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Two Fairfax County natives moved closer to professional baseball careers when their names were called in the 2025 MLB draft.

The Tampa Bay Rays selected Reston resident and George Mason University standout James Quinn-Irons in the fifth round on July 14. The outfielder was the 147th overall pick.

The Seattle Mariners later chose McLean High School graduate and Virginia Tech pitcher Griffin Stieg in the 18th round with the 542nd overall selection.

Quinn-Irons graduated from South Lakes High School after a dominant senior season in which he hit .471 with six home runs and earned Concorde Conference Player of the Year honors.

Now a computer science major at George Mason, he struggled with strikeouts and missed pitches during his sophomore season, his first year of draft eligibility. Significant adjustments helped produce a breakout junior campaign, when he recorded a .419 batting average, .523 on-base percentage and .734 slugging percentage.

His performance helped George Mason reach the postseason this spring. The Patriots advanced to the Atlantic 10 championship game before losing to Rhode Island at Capital One Park in Tysons.

“I used to get wrapped up in stats, but now it’s more about the process — whether I’ve been patient, worked the count, and done the little things,” Quinn-Irons said during the team’s championship run. “You can’t always control getting a hit or driving someone in, but you can control your approach. It’s just a mindset.”

Quinn-Irons was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and became the first George Mason athlete to reach the semifinals for the Golden Spikes Award, presented annually to the country’s top amateur baseball player. He also attended the 2025 MLB Draft Combine, held June 17-21 at Chase Field in Phoenix.

George Mason head coach and former MLB pitcher Shawn Camp praised Quinn-Irons as a leader with power, hitting ability, a strong arm and speed on the bases.

“James is a special talent who hits for power and average, and uses the entire field,” Camp said. “He has trusted the process here at George Mason from day one and we are all looking forward to watching him at the professional level.”

Stieg, who has played both pitcher and outfielder, completed his junior year at Virginia Tech before being drafted by Seattle. Born in Fairfax in 2004, he graduated from McLean High School in 2022 after helping the Highlanders finish 17-7 and win the Liberty District tournament championship. He also played football and basketball in high school.

His development as a pitcher attracted professional scouts before the 2022 draft, but Stieg wanted to attend Virginia Tech and maintained that plan despite possible opportunities to turn pro immediately after high school.

He worked primarily as a relief pitcher during his freshman season before moving into Virginia Tech’s starting rotation as a sophomore. His progress created expectations for a promising junior year, but Tommy John surgery at the end of last season prevented him from pitching this year.

That injury and his limited college record contributed to his fall into the later rounds. Still, scouts have identified potential in his collection of pitches, particularly a two-seam sinking fastball with pronounced movement, and believe he could develop into a back-end starter.

Stieg’s older brother, Drew, also excelled at McLean High School before playing baseball at George Mason. After Drew died from a drug overdose in 2023, the family created the Drew Stieg Aspiring Wellness Program, a nonprofit focused on mental health education and awareness, particularly for teenagers and student-athletes.

“He shaped me to be the person I am today,” Griffin Stieg said of his brother. “Things he has taught me contribute to how I play. He taught me work ethic, how to show up and how to play the game the right way.”

If Stieg signs with Seattle, he will enter the same organization as fellow Fairfax County Public Schools graduate Jonny Farmelo. The Centreville native was drafted from Westfield High School in 2023 and is playing for the Everett AquaSox, the Mariners’ High-A affiliate.

Farmelo was one of two FCPS graduates selected in the first round that year. The other was James Madison High School alumnus Bryce Eldridge, whom the San Francisco Giants chose with the 16th overall pick.