Recent Diamondbacks call-up Stone Garrett used LinkedIn to resurrect baseball career
Stone Garrett was like many people in March 2021. As an eight-round pick in the 2015 MLB draft, the bloodthirsty slugger’s career stalled. At the end of the 2020 season he was unemployed.
So, like everyone else looking for a job, he did – he went to LinkedIn.
A little over a year later, Garrett is playing in the big leagues with the Diamondbacks. All because he remembered to log back into the site.
“It’s pretty crazy,” Garrett told Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro. Garrett made his major league debut on Wednesday, scoring two doubles in Arizona’s 3-2 win over San Francisco.
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Garrett’s journey began in Miami. He was a popular prospect in the Marlins’ organization, known for his bulky build and fondness for home runs.
But Garrett’s production failed to impress and rendered him expendable.
While in the Marlins’ system, Garrett obtained his real estate license to earn extra income during the off-season. After all, MLB isn’t known for paying minor leagues very well. Garrett feared he would have to turn it into a full-time job.
But scrolling LinkedIn, Garrett found a lifeline. Hidden among a series of notifications was a message from former Marlins video coordinator Dan Budreika wishing him luck with his real estate projects. The couple had met during Garrett’s freshman season in pro ball.
That message was all Garrett needed.
“I said, ‘Hey, do you know anyone who needs an outfielder? I feel like I can still compete at Double-A or higher,'” Garrett said. “He said, ‘No, but let me ask around.'”
Budreika reached out to another former Marlins employee, Brett West, who had moved into a scouting role with the D-Backs. Two days later, Garrett had a minor league offer from Arizona. The wheels of Garrett’s baseball resurgence were in motion.
Garrett proceeded to set the minors on fire. He posted an OPS of .825 in 105 games between double and triple-A in 2021. That year he increased his OPS to .900.
He soon got the call he had been dreaming of all his life.
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“I passed out because I had a feeling,” Garrett said. “And [Triple-A hitting coach] Nick [Velasquez] said, ‘Stone, you go into the big leagues.'”
Garrett has done well in pitching in the big league so far. As of this writing, the 26-year-old has four hits in his first five record appearances. Three of those hits were doubles, including this barrel-shaped beauty:
Stone Garrett CRUSHED his first MLB hit. pic.twitter.com/pF9P7GsQC6
— Bally Sports Arizona (@BALLYSPORTSAZ) August 18, 2022
There’s no better endorsement for LinkedIn right now than Stone Garrett.