Andrew
Garcia

Garcia put together a sterling performance during his appearance at the Los Angeles Preseason ID event as one of the youngest players in attendance, but was amongst the top performers. Now, with my first opportunity to see how the impressive tools this young player possesses will translate into game action, the live look was a testament to the future upside in his game. I’m a sucker for a good LH swing and the way Garcia operates in the box is a picture of what I look for in a potential impact hitter. He controls the forward move with athleticism, is on time at launch in good posture with his hands back, and turns tight through his lower half with a barrel path that produces leverage to the middle of the field while having loft to the pullside of the diamond. Garcia was intentionally walked during his first plate appearance with a base open, then lofted a FB to RF for an F-9, just missing under the ball in his 2nd. His third at bat he faced a steady diet of offspeed from the Oxnard pitcher and handled multiple pitches well before showing some his youth going after a low breaking ball in the dirt for a K. But, in his last trip to the dish showed his ability to adjust by staying back on spin from a LHP to lace a line drive into CF that was hit directly at the Oxnard centerfielder. While he didn’t collect a hit on the day, the way Garcia operates and the projection still to come in his frame will make him a name to keep close tabs on in the 2029  class going forward.

Andrew Garcia, Rio Mesa (CA), 2029
Positional Profile: C/OF Intriguing LHH with middle of the order potential and line-drive approach.
Body: 5-11, 164-pounds. Athletic, proportional build with lean strength.
Hit: LHH. Narrow, open stance with slight knee bend and quiet hands. Utilizes a pre-set hip coil and inward shoulder rotation to generate tension. Flat, consistent bat path. Hands fire in sequence with tight hip rotation. Maintains posture throughout the swing. 65.9 mph bat speed with 12 G's of rotational acceleration.
Power: 94 max exit velocity, averaged 82.0 mph. 310' max distance.
Arm: RH. C-73 mph. OF-80 mph. C: Long arm circle with shortened extension coming from a 3/4 slot. OF: Long arm circle starting behind and around the body to an overhead release.
Defense: 2.23-2.43 pop times. C: Quick exit out of the squat and powerful forward move. OF: Slow, methodical approach to the ball with a simple gather into the throw.
ATH: 8.33 runner in the 60. 1.68 and 4.16 in the 10 and 30 yard splits.

Garcia was a revelation in his first Prep Baseball California event and instantly made himself a must see this spring as he will compete for the Rio Mesa Spartans varsity program during his FR. season. A wiry present build at 5'11 163.8 lbs. there is length to his frame that presents plenty of room across it to add on strength in the coming years. The versatility to his defensive upside was on display as he showed sound actions both in the OF and behind the plate on the day. Garcia is a controlled mover in the OF with solid present arm strength reaching 80 MPH on his throws to home plate. Behind the dish it's a solid present profile with emerging arm strength at 73 MPH and accuracy to his throws reaching a low of 2.23 at present. His actions are sound when receiving with feel for what he is doing behind the plate at present. As solid as the defensive showing was for Garcia it was when the LH hitter stepped into the box that he put himself firmly amongst the top players in the event not just the 2029 class. Using a repeatable stroke that produces 68.5 MPH of bat speed, 20.4 MPH of hand speed with 14 Gs of rotational acceleration to generate torque that combined with strong feel for his approach/timing during batting practice. He hits the ball with present authority on a regular basis including a 94 MPH max exit velocity and a 82 MPH average exit velocity from a more direct bat path the produced a 46% sweet spot rate to the middle of the diamond including a 310' present max distance. The profile for Garcia is strong, but still somewaht raw building on the intrigue to his future upside as he continues to get better over his high school career.