Jaime Garcia Stats & Scouting Report

IP	1135
ERA	3.846
WHIP	1.319
BB/9	2.926
SO/9	7.335

Full name Jaime Omar García
Born 07/08/1986 in Reynosa, TAM, Mexico
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Sharyland
Debut 07/11/2008
Drafted in the 22nd round (680th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2005.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Garcia missed most of 2009 recovering from Tommy John surgery, but returned to become the ace for Triple-A Memphis as the team won the Pacific Coast League championship. His postseason performance included a scoreless six-inning, six-strikeout start in the first round of the palyoffs, which manager Chris Maloney described as good enough "to pitch anywhere that night, at any level." Garcia commands a biting 12-to-6 curveball that's a genuine swing-and-miss pitch. He sets it up with an 88-92 mph fastball that has late, downward movement. He used his rehab to add a pitch that's a cross between a cutter and slider. His minor league playoff performance validated his reputation for being unflappable. After his 2007 and 2008 seasons ended early because of elbow soreness, and he pitched just 38 innings last season, Garcia still has to prove his durability. He has battled his command at times, and those problems may be related to endurance as well. The Cardinals want to fill a spot in their 2010 rotation from within, and Garcia is a leading candidate to do so. He left a favorable impression in a brief callup in 2008, and should make the club if he has a strong spring. He projects as a No. 3 starter.
Garcia would be the top-ranking starting pitching prospect in the organization--by a good margin--if not for elbow surgery that ended his 2008 season just after he'd found a niche in the Cardinals bullpen. He started the season in the Double-A rotation, had a 4-4, 4.44 turn in Triple-A and finished in the major league bullpen as an apprentice lefty, though he's still viewed as a starter. He had Tommy John surgery and will miss most of the 2009 season. It was the second consecutive season that Garcia has ended with elbow soreness, though the team isn't alarmed by the trend and believes the surgery will correct the soreness that cut short his 2007, too. Garcia has two plus pitches: a fastball that he fires at 88-92 mph and has late bite, and a 12-to-6 curveball that is the best in the system. He has remarkable poise on the mound for his age, but he has had splotches of flighty command, an issue that could be traced to two years of pitching with a tender ligament. The surgery will delay Garcia's shot at being a big league regular, but if his rehab goes well and he returns with the same snap on his pitches, he could find a spot in the rotation waiting for him in 2010.
Area scout Joe Almaraz felt so strongly about Garcia that he persuaded two teams to draft him: the Orioles (who didn't sign him) in 2004 and the Cardinals in 2005. Garcia starred as a two-way player on Mexico's junior national team and was set to play pro ball in his native country before St. Louis signed him. The only negative in two years of pro ball is an elbow injury that ended his 2007 season in mid-July. Garcia has two plus pitches and striking poise on the mound. His fastball hums in the low 90s and he has a down-breaking curveball that he can use as a knockout pitch. His delivery is consistent and smooth. Garcia had trouble with his command at times last season, though that could have been connected to his sore elbow. After several evaluations, he was diagnosed with a sprained ligament that didn't require surgery. Garcia leans on his curveball too much at times and needs to use his changeup more often so he can gain more consistency with it. A potential No. 3 starter, Garcia is expected to be healthy for spring training and primed to continue his sprint from the 22nd round to the majors. Opening the season back in Double-A wouldn't be seen as a setback, and it's unlikely he would remain in Springfield for long.
First noticed as a two-way player on the Mexican junior national team, Garcia fell to the Orioles in the 30th round in 2004, mostly because of confusion about his eligibility for the draft. He didn't sign and hurt his prospect stock by falling out of shape. Joe Almaraz, the area scout who covered him for the Orioles in 2004, joined the Cardinals for 2005 and talked St. Louis into drafting Garcia. He made his pro debut in 2006, reaching high Class A and representing St. Louis at the Futures Game. Garcia fools hitters with a wicked downward-breaking curveball he lands for strikes. His fastball features natural sinking life and consistently reaches the low 90s and tops out at 94. He operates with a clean, easy arm action and repeats his delivery, allowing him to fill the zone with strikes. He shows an advanced touch with his changeup. While he throws strikes, Garcia still is refining his command and learning how to set hitters up. He tends to fall in love with his curveball and needs to do a better job of varying his pitch sequences. He's a fiery competitor who has to keep his emotions in check. Garcia is on the fast track. He should move up to Double-A this year, and he could crack the big league rotation by 2008.

Minor League Top Prospects

Garcia started the season with Double-A Springfield but found himself in the big leagues by mid-July. A starter throughout his minor league career, he pitched primarily in middle relief for the Cardinals. Garcia features a lively 88-92 mph four-seam fastball with some natural cutting action that helps him get a lot of groundballs. He mixes in a two-seamer with armside tail, and he complements his fastball with a plus 12-to-6 curveball that has good depth and bite. He has made progress with his changeup, but it still needs more consistency. Garcia's command is generally solid but still has room for improvement. Lauded for his mound presence and showing maturity beyond his age, he has the potential to be a No. 3 starter.
Garcia didn't match his results from 2006, when he exploded onto the prospect scene in his pro debut, but he showed the same quality pitches. He would have rated higher on this list if not for elbow problems that prompted the Cardinals to shut him down in mid-July. Doctors diagnosed the injury as a sprained ligament, and Garcia is expected to be at full strength in spring training. Most league observers thought Garcia showed the best pure stuff on the Springfield staff, with two plus pitches in his fastball and curveball. His fastball sits in the low 90s with good life, and his curveball is a legitimate out pitch with power downer action. His changeup remains a work in progress. In part because his elbow was bothering him, Garcia struggled with his command. He walked 3.9 batters per nine innings, nearly double his 2.0 rate from a year ago.
Garcia reached high Class A before he turned 20 and pitched in the Futures Game this year--not bad at all for a former 22nd-round pick making his pro debut. He impressed FSL observers with his live arm and steady improvement. He throws a 91-92 mph fastball and touches 94 with a free and easy delivery. He also has the makings of a plus curveball, though it's inconsistent. His changeup also could develop into a plus pitch, as it he throws it with good arm speed and it has some sink. Garcia's problem is that he can fall in love with one pitch and overuse it. When he arrived in the FSL, he tried to blow hitters away with his fastball. Later, he started throwing too many curveballs.
Garcia was headed toward oblivion after being disappointed when the Orioles drafted him in the 30th round in 2004, getting out of shape and dropping his fastball to the low 80s. The Cardinals gave him a second chance as a 22nd-rounder in 2005, and he responded by making the Futures Game in his pro debut this year. Garcia's body is fairly maxed out at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, but he already has the stuff to succeed in the majors. His out pitch is a 74-78 mph curveball that he'll use in any count, and he keeps hitter more than honest with a 91-94 mph sinker that comes out of his hand with ease. His changeup is becoming a solid third pitch but needs more work, as does his command within the strike zone.