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.

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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.