Our first mention of utility man Robel Garcia came back on April 1, in Bryan’s preview of the Tennessee Smokies’ opening roster this year.
In the “bench” section, where Garcia was listed, Bryan wrote this: “Quick call-out for Garcia, a minor league free agent the Cubs signed from – I’m not kidding – Italy. Garcia hasn’t played in affiliated baseball since the 2013 season, but kept working anywhere that would give him a chance. He has a little pop and could be an option at all 4 infield positions. Would be a great story if he does well.”
A great story, indeed.
Garcia, 26, was discovered by the Cubs in an almost comically flukey way last fall, when a scout was watching the Reds instructional league when they were taking on Team Italy. His ascendance since then has been the kind of story that matched how he got there in the first place. That is to say, it’s been incredible.
His first big league start yesterday just added another incredible chapter, as Garcia notched three hits, including a triple and a homer, making him instantly the best hitter in Major League Baseball (technically):
Because I have loved Garcia’s unique story, and also have wanted for a while now to see if he could be a bit of an offensive spark, I wanted to put my money where my mouth is. With the BN Blogathon fundraiser for Make-A-Wish going on this month, I decided to have some fun:
BOOM. $75 to @MakeAWish @WishIllinois thanks to Robel Garcia's incredible first start!
If you would like to donate for the #BNBlogathon and make me do crazy things at the Trade Deadline, please go here: https://t.co/H1LrXrUr1v pic.twitter.com/hx1mMAg13t
— Brett Taylor (@Brett_A_Taylor) July 4, 2019
I couldn’t have been more excited to see Garcia reach base three times, costing me $75 for a good cause.
Enjoy more from Garcia’s debut, and his back story if you’ve missed it:
More here from Robel Garcia on his story, if you'd like to continuing being impressed by how he's gotten to MLB: https://t.co/mBrNe82CZC pic.twitter.com/KlXnCb3vtZ
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) July 5, 2019
Must Read of the Day: How and When and What the Cubs Discovered in Robel Garcia https://t.co/B5YPo2AhN7 pic.twitter.com/SXApWBcTDN
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) June 25, 2019