Jarlin Garcia

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2011
DSL:  5-5-1, 3.29 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 52.0 IP, 2.1 BB/9, 8.0 K/9

Garcia had a good DSL debut, both starting and relieving.

2012
R:  1-3-0, 3.60 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 40.0 IP, 3.2 BB/9, 7.2 K/9

The GCL was a little tougher than the DSL.  Garcia started four games and relieved in eight.

2013
A-:  2-3-0, 3.10 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 69.2 IP, 2.3 BB/9, 9.6 K/9

The Marlins employed Garcia strictly as a starter in the New York-Penn League and he did well, including a career-high K rate.  Baseball America ranked him 28th in the Miami system after the season.

2014
A:  10-5-0, 4.38 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 133.2 IP, 1.4 BB/9, 7.5 K/9

Miami moved Garcia to full season ball and he got mixed results.  He walked very few hitters, but opponents batted .286 against him.  BA still ranked him tenth in the system, but Miami left him unprotected from the Rule 5 draft.

2015
A+:  3-5-0, 3.06 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 97.0 IP, 2.1 BB/9, 6.4 K/9
AA:  1-3-0, 4.91 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 36.2 IP, 4.2 BB/9, 8.6 K/9

Garcia made 18 starts in High A and seven in AA.  The lower level work went well, although he had a very low K rate.  Garcia still had low walk and K rates, but still got hit around a little.  BA moved him to third in the system and Miami added him to the 40-man roster after the season.

2016
R:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.25 WHIP, 4.0 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 13.5 K/9
A+:  0-0-0, 1.29 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 7.0 IP, 1.3 BB/9, 6.4 K/9
AA:  1-3-0, 4.64 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 39.2 IP, 2.5 BB/9, 6.1 K/9

Garcia missed nearly half the season with a triceps strain.  He made nine starts in AA and got more or less similar results to the last couple seasons:  low walk and K rates, while opponents hit respectably against him with a .253 average.  BA ranked him sixth in the system.

2017
AA:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 4.0 IP, 6.8 BB/9, 4.5 K/9
MLB:  1-2-0, 4.73 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 53.1 IP, 2.9 BB/9, 7.1 K/9

The Marlins moved Garcia to the bullpen and he spent most of the season with them, making 68 appearances.  He didn’t allow a lot of baserunners, but the results overall were just passable.  Garcia had a big platoon split, allowing a .783 OPS to right-handed batters and just .603 to left-handed.

2018
AAA:  2-2-0, 4.81 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 48.2 IP, 2.6 BB/9, 6.1 K/9
MLB:  3-3-0, 4.91 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 66.0 IP, 3.8 BB/9, 5.5 K/9

Garcia opened the season in the Miami rotation, but he had a rough month of May and the Marlins sent him to AAA, where he pitched as a starter.  He returned to the majors and pitched exclusively in relief, apart from serving as an opener once.  He struggled through August, allowing ten runs in ten innings, but pitched much better in September.  He had serious gopher ball problems on the year, giving up 16, or one every four innings.

2019
AAA:  2-0-0, 1.93 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 9.1 IP, 3.9 BB/9, 10.6 K/9
MLB:  4-2-0, 3.02 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 50.2 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 6.9 K/9

Garcia spent the entire season as a reliever, making 53 of his 60 appearances in the majors.  He got good results, although the metrics didn’t entirely buy it, probably in part due to the very low K rate.  He had a 4.74 xFIP.  Garcia had no platoon split.

2020
MLB:  2-1-0, 0.49 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 18.1 IP, 3.4 BB/9, 6.9 K/9

The Marlins designated Garcia for assignment before the season and the Giants claimed him off waivers.  The season, of course, was delayed due to the pandemic, and Garcia missed a month for “medical reasons,” which may have been COVID.  When he pitched he had a very good season.

2021
MLB:  6-3-1, 2.62 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 68.2 IP, 2.4 BB/9, 6.9 K/9

Garcia made 58 appearances and had a strong season for the Giants, again except for the very low K rate.  The gopher ball problems partially resurfaced, as he allowed nine.  He had a big platoon split, with a .726 opponents’ OPS against right-handed hitters and .513 against left-handed.

2022
MLB:  1-4-1, 3.74 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 65.0 IP, 2.5 BB/9, 7.8 K/9

Garcia took a step backward, giving up ten home runs and again struggling a little with right-handed hitters.  The season started well, but he fell off badly after May.  He had a 1.91 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in the season’s first half, but 5.63 and 1.31, with seven gopher balls, in the second.  The biggest difference was that his fastball started getting hammered.  After the season the Giants designated him for assignment and he became a free agent.

The Pirates signed Garcia for 2023, with a team option for 2024.  He’s usually been an effective pitcher in the majors despite some unimpressive numbers, mainly due to the consistently low BABIPs.  Until he signed, the Pirates had no left-handed pitchers on their 40-man roster.  He won’t open the season with them, though, because he suffered a left forearm injury during spring training that left him unable to grip a baseball.  It was ultimately diagnosed as a nerve injury.  It’s unknown when he’ll become available.

• $3,250,000 club option for 2024

2022: $1,725,000
2021: $950,000
2018: $555,000