Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | NYY | RHP | 2 | 50 |
Grades Update: Jan 2021
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | SL | CH | Cnt/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 55 | 50 | 45 | 50 | 55/55 |
Jan 2021 Report
Evaluator: Geoff Pontes
Age: 22 yr
Height: 5-9
Weight: 163 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2016 IFA
RuleV: On 40-Man Roster
Physical Description: Diminutive build, well below-average height and size at 5-foot-9 and under 170 pounds. Unlikely to add much more weight, size leads to some durability questions, but his track record of staying healthy and handling innings at a young age bode well
Delivery & Mechanics: Slight side step before, high leg lift that closes off front side. Hands drop by back hip at hand break before drive. High three quarters release from drop and drive delivery, using his height to his advantage generating a low height at the point of release playing up his fastball.
Fastball: Average fastball velocity at 91-93 mph with the ability to bump 95 mph. It's fringe average velocity, but it plays up due to a few factors. First his efficient spin axis creates above average vertical lift, averaging nearly 20% more lift than the average major league fastball. Second, and most importantly, Garcia's ability to land the pitch to all parts of the zone. Not many fastballs have truly plus command but Garcia's might. Increased velocity would allow the pitch to play up at the major league level, and at just 21 a few added ticks seems reasonable in the coming years, particularly with a strong mechanical operation. Grade: 55
Curveball: Efficent 12-6 breaking ball that has above average vertical dump. Garcia's best secondary pitch and a perfect compliment to his fastball. Above average raw spin at 2700 rpms due to a near six pm spin axis. Slow bender at mid-70s velocity but works well off of the changeup and slider - two pitches in the low to mid-80s. Looks to locate on the bottom of the zone and to the edges of the plate. Does a good job of controlling the pitch and landing it at the bottom quadrants, playing off of his high fastball plan of attack. Strong tunneling qualities. Grade: 55
Slider: Slurvy pitch with above average vertical drop for a slider. Average velocity in the low-80s, sitting 81-84 mph, with minimal horizontal break, but drop and late two plane tail. Generated the most swings and misses at the major league level. Nearly 8-9 mph increase in velocity over curveball makes it a better swing and miss pitch at present. Lacks the feel he displays with his fastball, curveball, or changeup, making the pitch a fringe-average offering. Grade: 45
Changeup: Higher usage pitch in the major leagues than his curveball. Shows average or better feel for the pitch with consistency. Pronation profile leads to a league average amount of run, with 14 inches of horizontal break. Consistently lands armside, does not do a great job of killing lift relative to most changeups. However his feel for locating plays the pitch up. Grade: 50
Control and Command: As is true of most pitchers, command can come and go depending upon the pitch. The same is true of Garcia. He was the rare case at the MLB level where his control actually played significantly better than it had in the minors. Deivi's ascent has been rapid, reaching the major leagues at 21. So some of this may be a culmination of age and experience honing feel and repeatability in his mechanics. Still will get too cute with his location on his changeup and fastball, and will lose feel for his breaking ball(s) at times. Overall above average control and average command with room for growth. Control: 55 | Command: 55
Overall: A unique pitcher with several factors working against him from a traditional sense (size and fastball velocity), but a true four pitch arsenal with a variety of looks and unique characteristics. It will be interesting to see if the Yankees place Garcia into a true starting role going five innings or so in their recent fashion. Control and command took a step up, now he must conquer the task of mastering pitching at the major league level. Albeit a small sample size, Garcia performed moderately well in 2020. Future mid-rotation starter upside with some innings limitations. Likely role is a backend starter.
OFP: 50
Role: 50 - #4 or #5 Backend SP
Risk: Moderate
