For Macin Garciaparra, baseball has always been a family affair.

Growing up with his father, former professional baseball player Michael Garciaparra, and his uncle, six-time MLB All-Star Nomar Garciaparra, around the game, Macin has had a lifetime of baseball knowledge to draw from.

But with that knowledge has come an equally important lesson: learn from the people around you, but become your own player.

“Just to always be yourself and be your own person,” Macin said of the advice his dad has given him. “Just don’t give in to all the hype, the numbers, the stats, data, just focus on your own development.”

That mindset has followed Macin throughout his baseball journey, including this summer at USA Baseball’s National Team Championships in Arizona and now at the National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Champions Cup.

Michael is the founder and owner of Garciaparra Baseball Group (GBG), a travel baseball organization with several teams that compete annually at Champs Arizona, facing some of the best competition in the country.

This summer, GBG captured its first gold medal at the National Team Championships since 2023 with its 17U team.

While Michael coached GBG at Champs, Macin competed in the tournament, giving the two another opportunity to share the game from different perspectives.

For Michael, Champs is one of the most demanding events of the year, with high-level competition and intense preparation.

For Macin, one of the highlights came during his team’s bronze medal game, when he took the field at Surprise Stadium, the Spring Training home of the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers.

“It was the nicest field I’ve ever played on,” Macin said. “It was beautiful, beautifully taken care of, and it was just amazing.”

The experience gave Macin another opportunity to compete against top players from across the country and continue testing himself.

That same opportunity has followed him to the National Training Complex.

At the NTIS Champions Cup, Macin is surrounded by talented players and coaches from all over the nation, giving him another chance to learn from the people around him.

“The amount of talent that's here, just to observe and be able to talk to people that you can take bits and pieces of their game and add it onto yours,” Macin said. “It’s a step in the right direction in your development.”

For Michael, watching his son in a USA Baseball environment carries an added significance.

He has experienced the program himself, coaching with USA Baseball’s National Team Development Program and spending time alongside professional, collegiate, and national team coaches.

“Just being in a room with baseball minds,” Michael said of what he remembers most. “You’re with big leaguers, pro coaches, college coaches, just learning how they do some drills, or how they’re working with a player on the field. You’re like, ‘Oh man, I can apply that.’ “

The experience left an impression on him both as a coach and as a baseball person.

Now, he gets to watch Macin experience it for himself.

“It’s really cool,” Michael said. “These are things that you aspire to do. These things, when I was a kid, you looked up and wanted to have that logo on your chest and on your hat.”

Seeing Macin wear that logo is more than a proud moment for Michael. It is a continuation of a connection to USA Baseball that began with his own experiences in the program.

“It’s just fun to see, right?,” Michael said. “The fact that he can do it, it’s a really proud moment as a father and as a coach.”

Macin feels that connection, too.

“It’s amazing,” Macin said. “It’s carrying on a legacy that he left here that, hopefully, I can, one day, too, carry on and be my own self.”

But while Michael is proud to see his son continue that connection to USA Baseball, he has always emphasized that Macin’s journey is his own.

Michael knows firsthand how easy it can be for young players to compare themselves to the people around them. Growing up alongside Nomar, a highly accomplished player, Michael experienced that pressure himself.

He does not want Macin to feel the same.

“Don’t compare yourself to this number one-ranked player, this U-S-A guy, or that guy,” Michael said. “You’ve got to be your own player.”

That philosophy has shaped the way Macin approaches the game.

Rather than trying to replicate his father, his uncle, or any of the talented players around him, he has learned to take pieces from each of them and incorporate those lessons into his own game.

“There’s a countless amount of mentors in my life where I can take things from everybody and bring it into my own game,” Macin said. “Which has helped me develop so much as a player.

Michael reinforces that philosophy even when he is coaching his own son.

“I try not to treat him differently than anybody else,” Michael said. “But I definitely hold him to a standard.”

That standard, though, is not about trying to live up to the Garciaparra name. It is about continuing to improve and make the most of every opportunity.

From Champs Arizona to the NTIS Champions Cup, Macin has continued to compete against top competition, learn from the people around him, and add new pieces to his game.

He has spent his life learning from his family and the game around him. Now, he is using those lessons to continue developing into his own player.