Luis García (infielder, born 2000)

Luis Victoriano García (born May 16, 2000) is an American professional baseball infielder for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Luis García
García with the Nationals in 2020
Washington Nationals – No. 2
Second baseman / Shortstop
Born: (2000-05-16) May 16, 2000
New York City, New York
Bats: Left Throws: Right
MLB debut
August 14, 2020, for the Washington Nationals
MLB statistics
(through 2020 season)
Batting average.276
Home runs2
Runs batted in16
Teams

Career

García's father, Luis Rafael García, is a Dominican-born shortstop who briefly reached the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers during their 1999 season. The younger García was born in New York City, but moved to the Dominican Republic at the age of 3. At the age of 16, he signed a contract with the Nationals on July 2, 2016, as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic.[1] He accepted a $1.3 million signing bonus, the second-most the Nationals awarded an international player in the 2016 class behind fellow Dominican shortstop Yasel Antuna.[2]

Baseball America ranked García as the Nationals' seventh-best prospect before the 2017 season.[3] García made his professional debut in 2017 with the Gulf Coast League Nationals, appearing as both a second baseman and shortstop during the season and often forming the GCL Nationals' double-play tandem with Antuna.[4] Both players put up batting averages slightly above .300, with García's the better of the two at .302, during their 2017 campaigns.[5] García advanced quickly in the 2018 season, earning a midseason promotion from the Class-A Hagerstown Suns to the High-A Potomac Nationals, and he was the youngest player and the first ever born in the 2000s selected to the All-Star Futures Game in 2018, playing for Team World against fellow Nationals infield prospect Carter Kieboom and Team USA.[6]

García was the youngest player invited to participate in a major league spring training camp in 2019, with the Nationals.[7] He was one of eleven Nationals prospects who played for the Surprise Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League that year, driving in the Saguaros' only run in the championship game versus the Salt River Rafters on October 25, 2019.[8]

On August 14, 2020, García’s contract was selected to the major leagues and he made his debut that day against the Baltimore Orioles. 3 days later, he became the first MLB player born in the 2000s to hit a home run.[9]

References
  1. "Nationals agree to terms with 19 International free agents". MASN Sports. July 2, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  2. Janes, Chelsea (July 2, 2016). "Nationals bust international spending pool, sign Dominican SS for $3.9 million". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  3. Cahill, Teddy (December 12, 2016). "2017 WASHINGTON NATIONALS TOP 10 PROSPECTS". Baseball America. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  4. "Luis Garcia". MiLB.com. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  5. "Minor League Wednesday: A look at how the Nationals' prospects performed in 2017". The Washington Post. September 6, 2017. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  6. Kerzel, Pete (July 15, 2018). "Kieboom and Garcia on repping Nats in All-Star Futures Game". MASN Sports. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  7. Zuckerman, Mark (March 11, 2019). "Garcia dazzles, Miller returns, Rosenthal survives". MASN Sports. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  8. "Garcia shines in Fall League finale". MLB.com. October 25, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  9. Camerato, Jessica (August 17, 2020). "Nats prospect 1st player born in 2000s to HR". MLB.com.
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