The New York Yankees are no stranger to big and strong corner outfielders. The New York Yankees currently have arguably the two biggest and strongest outfielders in the game in Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. In 2017, the Yankees signed an international free agent for $500,000 out of the Dominican Republic that fits this mold. That prospect is New York Yankees outfielder, Anthony Garcia. Garcia stood an impressive 6’5 and weighed over 200 pounds when the Yankees signed him in 2017. Garcia generates an incredible amount of power when he swings the bat. Many scouts believe that Garcia easily could hit 40 home runs if he continues to get stronger and progress down his current path. Garcia is a switch hitter, but seems to generate better swings and more power from the left side of the plate which plays well in the Yankees organization. Of course, the large size does come with some potential issues and one of those issues reared its ugly head last year. The injury bug has one that has been no stranger to the Yankees current giant duo in the outfield, and that same bug bit Garcia last year.
Professional Career So Far
Last season, Anthony Garcia was only able to appear in six games for the Pulaski Yankees due to a quad injury. The injury really hindered Garcia after he was able to play 53 games in Rookie Ball back in 2018. Combining 2018 and 2019, Garcia has appeared in 59 games where he has batted .224 and hit 11 home runs. The raw power is there on display whenever Garcia makes contact and he knows it. He knows that when he makes solid contact, that ball has a chance to disappear into the sky. The problem with that is that Garcia becomes way too aggressive at the plate. Strikeouts are a concern for big and powerful hitters, and they are definitely a concern for Garcia. So far in his professional career, Garcia is striking out at an alarming 40%. Garcia gets very anxious at the plate and swings at a lot of bad pitches. In tape, I’ve seen him try to swing way to early so he could get his hips out in front to make powerful contact. Again, when he makes contact they go far, but almost half of the time he’s swinging at air. This is something that I think he will need to really work on when the minor league season starts up.
2020 and Beyond
There is a lot of potential when it comes to Anthony Garcia. You simply cannot teach the kind of power that this kid has. He also has a pretty good feeling for the outfield and grades out to be slightly above average in the field. He also projects to have an above average arm in the outfield. There are a couple of things I want to see from Garcia when play starts back up. The main thing is I want to see a more disciplined approach at the plate. I also want to see him dial back on the power swings and focus more on putting the ball in play. Aaron Judge might be the strongest player in baseball, but what makes Judge so good when he’s on is his ability to put the ball in play. Judge understands that if he makes contact, his raw power will do the work. Garcia needs to recognize this too. He doesn’t need to try to hit home runs, they will just come naturally due to his strength. In addition to becoming more disciplined, I want to see him stay healthy. Health is a question across the board in this organization, and it’s important for progression to actually remain on the field. There’s a lot to like about Anthony Garcia, and I’m looking forward to watching his career progress over the next few years.