EVERETT — As Teddy McGraw stood on the mound ahead of his Everett AquaSox debut at Funko Field on Sunday, he was quiet.
All the 23-year-old righty could think about was how grateful he was. Eleven months ago, he faced an uncertain future. Playing with Low-A Modesto in 2024, McGraw was shut down with an elbow flexor injury on Aug. 22. With two Tommy John surgeries already under his belt, there was a real chance McGraw would never play again.
However, after avoiding surgery and slowly working his way back for his High-A debut with the AquaSox on Sunday, McGraw reflected on his journey. In another timeline, another universe, he would have been working at a desk job this week.
Instead, his office was Everett Memorial Stadium. And no one was happier to clock in on a Sunday.
“I was just grateful to be where I’m at,” McGraw told The Herald. “It’s been a long road. … I’m just super grateful to be in that spot and be back out there.”
McGraw struck out the first batter he faced. Then the third one. In three innings of work, McGraw faced the minimum nine batters — allowing no hits and just one walk — and struck out four to spur Everett to a 13-1 win against the Tri-City Dust Devils.
“This is a special moment for him,” said bench coach Hecmart Nieves, who served as acting manager on Sunday while Zach Vincej attended to a family matter. “He (had) to battle a few years. Injuries got in the way. It’s just an amazing day to see him perform and seeing him get back on the mound and perform the way he did. It was outstanding.”
By the time McGraw’s professional career started, when the Seattle Mariners selected him in the third round (92nd overall) of the 2023 MLB Draft, he was already at a disadvantage. Initially viewed as one of the top pitchers in his class, McGraw’s stock fell after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery while at Wake Forest. His first came in high school.
He pitched just 8.2 innings across four appearances last season with Modesto, allowing four earned runs and nine hits to go with eight strikeouts, before he was shut down. McGraw consulted with Dr. Keith Meister, the longtime Texas Rangers team physician who is one of the top orthopedic surgeons specializing in Tommy John surgery.
Meister provided McGraw with two options: Get surgery to address the flexor injury and face another 12-month rehab. Or retire.
McGraw was shocked. He was confused. After exhausting everything he had during his last rehabilitation stint, he couldn’t believe the options laid out in front of him.
“I spent all that time just trying to give it up, trying to do everything I could to believe that I could go out there and compete again, and feel free on the mound,” McGraw said. “And then kind of being in the exact opposite spot that I had been praying for for so long, it was kind of, super, super confusing.”
McGraw went home and sat at his kitchen table, thinking about what to do. He ultimately opted against surgery, instead relying on his faith and a gradual rehab process with the hope that it would be enough for him to return to the mound, despite Meister’s doubts.
At McGraw’s next MRI, after months of work, Meister was shocked. He told McGraw that he had never seen anything like his recovery, and cleared him to play again. McGraw made his first appearance with the Arizona Complex League (ACL) Mariners on May 13, and made four more through June 6. In nine total innings, McGraw allowed eight hits and three earned runs, walking four and striking out nine. He was reassigned to Everett on Saturday.
He accomplished all of this after facing the threat of never playing the game again, and he credits his faith for overcoming that roadblock.
“All I can say is that without it, I literally wouldn’t be here,” McGraw said. “I would either be still rehabbing, still trying to make it back, or I would be working a desk job somewhere. So it’s just been a super long road, but I’m super grateful for it all and all the lessons. Now I feel like I have a deeper sense of strength and a deeper purpose to why I play.”
McGraw wasn’t the only one thinking about his journey when he stepped on the field on Sunday. His parents, Tim and Kelly McGraw, were in the stands watching. For Tim — not to be confused with the country singer/actor — watching his son run out to the mound made for a perfect Father’s Day.
“There’s just no better feeling,” Tim said after the game, his eyes welling. “It’s just a proud moment for Dad… and Mom.”
“Well, mostly Dad,” Kelly chimed in. “What a great gift for Father’s Day. … It’s really just hard to put in words to really understand and believe where he is today and how he got here. It’s just…”
Her voice trailed off, but Tim finished the sentence for her: “Amazing.”
Kelly continued: “He’s a special kid in a special circumstance with a special talent. We’re just feeling so blessed and grateful to be here.”
After all the reflection, McGraw turned his attention to the task at hand when the 4:05 p.m. first pitch rolled around. To start the game, he worked Tri-City leadoff hitter Anthony Scull into a full count, spiking the 2-2 pitch and nearly hitting him on the foot.
McGraw took a second to dial in, reminding himself to trust catcher Josh Caron and his glove. He snuck the next pitch on the inside edge of the zone and caused Scull to whiff for the strikeout.
It helped that McGraw already had chemistry with his battery mate. McGraw met Caron while rehabbing during the latter’s draft camp in 2024, and the two played together during McGraw’s brief stint in Modesto.
“He’s a guy that I’m pretty close with off the field, and we mesh really well,” said Caron, who went 3-for-3 with two walks and an RBI on Sunday. “So that was pretty easy when he got here. …He just really had a lot of belief in himself and the stuff that he has, and I think he just filled up the zone and attacked the zone, and yeah, it was really good.”
After striking out Ryan Nicholson to end the first, McGraw retired the side in the second. He walked Randy De Jesus to open the third, but caused Juan Flores to ground into a double play in the next plate appearance.
He ended his afternoon by turning a 2-0 count on Alexander Ramirez into a strikeout on three straight whiffs, making him miss the first two on curves low and away before going high for the punch-out.
The Mariners have McGraw on a three-inning limit, so Nick Payero took the mound for the next four. There are reports Seattle may use McGraw in the bullpen long term rather than as a starter, but it doesn’t matter to him. He’s just happy to pitch and will accept any role the organization believes is best for him.
Sitting in the dugout after his near-perfect outing, McGraw looked out at the swaths of children flooding the field to run the bases, which is a Sunday tradition at Funko Field. He chuckled at the sight. It resonated with him.
“It’s just been a lot of fun, and just getting back to playing baseball,” McGraw said. “Just being one of those kids out there running the bases, you know what I mean? Have the perspective of just gratitude and just being at peace with all the work I’ve done to get here, and just feel the joy of playing baseball again.”
Before McGraw could exit the dugout, a small group of fans crowded the steps. A boy asked him to sign a baseball and ball cap. A man praised his outing. McGraw took a picture with another boy — also named Teddy — and squatted down to his height as Tim and Kelly watched from the side.
Quite a Father’s Day indeed.
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