Phillies rookie Alex McFarlane carries his hometown in the U.S. Virgin Islands with him
His home, St. Thomas, has a smaller population than the capacity of Citizens Bank Park. McFarlane got a Red Sox fandom from his mom, but knows he could be converting kids back home to the Phillies.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Alex McFarlane hadn’t planned on leaving his hometown in the U.S. Virgin Islands for high school. But the baseball fields were gone.
They were decimated in September 2017 when Hurricane Irma made landfall, and it was followed two weeks later by Hurricane Maria. Both Category 5 storms caused widespread, catastrophic damage to the Caribbean islands, including McFarlane’s home of St. Thomas.
The only hospital on the island was severely damaged. Trees were uprooted. Roads were obstructed. Buildings became rubble. It took months for power to be fully restored.
After witnessing how his community rebuilt after the devastation, the Phillies reliever had “VI STRONG” tattooed on his left arm. Last month, when he became the 16th player from the Virgin Islands to make his major league debut, McFarlane had a reminder from home with him.
“It’s just a testament to our community. We’ve got a strong community,” said McFarlane, 25. “Stick together, and rebuild everything together. I always carry that mentality throughout, when I play.”
The hurricanes cost McFarlane an entire year of baseball. He was 16 years old when they hit, and he stayed in St. Thomas at first to make sure his family was OK. But to continue his career after that, he had no choice but to leave the island.
It was not easy. McFarlane spent his senior year at Habersham Central High School in North Georgia. It was a culture shock, and not just because of the new environment and new school. It was also McFarlane’s first time playing organized high school baseball.
“It’s very similar to the Dominican Republic, as in who we play and stuff,” McFarlane said of youth baseball in St. Thomas. “We don’t have high school ball, but we’ll do interisland play.”
As a kid, McFarlane sometimes had to take multiple flights hopping between small islands to get to baseball tournaments. They would play against teams from places like Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, and the ABC Islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. One year, his team nearly qualified to represent the Caribbean in the Little League World Series but fell short in the championship game.
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Once he arrived in Georgia, McFarlane said the coaching staff at Habersham helped him adjust quickly. From there, he was recruited to play college baseball at Miami, from where he was drafted by the Phillies in the fourth round in 2022.
Now, he’s representing St. Thomas on the biggest baseball stage.
“I just try to set the best example as I can, just go out there and work as hard as you can each day,” McFarlane said. “Stay consistent with your routines, and just go out there and do your best every time. No reason not to give your best. So that’s just what I carry with me.”
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St. Thomas has a population of 42,261, as of the 2020 U.S. census. That’s smaller than the 42,901 capacity of Citizens Bank Park. It’s a tight-knit community that is proud of its own.
McFarlane pointed to Aliyah Boston, a stars for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, and NBA Hall of Famer Tim Duncan as Virgin Islander athletes whose footsteps he is following. There also happens to be another Virgin Islander in the Angels farm system, who McFarlane hopes will join him in the majors soon. Najer Victor, who also is from St. Thomas, currently pitches for Los Angeles’ triple A affiliate.
But McFarlane also has been making his mark on the Phillies. Since his debut on July 22 — when he secured his first major league out against Shohei Ohtani — he has impressed interim manager Don Mattingly, who said he can see McFarlane in higher-leverage spots.
“He’s throwing the ball good,” Mattingly said. “... Depending on their lineup and how they’re set up and everything else, there’s going to be times that he’s going to be in leverage.”
On Friday night against the Angels, McFarlane struck out Mike Trout on three pitches, all fastballs that clocked triple digits. With a scoreless eighth inning, McFarlane lowered his ERA to 1.08 in eight appearances.
He was credited with the win in the 5-3 comeback victory, the fourth win of his rookie season.
Back home, they are watching.
“It’s been great,” McFarlane said. “I got all the support in the world. A lot of guys I played ball with, I’m still in contact with to this day.”
McFarlane keeps a gaiter with the Virgin Islands flag on it hanging in his major league locker, another reminder from home. He doesn’t take the position he’s in lightly. McFarlane grew up far from any major league team and as a child inherited a Red Sox fandom from his mother.
But he’s aware that each time he walks out to a major league mound, he might be converting kids watching from the Virgin Islands into Phillies fans. With every pitch, he is representing them.
“I take pride in that,” McFarlane said. “I take pride in taking the field, knowing exactly where I’m from, and where I got to, from the Virgin Islands.”
With one month left in the season, the Phillies are jockeying for playoff positioning in the National League. And things are about to heat up with a critical three-game series in Arizona. Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen joins Phillies Extra to discuss the wild-card race, the drama involving star second baseman Ketel Marte, and the 2023 NLCS, which left scars in Philadelphia that still haven't healed. Watch here.
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