Jon Garcia
| AB | 2165 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .238 |
| OBP | .288 |
| SLG | .421 |
| HR | 77 |
- Full name Jonathan Garcia
- Born 11/11/1991 in Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 175 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Luis Munoz Marin
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Drafted in the 8th round (247th overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2009 (signed for $120,000).
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Outfielder Jonathan Garcia has tools, allowing him to look like a stud in workouts, but he struggles in game action. He's undersized at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds but has a hose--the second-best arm on the island to Sierra. In February, he put on a show in batting practice, hitting light-tower home runs, then looked awful against live pitching, swinging and missing at everything. He wasn't good at the Excellence Tournament, either. He's naturally strong, hustles and plays the game the right way. He's also a tough player who doesn't wear batting gloves and will run through a wall in the outfield.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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When the Dodgers signed Garcia for $125,000 out of a Puerto Rico high school as their eighth-round pick in 2009, he was known for his impressive power displays in batting practice but still raw as a hitter. His ability to reach Double-A Chattanooga as a 21-year-old in 2013 is impressive in light of his crudeness at the plate in high school. Garcia, however, struggled with the jump in late June from the high Class A California League to more advanced pitching in Double-A, showing he still has a long way to go with his hitting approach. With a strong, stocky frame, he still generates attention for his above-average raw power, with the ability to hit the ball out of the park from his pull side to the middle of the field. Garcia can crush a fastball when he's on time, but anything offspeed throws him off balance, causing him to rack up an unhealthy number of strikeouts. He's a below-average runner with a plus arm that allows him to play right field. At 22, Garcia still is young for Double-A, where he likely will return in 2014, though because of his issues at the plate he doesn't project to move quickly to the big leagues. -
Garcia came out of the gate red-hot last season, defying the Midwest League's cold weather by belting seven homers in April to lead the circuit. The rest of his year didn't go as well, as he batted just .218/.281/.376 afterward and finished in a 2-for-23 skid. To his credit, his 19 homers still were an impressive total for a teenager in a tough league for hitters. Garcia's above-average raw power has been his biggest selling point since his high school days, when he was known to put on shows in batting practice but struggle against live pitching. He has strong hands and a quick bat with loft in his stroke, allowing him to hit balls a long way when he connects. However, Garcia struggles to maintain a consistent approach and setup, and thus his swing gets out of sync. He has an aggressive mentality, and opponents found they could exploit him with offspeed pitches. Great Lakes' everyday right fielder last season, Garcia has enough arm strength to play there, but he's already a slightly below-average runner and needs to watch his conditioning. Garcia got his swing back during instructional league, where the Dodgers named him the most improved player in camp. He'll try to carry that momentum into 2012 when he moves up to high Class A. -
As a high schooler, Garcia developed a reputation as a player who looked great in workouts but struggled to hit in games. He hasn't had that problem as a pro. He was the youngest player on Ogden's roster last season but put up numbers on par with his older teammates. Garcia, who received a $120,000 bonus in 2009, shows the ability to consistently square balls up and has above-average bat speed. He should generate average to potentially above-average power as he moves along. He has good plate coverage and can hit balls in different parts of the strike zone. He's usually able to maintain a short, compact stroke, though his swing does have some moving parts. He's still raw in terms of selectivity, and breaking balls can give him problems. Ogden's everyday right fielder last season, Garcia has average arm strength, though he registered 12 outfield assists last season, tying him for the Pioneer League lead. He's an average runner and his range is good enough for now, but he'll have to watch his conditioning if he's going to stay in the outfield long term. Garcia will move up to low Class A for 2011. -
The Dodgers liked Garcia enough to give him $120,000 as an eighth-round pick in 2009, but even they were surprised at how well he performed in his pro debut. As a Puerto Rican high schooler, he developed the reputation of looking great in workouts but not being able to perform well in games. However, he hit .304/.362/.500 in the Arizona League and finished on a .371 tear with eight doubles in his last 17 games. Garcia has outstanding raw power, and some of the doubles he hit in his initial taste of pro ball figure to turn into homers as his body matures and he gets a better feel for facing advanced pitching. He's a smart hitter, which gives hope that he'll be able to increase his walk total and lower his strikeouts as he gains experience. The Dodgers consider Garcia the best defender from their 2009 draft. Though his speed is average, his instincts give him good range in center field. If he loses a step, he has the strong arm to make the move to right field. Garcia receives high marks for his work ethic and that, coupled with his baseball IQ, means he should be ready to make the jump to low Class A in 2010.
Minor League Top Prospects
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The Dodgers may have gotten a steal when they selected Garcia out of Puerto Rico in the eighth round of the 2009 draft. He had a reputation in high school as a player who was better in workouts than in games, but that wasn't the case in the AZL. He hit .304 with 16 doubles in 138 at-bats. Garcia, 17, is very aggressive at the plate and the ball jumps off his bat. He has power to all fields and is expected to get stronger. He worked closely with hitting coach Leo Garcia and continually made adjustments during games. Garcia doesn't have the speed to play center field, where he saw some action in Arizona, but his plus arm should allow him to handle right field. He has below-average speed but could get quicker with better technique, as he currently runs on his heels. "He's a hard-working kid," Dodgers manager Jeff Carter said. "He wants to learn and has fun playing the game."
