, Garcia came to the Futures League and recorded 26 strikeouts in 20.2 innings. He made three starts and closed out two games across his nine total appearances. The southpaw was drafted after a great 2023 season in Texas A&M's bullpen, appearing in 27 games and striking out 56 while limiting opponents to a .213 average in 43.2 innings.

Garcia joins the Chicago Cubs infielder Matt Shaw (Worcester '20-'21), St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matt Svanson (Brockton '19) and New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (Nashua '19) among Futures League alumni to officially complete the climb to the top of the baseball ladder in 2025, while pitcher Brian Van Belle (North Shore '17) was recalled to the Boston Red Sox last month but did not make his MLB debut.

Garcia is just the third Futures League product drafted since 2022 to make debut in the majors. When he appeared for Arizona following the trade, the Diamondbacks became the 26th MLB team to play a Futures League alum.

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