9/22/25 : Kemp and McGarry win 2025 Owens Awards!

KEMP AND MCGARRY NAMED 2025 PAUL OWENS AWARD WINNERS

Phillies Press Release

          Infielder/outfielder Otto Kemp and right-handed pitcher Griff McGarry were selected as the recipients of the 2025 Paul Owens Award, presented annually to the Phillies’ top minor league player and pitcher.

            The 26-year-old Kemp, who was a non-roster invitee to Phillies spring training this year, began the season with triple-A Lehigh Valley before having his contract selected on June 7. In 74 games with the IronPigs this year, he slashed .310/.417/.570 (.987 OPS), going 88-for-284 with 24 doubles, one triple, 16 home runs, 67 RBI, 36 walks, 13 stolen bases and 64 runs. From the beginning of the season through June 6, the Fullerton, Calif., native had the following rankings among International League batters: first in home runs (14), runs (49), total bases (133), RBI (55), extra-base hits (34), slugging percentage (.594) and OPS (1.010), tied for second in doubles (19), third in hits (70) and fifth in batting average (.313) and on-base percentage (.416). He was named IL Player of the Month (April), Phillies Minor League Co-Hitter of the Month (April) and IL Player of the Week for the week of April 28-May 4. Kemp also set both the single-game (4 on April 22 against Columbus) and single-season (19) Lehigh Valley franchise records for hit-by-pitches.

            In two stints with the Phillies this season, Kemp has slashed .235/.300/.390 (.690 OPS) with 11 doubles, six home runs, 24 RBI, 11 walks, two stolen bases and 23 runs in 58 games. He made his major league debut on June 7 in Pittsburgh and became the first Phillie since Art Mahan in 1940 with multiple three-hit efforts in his first eight career games. The right-handed batter registered his first career multi-home run game on July 27 at Yankee Stadium. A little over a month later on Sept. 9, he became the first Phillie since Charlie Hayes (1991) to hit a home run at home on his birthday in the regular season. Kemp signed with the Phillies as a non-drafted free agent on July 28, 2022, and was signed by Zach Friedman.

            McGarry, 26, went 2-5 with a 3.44 ERA (32 ER, 83.2 IP) and a 1.22 WHIP across 21 starts with single-A Clearwater (3), double-A Reading (17) and Lehigh Valley (1) this season. He recorded 124 strikeouts to 49 walks and held opposing hitters to a .180 (53-294) batting average. McGarry struck out 13.34 batters per 9.0 innings pitched and had a 35.1 (124-353) percent strikeout rate. Among Eastern League pitchers with at least 70.0 innings pitched, the right-hander ranked second in both strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched (12.88) and strikeout rate (33.9%). Following a stint on the injured list from April 21-June 18, the San Francisco native ranked second in the EL in strikeouts (87) and fourth in opponent’s batting average (.197) in 14 starts through the end of the season for the Fightin Phils. A non-roster invitee to spring training this year, McGarry was the only pitcher in the EL this season to have at least 11 strikeouts in consecutive games (Aug. 7-13). He was named EL Pitcher of the Week twice (March 31-April 6 and Aug. 11-17) as well as Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Month for August. McGarry was selected by the Phillies in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft and was signed by Kellan McKeon.

“From an undrafted free agent to a key contributor on our 2025 NL East champion team, Otto represents everything we want our minor league players to embody,” said Luke Murton, Phillies director, player development. “He ‘Protects the Standard’ and carries himself with professionalism and respect toward everyone he encounters. His performance on the field has been nothing short of spectacular, and we are thrilled that the city of Philadelphia now sees what we have long witnessed over the past few years. His desire and ability to keep improving in every part of his game are unmatched, and we look forward to watching him in a Phillies uniform for many years to come.”

Added Murton: “Griff McGarry is an exceptionally gifted pitcher with top-of-the-scale ability. This season, he made important strides in harnessing his elite stuff, which led to outstanding results. His ability to generate swings and misses at such a high rate as a starting pitcher is remarkable and speaks to both his talent and his work ethic. This year was a testament not only to his physical ability but also to his makeup and his commitment to constant improvement. We are excited to watch his continued growth and the impact he will make moving forward.”

            Instituted in 1986, the award is named for the late Paul Owens, who spent 48 years in the Phillies organization as a scout, farm director, general manager, manager and senior advisor. The players will receive their awards on the field on Thursday, Sept. 25, prior to the Phillies’ 6:05 p.m. game against the Miami Marlins.