Chicago Cubs: Reivaj Garcia is flying under the radar in the organization

Chicago Cubs: Producing like he’s been here before

It is unbelievable to look at someone like Garcia and realize that at just 17 years of age, he wasn’t born until 2001. In 2001 I was 11 years old, in sixth grade. To see someone like Garcia now playing professional baseball at the age he is, and for the Cubs, is one of the coolest things in the world.

Being the youngest prospect in the minors last season, Garcia certainly had big shoes to fill. He rose to the occasion remarkably unbridled to anything fans had seen before, more than holding his own against the much older competition.

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
• Cubs: P.J. Higgins deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis

Garcia has yet to play in 2019. However, he did get his feet wet with 40 games last season. In those games in which Garcia registered 191 plate appearances, the young switch-hitter slashed .302/.362/.355 with a .349 wOBA and above-average 110 wRC+. As a guy with not much power, he did not hit a home run; however, Garcia did drive in 13 runs and stole seven bases.

Showing as a relatively patient hitter, Garcia posted a 7.9% walk rate while striking out less than twenty percent of the time, whiffing 18.8% of the time which is a vital sign of someone so young. Regarding where he hit the ball, Garcia went to all fields and showed an acuity to go opposite field, driving the ball there 48.2% of the time.

As a 16-year-old at the time, Garcia showed what he is capable of doing in hitting .302. In reality, 16-year-olds should not be able to do that which should excite fans for the future of what he can bring to the club.

Chicago Cubs: Right side, left side, strong side

One significant advantage to Garcia’s game and his overall ability is that he is a switch-hitter, which could play very well into his future. Garcia is listed as a second baseman, having played solely there during his time in Arizona. Word is Garcia can play shortstop; however, concerns regarding his arm strength make it seem that the four spot on the diamond is where his future lies.

When you watch Garcia, he gives off the notion of a veteran hitter, and you couldn’t tell it is, in fact, a 17-year-old kid. As someone who is not very big, standing at 5’11” and 175 pounds, the short compact swing Garcia displays is smooth and quick and transitions well to line drives off the bat. He knows how to make solid contact, which is an important skill and one which takes time to teach.

Concerning his defense, as previously noted Garcia spent his entire time at second base, playing 332 innings there while making six errors. The concern of his arm strength is real, but it is encouraging to see a relatively impressive start for Garcia in the field after one season. Time will tell whether he does transition around as more of a utility infielder, which doesn’t seem likely.

Garcia does also display a quickness out of the box, especially from the left side. When going opposite field, his swing tends to carry him towards first base, which is very much like Ichiro and his finish. In swiping seven bags in 40 games, that would put him on pace to be a 20-bag per year player, which would be great for Chicago.

Chicago Cubs: Looking into the crystal ball

t would surprise nobody to see Garcia arrive at South Bend or Myrtle Beach by next season at the latest. My bet is Myrtle Beach, assuming the production continues and Garcia shows a mature ability for his age to play baseball and be good.

Current second baseman Addison Russell hits ARB 4 in 2021 however nobody knows what the brass will do with him when the time comes. Javier Baez is also in a similar situation, hitting ARB 3 in 2021. The expected reality is Báez will be with the team for the long haul while they move on from Russell.

If this happens, it may open a massive door for Garcia to make a splash. Despite that estimated time of arrival at 2023, Garcia will be in Chicago much sooner if he continues to grow and progress at this level of production. The future is a fun one for Cubs fans with Garcia in the mix.