Prospect Profile
Luis Garcia is this week’s Prospect Profile, an infielder from the Dominican Republic ready to rise in the Phillies minor league system.
Steve Potter, author of Phillies Minor League Digest and www.philliesbaseballfan.com, offers his views of young Phillies players. Between streaming of minor league games and seeing games firsthand at BayCare Ballpark and Carpenter complex, Steve has seen every Phillies minor league player who played in the states in 2021. He’s a former corporate executive who retired in Clearwater, FL, but he’s hardly retired.
Luis Garcia — SS/2B — Birthdate: 10/1/00 . . . Signed as an international amateur free agent, July 2, 2017 . . . Born: San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic.
This Fan’s View
Has the best hands, range, arm, first step and instincts amongst middle infielders in the system. He makes plays others can’t. Has grown into his body the last couple of years and the added strength has shown in offensive production, particularly in the ability to drive the ball over the fence. He’s a switch-hitter who has always possessed bat speed but as a teenager was limited in production until he got stronger. Hit 13 home runs, 18 doubles and 5 triples for Clearwater/Jersey Shore in 103 games (391 AB’s) in 2021. Luis enjoys playing baseball; it’s evident he has fun doing so. The combined skills he possesses could make him a viable big-league regular at either shortstop or second base. He was added to the 40-man roster this off season putting him in the mix for call-up considerations.
2022 Projection
It’s likely he begins the year at High A with an eye toward Reading but with a good spring camp might just go to the AA level right away. He’s used to the challenge of playing at higher levels at a younger age, a great attitude and skills that are big-league development caliber serve him well.
(“The Comeback Season”, Potter’s 6th annual Phillies Minor League Digest, is now available at www.amazon.com. He captures this year’s entire minor league season which didn’t exist in 2020 because covid).
