Sweeney: Two Newfoundlanders travel coast to coast

RHP Jack McCarthy (Paradise, NFLD) is headead for the Toroonto Blue Jays Futures Showvase at Nat Bailey Staduym in Vanviucer,

=By Ryan Sweeney

Alex McGrath and Jack McCarthy will join 150 of the country’s top amateur players at Nat Bailey Stadium in Vancouver, Sept. 17–20, where they’ll showcase their abilities in front of college and pro scouts at the Blue Jays Futures s Showcase.

For their pitching coach, Noah Anderson, the selection represents an incredible achievement, but their success in general doesn’t come as a surprise.

“These two have had the natural ability and physical tools for a while, and now the physical and skill have come together as they’ve matured as players and learned how to compete at a higher level. That’s what has created this opportunity,” said Anderson.

“Developmentally, they both have a very high work ethic that allows them to continue to push themselves. Now they just need to be who they are. They both have unique skill sets, and I expect them to show the rest of the country that they can compete no matter who is on the other side.”

From this writer’s perspective, OF-RHP McGrath (St. John’s) was one of Premier Sports Academy’s earliest athletes and has been training and competing within the program for the better part of seven years. Projecting what an 11- or 12-year-old might eventually become is a dangerous exercise, but even at a young age, McGrath possessed four things that gave him a chance: ability, work ethic, a family that loves baseball, and a mind for the game that made him a walking encyclopedia from the time he was a young boy.

Seeing him reach this point was never an expectation (and nor should it have been), but there was always reason to believe he was capable if those traits continued to align.

For RHP McCarthy (Paradise) his path was different. He joined PSA’s programming a few years later, in the fall of 2022.

The raw ingredients were apparent: a tall, lanky frame, long levers and an arm that worked well.

His progression, however, wasn’t linear. There were plenty of ups and downs along the way, but over the last 18 months, and particularly this past offseason, he really started to hit his stride. A strong 2025 competitive season transitioned into some really good work in the offseason. In a relatively short period, McCarthy made substantial gains, beginning to unlock the potential that existed beneath the surface.

For Newfoundland, seeing McGrath and McCarthy earn this opportunity at the same time is part of a continually changing landscape.

Players like Kieran Cutler, who attended the Blue Jays Academy Showcase in 2024, have demonstrated that a Newfoundland athlete could remain home through his developmental years while still earning exposure and opportunities beyond the province. But whether it was Cutler’s attendance or the two invitations previously earned by Hudson White, a member of Canada’s Junior National Program, it’s always been a one-off. Two players earning the opportunity at the same time, however, begins to paint a different picture.

Alex’s father, Paul McGrath, brings a unique perspective to that change. Having played alongside some of Newfoundland’s best players, and a talented player himself, Paul has spent a lifetime immersed in baseball.

“When I was growing up, opportunities like this generally meant leaving Newfoundland, and even then, it was rare for players to do it. As parents,” said the father, “we never felt there was a reason to send Alex away for the sake of leaving, and as we learned more about the recruiting process, we realized there was more than one way to get there.

“To now see him earn an opportunity like this while staying home is special. We’re incredibly proud and excited for him, and hopefully his journey shows younger players that there are different paths available to them.”

The path for Alex, while including a significant portion of his games and nearly all his development in Newfoundland, has included no shortage of travel for competition.

Since 11U, he has competed at the Atlantic championships nearly every year and, over the last two seasons, played at both the Junior and Senior Provincial championships in Newfoundland. Beyond the region, he has attended nearly a dozen Baseball Canada National Championships, including three in 2024 alone (15U, 17U, 18U), and represented Newfoundland and Labrador at the 2025 Canada Games.

This past summer he added another layer. He competed in three events with the Atlantic Frontier, including the Road to Okotoks and the inaugural Morneau Cup, played in the 18U Atlantic championships, and attended Senior Nationals with the St. John’s Caps.

With a field filled with current and former college players, as well as former professionals, the intensity and maturity of the competition presented a significant challenge, and one he rose to, leading the Caps in average, hits, home runs and RBIs.

It has not been the traditional travel ball route, but it’s been a lot of ball, in a lot of different environments, and now the path takes him to Vancouver and the Blue Jays Futures Showcase.

For Alex, his selection to the Showcase represents both recognition of the work that brought him this far and another chance to see where it can continue to take him.

“I’m very grateful and honoured to be selected for an event as big as the Blue Jays Academy Showcase,” said McCarthy the competitor. “I’m hoping it can help me be seen by more people who otherwise might not get the chance to see me play.”

Though he is hoping to gain additional opportunities from the event, his expectations for Vancouver are grounded and relatively simple.

“I want to have a good experience playing ball with some of the best talent in the country. I’m hoping I can continue to grow as a player by playing against better competition,” said the son.

When asked what it means to share the experience with a longtime teammate, Alex sees it as another reason to enjoy the opportunity.

“Having a longtime teammate there with me feels great. We’ve spent years together working towards the same goal, and now we get to experience this together.”

OF_RHP OF-RHP McGrath (St. John’s) is also headeaded west.

And for younger players hoping to eventually find themselves in a similar position, Alex’s message is straightforward as he saying: “You can never give up on your dreams or where you want to go. If you’re willing to work hard, you can get opportunities to play anywhere

For Jack’s mother, Carla, baseball dreams and opportunities weren’t necessarily something she could have imagined when her son first started playing.

Coming from a soccer family and growing up on the Burin Peninsula, with its long and proud soccer tradition, competition was certainly not unfamiliar. The baseball world, however, and the opportunities that have come with it, have been an entirely new experience.

When asked what it has been like to learn and navigate this sport alongside her son over the last few years, and to now see that journey earn an opportunity like the a flight to Vancouver, Carla reflected on the experience from the perspective of a parent who was an outsider to the game.

“Baseball didn’t exist in my community. My dad loved everything sports, so I grew up watching the Blue Jays,” the mother said. “but when Jack started playing, I had to learn the game with him. We’ve been very lucky to have some fabulous coaches through the Newfoundland Canada Games program and Premier Sports Academy along the way.”

What stood out to me about baseball was the individual responsibility within a team sport, especially with pitching. Jack was a shy kid when he was younger, and we both had to learn how to deal with performance anxiety. Watching him step onto the mound, embrace that pressure and eventually thrive in it has been very special. I remember, when he first fell in love with pitching, thinking, ‘Who is this kid?’

“I’ve watched him work hard, grow and keep showing up, never knowing where the game might take him,” his mother said. “To now see him selected for the Blue Jays Academy Showcase is incredibly rewarding. More than the selection itself, I’m proud of the dedication, determination and hard work that got him there.”

While baseball world be new to Carla, for Jack it was simply the game he grew up loving.

In that respect, though his baseball roots couldn’t be more different from Alex’s, his path, wasn’t. What began as a young kid who loved ball grew into years of focused training, numerous provincial and National Championships, and regular trips across Canada and the United States.

Along the way, he had opportunities to compete in places like Florida, taking the mound against some of the top academy programs in the area, such as TNXL and Georgia Premier, and showing he could hold his own against that level of competition.

With all those experiences behind him, the Blue Jays Academy Showcase had become a significant goal for Jack. A year earlier, he had left the tryout disappointed with his performance and determined to earn another opportunity. Rather than letting that disappointment linger, he used it as motivation, returning the following year intent on showing just how far he had come.

“Being selected this time around for the Blue Jays Academy Showcase is an amazing feeling. It’s exciting to see my hard work being recognized, and it motivates me to keep working toward my goal of playing college ball. It shows me I’m on the right path and gives me even more motivation to keep developing as a pitcher.”

Once in Vancouver, however, his focus will turn quickly to competing and making the most of the experience.

“I want to compete every pitch and learn from the coaches and other players. I’m excited to see how my stuff compares against some of the best in the country.”

And while the Showcase provides an opportunity to be seen, Jack is equally interested in what he can take from it.

“I’m hoping to gain experience and learn things I can bring back to Newfoundland to help me get better this winter.”

Like Alex, he’ll also relish experiencing the event alongside someone who he has shared much of his baseball life with, in recent years.

“It means a lot to have a familiar face there with me. I get to share a new experience with someone I’ve played with for the last couple of years.”

His message for the younger generation of Newfoundlanders?

“Keep working hard and don’t let where you’re from limit what you think you can achieve. If you’re good enough, you will be recognized.”

An invitation to an event as prestigious as the Blue Jays Academy Showcase is certainly not a prerequisite for a successful career, nor does missing out close any doors. Many Canadians who have never attended the event have gone on to play college and even pro ball. But for two young Newfoundlanders who chose to pursue their development from home when many Atlantic Canadian players have taken a different path, it is certainly a nice feather in the cap.

For their families, those who have helped them along the way, and others in the community, it is a reminder that there is more than one way to chase the dream.

For Alex and Jack, it’s simply another step on the journey down the paths they’ve chosen.