Leury Garcia Stats & Scouting Report

AB	38
AVG	.368
OBP	.368
SLG	.474
HR	0

Full name Leury García
Born 03/18/1991 in Santiago, Dominican Republic
Profile Ht.: 5'8" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: S / Throws: R
School Liceo Ercilia Pepin
Debut 04/06/2013

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Garcia played for five teams in 2013, starting with a bit role as a utility player on the Dominican Republic's title-winning roster for the World Baseball Classic. Despite the interruption of his spring training and the fact that he got only one at-bat in the WBC, Garcia made the Rangers' Opening Day roster as a utility infielder and extra outfielder. He played sparingly, however, and was demoted to Triple-A in mid-June before being traded in August for Alex Rios. After a short stint at Triple-A Charlotte, Garcia returned to the majors with the White Sox. He has exciting tools for the middle infield, with premium range to his right and left, an easy plus arm and explosive first-step quickness. That would play on the bases as well, but the switch-hitting Garcia can't steal first. For all his tools, his bat remains light, with an approach better suited to a bigger man that leads to long swing paths. A free swinger, Garcia has bottom-of-the-lineup skills and needs to be more efficient at bunting, moving runners and stealing bases. He's also more erratic defensively at short than the White Sox were expecting, with 11 errors in 44 Triple-A games at the position due to shaky hands. His bat is a bigger question mark and will determine whether Garcia can be a future regular or is set for a super-utility role, the latter of which appears to be the case for 2014.
Garcia continues to attract attention in a system overflowing with talented young middle infielders. He's the fastest runner--a borderline 80 on the 20-to-80 scouting scale--and has the best infield arm among Rangers farmhands. He's also a flashy defender at shortstop who ranges well to both sides and makes plays in the hole with ease because of his elite arm strength. Garcia spent most of his time at second base with Double-A Frisco in 2012, however, in deference to shortstop Jurickson Profar, though he did return to short later in the season and also gained brief exposure to center field. Wiry strong and 5-foot-7, Garcia has the power to drive the ball into the gaps but his swing tends to get too big. As one Rangers instructor put it, the hitter Garcia should be is not the hitter he wants to be. Texas would like to see him focus more on bunting, hitting the ball on the ground and working walks to take maximum advantage of his terrific speed. He's a switch-hitter whose swing is a bit long from the left side, and he batted a modest .282/.330/.370 against righthanders in 2012. Garcia continues to make careless mistakes in the field and on the bases, but he still has time on his side. The Rangers added him to their 40-man roster in November. He ultimately fits best in their plans as a super-utility player who can play short, second and center.
If he were a few inches taller or in a system that had less middle-of-the-diamond talent, Garcia would get more attention because few shortstop prospects can match his three plus-plus tools: speed, range, and arm strength. He spent 2011 in the high Class A Carolina League, where some scouts said he showed better defensive ability than more heralded Manny Machado (Orioles) and Andrelton Simmons (Braves). Small and compact, Garcia makes more than his share of plays with incredible side-to-side range and impressive arm strength, though he also plays the game too fast and occasionally loses focus. Defensive consistency would assure him an everyday big league role despite questions about his bat. Garcia would benefit from being more vanilla at the plate, hitting the ball on the ground and working counts. He has a flat swing and won't ever have power, but he should hit enough to hold his own. His top-of-the-scale speed makes him a huge basestealing threat. Garcia could play a variety of positions and break into the big leagues as a super-utility player. He hasn't had a breakout season yet but keeps making consistent strides. His next step is Double-A.
Garcia was rushed to low Class A as an 18-year-old in 2009 because the Rangers needed to fill a hole, and he made progress offensively and mentally in his second stint at Hickory in 2010. A shoulder injury cost him six weeks in the middle of the summer, but he still finished 10th in the minor leagues with 51 steals in 62 attempts. Garcia is at least a 70 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale, and he sometimes shows 80 speed. He's very aggressive on the basepaths and has become a better bunter, giving him another way to make use of his wheels. He also has plus-plus arm strength and range--on groundballs as well as pop-ups--giving him the ability to make spectacular plays that most shortstops can't make. He also has very good hands, but he still loses focus at times and must do a better job making routine plays. A switch-hitter, Garcia has just enough strength to get himself into trouble at the plate. He too often tries to muscle up, causing him to get out on his front foot, especially from the left side. Texas wants him to stay on top of the ball better and hit the ball in the air less. Like many young hitters, he chases breaking balls out of the zone too often. If he learns to control the strike zone and stay within himself, Garcia has the tools to be an impact big leaguer. Even if he never becomes an average hitter, he could be a quality defensive shortstop in the Cesar Izturis mold, with the added value of game-changing speed. Garcia should start 2011 at the Rangers' new high Class A Myrtle Beach affiliate.
Garcia made his debut in 2008 as one of the youngest players in the Arizona League. The Rangers planned to start him at short-season Spokane last year but wound up jumping him to low Class A to fill a hole. As an 18-year-old facing much older competition, he held his own for a month and a half before batting .215 in the second half. Garcia is short but his raw tools are loud, earning him the nickname "Furcalito" (little Furcal) from teammates in 2008. He can be spectacular at shortstop, as his lightning-quick first step leads to exceptional range. His athleticism helps him make acrobatic plays from deep in the hole or up the middle. He has plus-plus arm strength, though he must be more consistent with his throws, especially on routine plays. He made 42 errors last year, and the Rangers estimate that about two-thirds were throwing miscues. Garcia has well above-average speed and good instincts on the basepaths. He's a switch-hitter who fares similarly against righties and lefties. Garcia is a spray hitter with well below-average power, though the Rangers say he will be strong enough as he matures to hit the ball into the gaps and keep defenses honest. He could become a serviceable bottom-of-the-order hitter if he can learn the strike zone better, and that would be enough to make him an everyday player thanks to his defensive wizardry and speed. Garcia is likely to repeat low Class A in 2010, though he could earn a promotion if he shows progress.

Minor League Top Prospects

It was a good year for Carolina League shortstops. Machado's bat and power potential took center stage, and Simmons' glovework and feel for the game also were notable. But a case could be made that Garcia was the most spectacular defensive shortstop. Garcia is exciting in a hair-on-fire kind of way. With well above-average range and arm strength, he makes plays that no one else in the CL could make, but he also commits errors on balls no one else had trouble with. His .920 fielding percentage was the worst among the league's shortstops, but several of his 37 errors came on plays where he had no business getting to the ball. If Garcia can develop defensive consistency, he'll be an everyday player in the big leagues, even if his bat is a major question mark. He's never going to hit for much power, so he needs to stop hitting so many flyballs and improve his plate discipline so he can get on base. His speed gives him a third plus-plus tool, and some scouts grade it as an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale.