Garrett Stubbs Bio
Garrett Patrick Stubbs (born May 26, 1993) is an American professional baseball catcher who currently plays for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). The San Diego, California, native previously played for the Houston Astros after making his MLB debut in 2019. Stubbs is widely recognized for his exceptional defensive skills behind the plate, including elite-level pop times, framing abilities, and caught-stealing rates that consistently rank among the best in baseball.
Early Life and Background
Stubbs was born in San Diego, California, and grew up in Del Mar, California, with his parents T. Pat Stubbs and Marti Jo Stubbs. His father, T. Pat, organized a traveling baseball team for local players when Stubbs was young, providing opportunities outside the typical Little League season. Stubbs also received early mentorship from his step-grandfather Fred Shuey, a former college baseball player who arranged for the young Stubbs to practice catching techniques with former MLB catcher Ed Herrmann.
Raised in a household with both Catholic and Jewish heritage, with a Catholic father and Jewish mother, Stubbs is Jewish. He was one of a record-setting four Jewish MLB players to appear in the 2021 World Series. Stubbs and his younger brother C.J. Stubbs were active children who pursued baseball, music, art competitions, and theater. Both brothers attended Torrey Pines High School, where they both played catcher.
Path to Professional Baseball
At Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, Stubbs established himself as a talented catcher despite his smaller frame, standing 5 feet 10 inches and weighing 165 pounds. He was a two-time All-California Interscholastic Federation Team honoree. During his senior season in 2011, Stubbs batted .391 with 27 runs scored, 13 doubles, and 18 runs batted in. He earned All-North County and All-Avocado League First Team honors as both a junior and senior. His high school success laid the foundation for his collegiate career at the University of Southern California.
Garrett Stubbs Career
College Career (2012–2015)
Stubbs attended the University of Southern California (USC), where he majored in policy planning and development with an emphasis on real estate. He played college baseball for the USC Trojans and developed into one of the top catchers in the country. During the summers, he gained additional experience playing in prestigious collegiate summer leagues, including the Peninsula Oilers in the Alaska Baseball League in 2012, the Plymouth Pilgrims in the New England Collegiate Baseball League in 2013 where he was named an Eastern Division All-Star, and the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Stubbs had his breakthrough season in 2015, his senior year at USC. He batted .346, sixth in the Pac-12 Conference, and tied for the conference lead in sacrifices with 17. He finished third in steals with 20, fifth in runs with 51, and fifth in on-base percentage at .435. Defensively, he threw out 52.8 percent of attempted basestealers and made only three errors in 468 chances. His outstanding performance earned him the Johnny Bench Award as the nation’s best collegiate catcher, along with Pac-12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors, Baseball America First-Team All-American, Rawlings First-Team All-American, and Jewish Sports Review College Baseball All-American recognition.
Houston Astros Organization (2015–2021)
The Houston Astros selected Stubbs in the eighth round, with the 229th overall selection, of the 2015 MLB Draft. He signed for a signing bonus of $100,000 and began his professional career with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Low-A New York-Penn League. After 11 games, he was promoted to the Quad Cities River Bandits of the Single-A Midwest League, where he combined to hit .263 with seven home runs and 21 RBI in 36 games between both teams.
Stubbs moved quickly through the Astros system. In 2016, he began with the Lancaster JetHawks of the High-A California League, earning California League Mid-Season All-Star honors before receiving a promotion to the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Double-A Texas League in July. He finished 2016 with a combined .304 batting average, 10 home runs, 54 RBI, and 15 stolen bases in 18 attempts, throwing out 51 percent of attempted basestealers. He was named an milb.com Houston Organization All-Star and assigned to the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League after the season.
MLB Pipeline named Stubbs the best catcher in the Astros minor league system in 2017, ranking him as the organization’s 11th-best prospect overall. That season, he hit .236 with four home runs and 25 RBI for Corpus Christi and was a Texas League Starting All-Star. He was promoted to the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies in August. Baseball America named him the best defensive catcher in the Texas League. In 2018, he was ranked as the sixth-best prospect in the Astros system and earned Pacific Coast League All-Star honors with Fresno, batting .310 with four home runs and 38 RBI. The Astros added him to their 40-man roster after the 2018 season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
Houston Astros MLB Debut (2019–2021)
Stubbs impressed in spring training 2019, batting .300 with a .333 on-base percentage and .650 slugging percentage, before being optioned to minor league camp on March 9. He began the season with Triple-A Round Rock Express and was promoted to the major leagues on May 26, 2019, his 26th birthday, after catcher Max Stassi went on the injured list. He made his MLB debut on May 28, 2019. With Round Rock, he batted .240 with seven home runs and 23 RBI while stealing 12 bases in 14 attempts. During his brief time with the Astros that season, he batted .200 with no home runs and two RBI in 35 at-bats, and notably recorded the fastest sprint speed of all American League catchers at 28.0 feet per second.
In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Stubbs appeared in 10 games, batting one-for-eight with a run scored and an RBI. He played as a catcher in eight games and also saw action in left field. In 2021, he batted .176 with two runs and three RBI in 34 at-bats for the Astros while playing Triple-A for the Sugar Land Skeeters. Prior to Game 4 of the 2021 World Series, Stubbs was added to the Astros roster as a replacement for Jason Castro, who was removed due to COVID-19 protocols. He played in Game 6 of the World Series.
Philadelphia Phillies Era (2022–Present)
On November 19, 2021, the Astros traded Stubbs to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for minor leaguer Logan Cerny. At the time of the trade, Stubbs had developed a strong defensive reputation, including a 41 percent caught-stealing rate in his professional career and strong framing rates according to Baseball Prospectus from his minor league career.
Stubbs quickly made an impact with his new team. On May 22, 2022, he hit his first career MLB home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers off pitcher Tony Gonsolin. On June 15, 2022, he hit his first career walk-off home run against the Miami Marlins, carrying the Phillies to a 3-1 victory. Later that season, on September 20, Stubbs gained national attention for a creative pitching moment when he used a series of four eephus pitches against Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen, with the last eephus registering 36.9 mph followed by an 83.8 mph fastball to earn a strikeout. For the 2022 regular season, he batted .264 with five home runs and 16 RBI in 106 at-bats. His pop time to second base ranked seventh-best among all major league catchers at 1.91 seconds, placing him in the top seven percent. He was on Philadelphia’s 2022 World Series roster but did not play in the championship series.
In 2023, Stubbs batted .204 with three home runs and 11 RBI in 113 at-bats, ranking third in MLB with seven bunt hits. His pop time to second base of 1.87 seconds was tied for second-best in major league baseball. His five double plays as a catcher were the fourth-most in the National League. He made his Phillies postseason debut as a defensive replacement in the National League Championship Series. In 2024, he batted .207 in 164 at-bats while stealing five bases without being caught. Among MLB catchers with 50 or more competitive runs, Stubbs had the third-fastest time from home plate to first base at 4.40 seconds and the fourth-fastest sprint speed at 28.0 feet per second.
Defensive Excellence
Stubbs has established himself as one of the premier defensive catchers in baseball. His pop time to second base consistently ranks among the best in the league, ranging from 1.87 to 1.91 seconds. He has shown exceptional ability to throw out basestealers throughout his career, posting a 42 percent career caught-stealing rate. His framing skills have drawn praise from analysts, and his combination of quickness, arm strength, and baseball intelligence makes him a valuable asset behind the plate. He has also demonstrated versatility, appearing in games as a pitcher on multiple occasions.
Notable Moments and Milestones
Stubbs’ career has featured several memorable moments. His first MLB home run against the Dodgers and his walk-off home run against the Marlins in 2022 were significant offensive highlights. His creative use of eephus pitches against Danny Jansen showcased his baseball IQ and unpredictability. Being part of the 2021 World Series with the Astros and the 2022 World Series with the Phillies gave him unique experience appearing in back-to-back championship series. His elite defensive metrics, including being among the top catchers in pop time and sprint speed, represent the foundation of his professional reputation.
Garrett Stubbs Career Statistics
Through June 17, 2026, Stubbs has compiled career MLB statistics across his time with the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies. His offensive numbers reflect his role as a defensive-first catcher who contributes with his glove and game-calling abilities while providing occasional power and speed.
Major League Baseball Highlights
Stubbs made his MLB debut on May 28, 2019, with the Houston Astros after being called up on his birthday from Triple-A Round Rock. His first career home run came on May 22, 2022, with the Phillies against the Dodgers. His first career walk-off home run occurred on June 15, 2022, against the Marlins. He appeared in the 2021 World Series with the Astros and the 2022 World Series with the Phillies, making him one of the few players to play in consecutive championship series for different teams. His defensive statistics consistently rank among the best in baseball for catchers, particularly in pop time to second base and sprint speed.
International Competition
Stubbs has represented Team Israel in international competition. He played for Team Israel during the 2023 World Baseball Classic held in Miami, where he made an immediate impact by hitting a game-winning two-run ground rule double in the eighth inning against Team Nicaragua during Israel’s first game of the tournament. This performance highlighted his ability to deliver in high-pressure situations on the international stage.
Garrett Stubbs Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Stubbs comes from a baseball-oriented family with connections to the sport at multiple levels. His step-grandfather, Fred Shuey, was a successful college baseball player who helped arrange early mentorship for Stubbs from former MLB catcher Ed Herrmann. His father, T. Pat Stubbs, was instrumental in Stubbs’ development, organizing a traveling team for local players when the only youth baseball option in their area was Little League.
Personal Life
Stubbs married his longtime girlfriend Evyn Murray on December 14, 2024, in Los Cabos, Mexico. The couple had been in a relationship prior to the wedding. He resides in Del Mar, California, during the baseball offseason. His younger brother, C.J. Stubbs, followed a similar baseball path, attending Torrey Pines High School and USC before being drafted by the Astros in the 10th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. C.J. Stubbs made his major league debut with the Washington Nationals in 2025.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season began with a roster adjustment for Stubbs, as the Phillies optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs at the start of the campaign. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski acknowledged that the decision was motivated by roster construction considerations, noting that Stubbs did not have to be exposed to waivers for the assignment. This move allowed the organization flexibility with its catching depth, as fellow catcher Rafael Marchán was out of options. Stubbs remained with the IronPigs working on his defensive game and offensive approach while awaiting his next opportunity with the major league club.
The Phillies promoted Stubbs back to the major leagues following an injury to starting catcher J.T. Realmuto on April 22, 2025. His return provided the team with a defensive specialist capable of handling the pitching staff while maintaining the team’s strong defensive standards behind the plate. Stubbs’ ability to contribute as a pinch-runner, occasional pinch-hitter, and emergency pitcher adds versatility to the Phillies’ roster when he is active on the major league roster.