Pittsburgh Pirates’ outfield prospect Willy Garcia was three games away from possibly tying the Altoona Curve record for most games in a row with a hit at 21.
Instead, Garcia’s hit streak will end at 18, since it was reported Monday that he has been promoted to AAA Indianapolis. Outfielder Mel Rojas Jr. was demoted to AA Altoona as a corresponding move.
That is a pretty favorable reason for Garcia’s streak to end.
The 22-year-old was having a great season for the Curve, with a .314/.353/.441 line with 5 home runs and 29 RBIs. Garcia has an excellent throwing arm and possesses raw power as a batter, but his biggest weakness is his strikeout vs. walks ratio, as he has struck out in 27 percent of his at-bats in the minors while only drawing a walk 6 percent of the time.
Historically, players that strikeout that often and walk so little do not tend to do well in the majors. However over the last month he only struck in 3 percent of his at-bats, and while it was only over 53 plate appearances, it could be an encouraging sign moving forward.
Garcia, who was added to the Pittsburgh 40-man roster during the off-season, will join a crowded Indianapolis outfield. The 22-year-old will compete with Gorkys Hernandez, Jaff Decker and Keon Broxton for playing time in the Indians’ outfield.
The only other Indian outfielder on the 40-man roster is Decker, who has a .320/.389/.420 line with two home runs and 16 RBIs, so it would stand to reason that the Pirates will want Garcia to see an extended amount of playing time once he becomes acclimated to AAA. The Pirates already know what they have in Hernandez – an excellent defender with a weaker bat – while Broxton has struggled in his short time with the Indians.
There was some speculation that someone like Decker or Hernandez would be promoted to the majors to replace Corey Hart as the corresponding roster move, but that does not appear to be the case.
While Garcia has the upside of developing into a starter, it is tough to imagine him being a starter in Pittsburgh.
Barring an injury or unforeseen drop in play from Andrew McCutchen, Gregory Polanco or Starling Marte, the starting outfield in Pittsburgh is locked up through the end of the 2018 season when McCutchen’s contract is set to expire. But even if they should let him walk, the Pirates are likely to have top hitting prospect Austin Meadows take over for McCutchen.
Garcia, as a result, is unlikely to ever be more than a fourth outfielder with the Pirates, and that could mean his best value to the club is as a trade chip. He may not be the centerpiece of a high-profile trade, but Garcia could help fetch a bullpen arm or bench player if the Pirates were to go that route. At the very least he offers the Pirates a depth option while fellow outfield prospects Harold Ramirez, Barrett Barnes and Meadows are still in the lower minors.
It is not out of the question that Garcia receives a September call-up if he does well at AAA and they do not trade him. Jose Tabata is not a bad reserve option but lacks power, while Corey Hart has been struggling mightily at the plate. Garcia could give the Pirates’ bench a nice power boost for the stretch run to the playoffs.
