Garcia came out of nowhere in 2002 to emerge as a prospect. He actually was in Rays camp in 2000 but returned to Mexico because of arm problems and homesickness. After pitching for the Mexico City Tigers in 2001, he earned a spot in the Orlando rotation last spring. His season was full of highlights, including a Double-A no-hitter, a trip to the Futures Game and a victory with 62⁄3 one-hit, shutout innings in the clinching game of the International League playoffs. Garcia's fastball has been clocked as high as 96 mph and resides in the 92-94 mph range. His curveball is considered a plus pitch, while his average changeup showed some improvement over the course of the season. Garcia had control problems in Triple-A, where lefthanders bashed him at a .348 clip because he tried to be too fine and left his pitches over the plate. His stuff can flatten out at times, making him very hittable. He's scheduled to return to Triple-A in 2003.
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