McGuire Makes MLB Debut with Blue Jays Thursday
September 7, 2018 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release
Catcher Reese McGuire with the West Virginia Power
(Charleston Dirty Birds, Credit: Sam Santilli/West Virginia Power)
CHARLESTON, W.V. - After being recalled by the Toronto Blue Jays Thursday afternoon, C Reese McGuire made his MLB debut at the Rogers Centre Thursday evening against the Cleveland Indians. McGuire is the 77th former Power player to play in the big leagues.
McGuire started behind the dish for Toronto in their 9-4 loss to Cleveland and went 1-for-4 with a ninth-inning double for his first MLB hit. The 23-year-old also flexed his arm strength early on, gunning down Jose Ramirez on an attempted steal of second base in the fourth inning.
A first-round selection by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013, McGuire found his way to Charleston, W.V., in 2014 after splitting his first season between the GCL Pirates and Short-Season Jamestown. He spent all of 2014 with the Power, posting a .262 average with three homers and 45 RBI while taking home SAL Mid-Season All-Star honors. McGuire was the most recent Power catcher to claim a SAL All-Star nod until Deon Stafford garnered the distinction this season.
Following another All-Star campaign in 2015 with the Advanced-A Bradenton Marauders, McGuire secured his first non-roster invite to Spring Training in 2016 and was elevated to the Double-A level. After playing 77 games with the Altoona Curve, McGuire was dealt to the Blue Jays alongside LHP Francisco Liriano and OF Harold Ramirez for RHP Drew Hutchison.
The Seattle, Wash., native battled injuries during the tail end of the 2016 campaign and all throughout 2017, playing in just 45 games last year. He was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to begin 2018 and has not looked back, boasting a career-best seven home runs while collecting 37 RBI. Before his big league call-up, McGuire had played in 479 career MiLB games and held a .263 average with seven homers and 207 RBI.
McGuire is the 12th former Power player to make his MLB debut in 2018, joining right-handers Clay Holmes, Colten Brewer, Nick Kingham, Tanner Anderson and Alex McRae, left-handers Daniel Zamora and Stephen Tarpley, infielders Kevin Newman and Kevin Kramer and outfielders Austin Meadows and Pablo Reyes. For more information on all of the former Power players who have been in the Majors, visit www.wvpower.com.
Images from this story
 Catcher Reese McGuire with the West Virginia Power (Sam Santilli/West Virginia Power) |
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