Since joining as an international free agent with Kansas City in 2016, Maikel Garcia has been a part of the organization. However, after his first professional season in 2017, his prospects did not appear to be promising.
Garcia, who was only 17 at the time, hit just .213 in the Dominican Summer League and had a concerning.277 on-base percentage across 173 plate appearances.
Garcia’s four-year minor league career ended on a positive note, as that performance was his worst.
He divided 2018 between the DOSL and the Royals’ Arizona rookie team, and despite a decline in average, his OBP increased 34 points to .311 and he stole 20 bases in 52 games.
Garcia continued to improve in 2019, hitting.284 between rookie level clubs Burlington and Idaho Falls. But it was his .349 on-base percentage that stood out the most.
Garcia, like the majority of minor leaguers, did not make the Royals’ 60-man Player Pool that operated at their Alternate Training Site that summer. Last season, however, was his greatest yet.
Garcia began the season at Low-A Columbia, where he hit.303 with a .409 on-base percentage in 51 games before being promoted to High-A Quad Cities, where he hit .281 with a.351 on-base percentage.
He batted .291, .380, and had 35 steals, and his four home runs were three more than his previous career total.
Garcia is unlikely to visit Kauffman Stadium this season, and even less likely next. The Royals simply have too much skill on the infield.
However, keeping him in High-A will be difficult for the Royals; any time he spends at Quad Cities should be brief at most, and if he doesn’t start the season there, he’ll be sent to Double-A Northwest Arkansas quickly.
Garcia should have a nice year in 2022, hitting .270-.280 with a.340 OBP and 30-40 stolen bases. He’ll spend the majority of the season in Double-A, with a brief appearance at Triple-A Omaha thrown in for good measure.
How Tall Is Maikel Garcia?
Maikel Garcia stands at a height of 1.83 m.
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