Andres Chavez
The New York Mets are coming off a loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, on a night in which the offense and the bullpen couldn’t back a very solid Nolan McLean. The relief pitching, in particular, was a problem, as it allowed five runs in just 2.2 frames.
Three of those runs were charged to veteran reliever Luis Garcia, who was able to get only one out in his abbreviated outing. He allowed three hits and a walk, and his fastball didn’t have the zip and the velocity it usually shows.
The Mets Are Worried About Garcia’s Velo
“Luis García’s average fastball velocity is down about 3 mph from last season, and he’s been getting hit hard. The league is batting .385 off García, who has an 8.44 ERA in five appearances,” Mets insider Anthony DiComo posted on X after the reliever’s disastrous appearance.
The Mets took a flier on the 39-year-old Garcia on a one-year, $1.75 million contract back in the offseason, knowing that the risk of decline was real but hoping to get another year of solid production from the mound. He did, after all, post a solid 3.42 ERA in 55.1 innings of work last year between three teams.
This year, however, his sinker is averaging 93.9 mph. That number doesn’t sound very bad in a vacuum, but considering that the pitch averaged 96.9 mph last year, it’s a big problem for Garcia and the Mets. That three-mph difference is significant.
Is It The Cold Weather?
The Mets and the hurler are probably hoping that once the weather improves, Garcia’s velocity will return and he will be effective again. It may not be that simple, though, because he is also getting up there in age, and there’s a chance he doesn’t get the three mph back.
It’s a situation worth monitoring because Garcia could be a solid bullpen piece if he returns to his 2025 level.
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