Quite the Prospective: Jake McCarthy

RENO, Nev. – Imagine being on first base, standing inches away from your role model and best friend that the small talk turns into playful banter.

“I’m going,” he said.

For Arizona Diamondbacks’ No. 19 ranked prospect Jake McCarthy, those exact words have had so much meaning over the last week since being promoted to Triple-A.

The Scranton, Pa., native has battled since being the Diamondbacks’ first-round selection in the 2018 Draft, rolling through Low-A, High-A and a global pandemic in order to crack the 2021 Opening Day roster for Double-A Amarillo.

McCarthy was trekking along with the Sod Poodles, registering a base knock in three of his last four Double-A contests and hitting .241 with 23 RBIs and 25 runs scored in 35 games played.

The D-Backs’ prospect was unaware of the promotion and was getting some looks from former Triple-A guys in the clubhouse following their Father’s Day game against Midland, all of who had the insider knowledge that he was going to Reno, waiting for the 23-year-old to receive official word from his manager.

“I remember walking into [Shawn] Roof’s office and him asking if I called my dad for Father’s Day,” McCarthy said. “I had called before the game and they asked if he and my mom were going to watch [brother] Joe in Sacramento this week and that made me think that I was getting the call.”

After receiving congratulations texts and phone calls from his parents, Joe and friends, the “I guess I’ll see you in Sacramento” message between siblings would soon arrive.

With his bags already packed for a road trip to Corpus Christi, McCarthy was going to the next level. He repacked a few more baseball needs before hopping in a car at 4 a.m. and arriving in Nevada by noon.

The Scranton, Pa., native landed 2,600 miles from his childhood home in the Biggest Little City on June 21 and cracked the starting lineup on his first night in Reno.

While the nerves were kicking around, they did not phase McCarthy as he prepared the same way for every game he had before.

“The game is the same no matter where I go,” McCarthy said. “I just have to trust myself and stay within myself to not stray from what keeps me grounded.”

And he certainly remained calm, cool and collected in his debut.

McCarthy stepped in for his first at-bat against Albuquerque and delivered a single up the middle for his first hit. It did not take more than two batters for the speedy outfielder to swipe his first bag, going second during Seth Beer’s plate appearance. Three innings later, McCarthy avoided grounding into a double play by beating a throw over to first and knocking in his first run in the process. Before game’s end, the former Virginia Cavalier walked to complete his inaugural game at the highest level of Minor League Baseball. The following day, the Aces’ newcomer crossed home plate on a Henry Ramos single to knock one more first off the list.

But just when he thought all the firsts were all done, the most important inaugural event had finally arrived: Jake facing older brother Joe for the first time in his professional career.

Joe McCarthy is in his third year with the San Francisco Giants organization after being traded from the Tampa Bay Rays and has been a Triple-A mainstay since Jake entered the league in 2018, with a brief stint in the Bay Area in 2020.

The pair have grown up to be “very good friends,” having made annual trips to see their favorite team, the New York Giants, and combining friend groups from the University of Virginia. For Jake, Joe has been very influential in navigating professional baseball.

“It’s always nice having someone to bounce questions off of because it seems like whatever I’m dealing with, he’s also experienced at some point in his career,” Jake said. “His actions and being able to observe him, being a guy who has been traded and been injured, he’s been the same guy throughout. I appreciate and try to take after his even-keel personality throughout his career and I think that’s what you want out of anyone. He’s been a pretty good role model for me.”

With the sun glaring down on Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, the day has finally come.

“This is pretty weird,” Jake said with a laugh upon seeing his brother at batting practice on June 24.

The McCarthy brothers took the field with Jake slotted fifth in the lineup and Joe received the starting nod in the seventh spot.

Much like his first Triple-A at-bat, Jake singled, this time sending a hard grounder through the right side. But as he rounded first, there stood his best friend and role model.

“I’m going,” Jake said.