Griffin Burkholder (now 19 years old) was selected by the Phillies in the second round of the 2024 draft from Freedom High School in South Riding, Virginia. With a senior class size of close to 500 students the graduation ceremonies were held at Eagle Bank Arena on the campus of George Mason University. Griffin is not only blessed with great baseball skills but also with academic prowess as he ranked in the top 25% of his graduation class taking a course load of advanced placement and college prep courses. He had committed early to attend West Virginia University (in fact doing so in November of 2020) pursuant to a lifelong dream of his to play for the Mountaineers, a great many of his family members are from the state of West Virginia. The decision to turn pro and sign with the Phillies was not an automatic one as he and his family deliberated the positives and negatives of each path availed. Ultimately he chose to sign and accomplish another lifelong goal of becoming a professional baseball player in pursuit of making it to the major leagues.
After signing Griffin reported to a mini camp for new draftees and signings at Carpenter Complex. He made his game debut in a Phillies uniform in an unofficial “Bridge League” game on August 2nd and went one for one with a double, walk and stolen base. He played in three Bridge League games overall and went 3 for 8 with a single, double, triple and a couple stolen bases. On August 13th he was assigned to the roster of the Clearwater Threshers. Griffin made his official pro debut that evening in a game against the Tampa Tarpons (Yankees affiliate) and in his first at bat tripled to center field. Unfortunately in his second AB he pulled a hamstring (an injury which had also nagged him during his senior season in high school). Griffin was placed on the IL on 8/15/24 and spent the rest of the year working with the rehab team at the complex.
I first met him this past fall after watching what may have been the most impressive initial BP I’ve seen from a new player. On that day he peppered the baseball all over the field with consistent high impact and drove a few over the fences as well. His batting approach, hands, quickness and barrel to ball skills were truly impressive. It was very evident that he was well taught but equally evident that he has a tremendous skill set. In every BP session I’ve seen of him since that initial impression has not wavered, in fact a very highly regarded scout I spoke with about Griffin said that he has all the tools to be a standout player, it was very high praise from a long-time scout who doesn’t offer such without conviction.
Most scouting reports extol his overall skill set - a five tool type player. MLB rankings notated this on him in their recent article “Big, physical and athletic, the Phillies have taken to calling Burkholder “Captain America” because he can do everything well. There’s a ton of raw power for him to tap into, but in high school he didn’t always find the barrel consistently. He’s shown off early aptitude by already making the most swing adjustments of anyone in the system, eliminating some length in his swing and fixing some angles, allowing him to barrel up the baseball much more frequently. Assuming the hamstring is fine, Burkholder has close to top of the scale speed that works on both sides of the ball. He has the skills to play center field long-term, and could trade off with Dante Nori for the time being, with the Phillies very excited if they can form a dynamic duo in the big leagues with Nori in center and Burkholder in right.”
Griffin was cleared of his rehab status in Winter High Performance Camp and is a full participant in minor league spring training. I recently had the opportunity to ask him a few questions. Here’s our correspondence.
You committed to play for West Virginia University very early and have a family history in the state - how difficult a decision was it to turn pro and not go to college to play ball as planned?
“Obviously I was super excited for a possible future at WVU, but at the end of the day my end goal was to be a Major League Baseball player and the opportunity I have here with the Phillies was one I could not pass up because I knew it would get me closer to that goal.”
Were you aware of the Phillies interest in you prior to the draft?
“I was aware of their interest in me prior to the draft. I was blessed with an opportunity to work out for them in Citizens Bank Park which was an amazing experience. I was also able to have a conversation with them at the MLB draft combine so come draft night I knew that becoming a Phillie could be a possibility.”
Education is very important to you - I know that the Phillies often include contract provisions to assist in that regard - do you plan on attending college and pursuing a degree remotely and during the off-season?
“I do plan on pursuing a degree virtually at some point during my career. However, right now with my first full season ahead of me I plan on focusing on the season and then exploring academics after that.”
In your first official pro at bat you tripled as a member of the Clearwater Threshers but unfortunately in your second AB you suffered a hamstring injury - can you describe the emotions of each moment?
“I was super excited for the opportunity after being promoted to the Threshers, when I hit that triple in my first at bat, I was on top of the world. There were many fans there that day so the environment was amazing. Unfortunately I did suffer that injury during my second at bat which was disappointing in the moment. Right away I knew I would have some rehab ahead of me, but the rehab staff that we have here with the phillies is incredible. They instilled a lot of confidence in me that they would have me back feeling better than I did before the injury and now looking ahead into the season I feel stronger than ever and couldn’t be more excited to get back on the field with my teammates.”
The rehab process can be tedious and grinding - I remember watching you run the bases in January and chatting about how the medical, training and coaches were guiding you thru the process - have you ever had an injury recovery process before? What was the experience like getting back from this injury?
“I have had a rehab process although it wasn’t too similar to this one. I knew this one would be challenging as well but I also knew I had a lot more resources available to me where I am today. Just like any injury, you have ups and downs but this recovery went pretty smoothly and it taught me a lot about how to prepare my body for the rest of my career.”
You’re now cleared and are participating in all the drills and practices - how is the pro experience different thus far from what you experienced in high school?
“My high school years definitely prepared me very well for this new chapter of my career. I had great teammates and coaches who helped develop me to where I am today but this group is so much fun to be around. It’s full of hard workers who have a common goal to make an impact on the big league level. It’s very competitive day in and day out which I love. I’m looking forward to competing with this group.”
Lastly, are you a goal setter? If so what are your expectations for the coming season and what do you home to accomplish in your first full pro year?
“I have many goals for the upcoming year. My main goal however is to make an impact with whatever affiliate I am playing for and bring my best day in and day out with my teammates to further this organization. And most importantly winning games!”
I thank Griffin for answering my inquiries. We wish him well this season and in years to come, great background, smarts, coachable, great skills to develop and a winning attitude - I think that’s indeed a formula for success. Just sayin.
Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️
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