Getting to Know Luis Garcia
This article was originally published in the June edition of the Threshers Times. Luis Garcia was signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2017. Garcia made his professional debut in 2018 with the Gulf Coast League Phillies, and in 43 games boasted a .369 batting
This article was originally published in the June edition of the Threshers Times.
Luis Garcia was signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2017. Garcia made his professional debut in 2018 with the Gulf Coast League Phillies, and in 43 games boasted a .369 batting average, earning him a GCL post-season all-star recognition. The shortstop spent his first full season in Lakewood (now Jersey Shore) in 2019. He did not have the same success in his first full season as he had in 2018 in the GCL, averaging just .186 during the 140-game span. Garcia looked at 2020 as a fresh start and used the off-season to improve his skills.
When the 2020 minor league season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Garcia was disappointed. “I was a little bit frustrated because I worked so hard in the off-season of 2019 and came ready to play in 2020,” Garcia said via Zoom. But he did not let the extended time off slow him down. “I took the whole off-season in 2020 to work hard the whole year in order to get ready for 2021,” Garcia said. The shortstop with a 5’11, 170-pound frame said he primarily worked on building strength and agility during the gap in seasons.
Garcia said that he learned a lot about the game of baseball from his older brother, Jose Garcia, a shortstop in the Boston Red Sox organization. The brothers would practice at home in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. “He taught me about the sport, the defense, everything,” Garcia said, “My brother taught me so much.”
Luis shared that the best piece of advice his brother gave him about the game was just to have fun. “That’s why I am always having a good time.” Garcia credited his brother for encouraging him to be a switch hitter and said he has been hitting from both sides of the plate since he was eight years old.
Now the infielder is working with Threshers hitting coach Cody Asche in his second full season of professional baseball. “[Asche] is a very good coach,” Garcia said. “He works with me every day and tells me to keep working, good things are going to happen.” Defensively, Garcia says he is soaking in the knowledge of Threshers manager Milver Reyes. “Milver is a great manager. He teaches us about defense and how to play the game the right way.” Garcia said that Reyes inspires the team to keep a high energy and to be a good teammate.
Playing in the middle infield, Garcia must work closely with his usual double play partner, Casey Martin, a teammate he had not worked with prior to this season in Clearwater. “We were in different groups in spring training,” Garcia revealed. “When we came here, we had to start a close relationship. We make a good team.”
Ranked as the #6 prospect in the Phillies system, Garcia has the second-most plate appearances (170) and is tied for the most runs (25) amongst all Phillies minor league players. The twenty-year-old holds a .222 batting average with a .367 on-base percentage and has started in 35 out of 36 games with Clearwater so far this season.
On a typical game day, Garcia said his routine is to eat, listen to music, relax a little bit, and get ready to play. He shared that the artists he listens to while getting ready for games include Drake and Myke Towers. When the team has the day off, Garcia said he takes the time to rest or go to the beach.
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