Sean McGrath
Scouting Director, New Jersey

Name: John Murphy
High School: Gloucester Catholic
Position: RHP
Commitment:  Maryland

Earlier this spring, Gloucester Catholic traveled north to take on Bergen Catholic; one of New Jersey’s best young lineups. Knowing it would be a test, Rams Head Coach called upon its Maryland bound ace to the mound against the Crusaders. Up to this point in the season, both teams were going about their winning ways so the records would indicate that the two teams were on even ground. However, whenever John Murphy takes the mound, the opponent is the underdog.

Headed into the May 5^th contest, John Murphy’s 26 career victories put him tied for the school’s career wins record. Many of his wins were because of his own doing. However, Murphy would struggle more than he ever has in a Gloucester Catholic uniform. The four-year varsity starter would be picked up by his teammates to win his record breaking 27^th game in an ironic 12-5 slug fest.

The 6-5 right-hander has the “stuff” of a top professional prospect and the feel and makeup of a savvy veteran. The ability to dominate opponents since his freshman season, combined with his frame, and his room to improve and project, make him the top prospect in New Jersey’s 2015 class.

John Murphy has since won a 28^th game and now owns a 28-6 career record. He has a 1.09 ERA in 218 innings pitched and has given up only 139 hits, which is good for a .198 batting average against. He also owns a 261:55 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

John Murphy was kind enough to take time out of his busy spring schedule to talk to us about the accomplishment, his unparalleled work ethic, and his approach on the mound. We wrapped up by asking him a couple laid back questions about himself, the state’s stiff competition, and his teammates. It is my hope that young pitchers will learn something and apply it to their game or routine. Taking a page out of John Murphy’s book isn’t a bad idea. All he does is win.

PBR: You're now #1 on the Gloucester Catholic career wins list, which is an incredible feat considering some of the arms that the school has produced before you. Is this your biggest pitching accomplishment to date? What other accomplishments, team or individual, compare to this?

Murphy: Becoming the all-time wins leader for this program is definitely my biggest accomplishment just because of the program’s history and thee guys that played before me that made this program what it is today. Guys like Cody Brown, the previous record holder, Greg Burke, and Zack Braddock. Other big accomplishments for me and the team were winning the state championship my freshman and sophomore years.

PBR: Being that you are the top ranked player in Prep Baseball Report New Jersey’s 2015 rankings, you obviously must take pride in your training and preparation. Could you describe your off-season regiment and what you focused on most to prepare yourself for success this spring?

Murphy: To get where I am right now mid-season is definitely because of the hard work put in during the winter months. I worked out at Endeavor Sports Performance run by Kevin Neeld over in Pitman all summer and winter. All the guys over there got me on the right track to becoming a better, stronger pitcher. We really focused on my leg strength, doing front squats and dead lifts. Of course, we also spent a great deal of time with shoulder workouts, core workouts, and conditioning. Those guys were really able to get my body in shape.

PBR: What does a typical work week look like for you between starts?

Murphy: In between starts is really where I get to work on my pitching skills and body. Usually the day after I start, my workout consists of a lot of quick burst agilities, cones, and sprints, and longer sprint poles after for the conditioning part. After that, I do a lot of band and cuff weight workouts to really workout that rotator cuff. Depending on how I feel, I might toss light on the second day. On the 3^rd day, I’ll long toss and throw a light flat ground at about 45 feet focusing on my off-speed pitches and fastball location. The day before I start is a light day with maybe a light toss and some band work to get me ready for the next day’s start.

PBR: Apart from your obvious skill-set, you have an advanced feel for making in-game adjustments. What makes you so good pitch-to-pitch? What mindset do you have between pitches to get you focused on executing the next pitch?

Murphy:  I think what makes me so good pitch-to-pitch is just my ability to forget about the previous bad pitches and just move on and focus on the next one. I can really block out my surroundings which helps me be able to make those pitches in intense situations. I don’t really do anything specific between pitches. I just try to focus on the mitt and make my pitch.

PBR: Thank you for providing some information about what makes you such a reliable pitcher. I hope young pitchers can take something away from how you prepare and implement it into their own regiments. The next couple questions will be a little more fun for you...Which big league pitcher would you say you resemble most and why?

Murphy: If I was to pick an MLB pitcher I resemble most, I would at least like to think its Matt Harvey. I would consider myself a power pitcher like he is and we have somewhat of the same body type. Hopefully I’ll be able to throw as hard as he does some day.

PBR: Which New Jersey team that you’ve faced had the toughest lineup this year?

Murphy: The toughest lineup I faced this year was definitely Bergen Catholic; the team I got my 27^th win against. Those guys were aggressive and actually hit me around pretty well in the beginning of the game.

PBR: Who was the toughest New Jersey hitter you’ve faced this year?

Murphy: The toughest hitter I faced this year was Gregory Cuevas from St. Mary’s Rutherford. He hit really well against me earlier in the season when we went up to their place.

PBR: Which teammate of yours would give you the best battle in the box?

Murphy: It is hard to single out one of my teammates but Sean Breen would give me a hard time if he hit against me. He gives everyone a hard time; he can hit anything.

PBR: Tyler Mondile, a teammate of yours, is one of the top arms in New Jersey’s 2016 class. Is there a sense of friendly competition there? Do you guys push each other in practice to get better?

Murphy: Tyler and I are good friends on and off the field. I try to be able to give him pointers about his pitching and help him like Mike Shawaryn, Maryland's ace, did for me when I was younger but it’s hard to give Tyler pointers since he does everything so well already.