Maikel Garcia, 3B/INF
There were question marks about what Garcia’s role in Kansas City would be in 2025 after a down season in 2024, in which he slashed .231/.281/.332 with a .613 OPS in 626 plate appearances. Those concerns were illustrated by his not starting on Opening Day, as Jonathan India played third base instead (boy, that was a choice).
Despite those initial apprehensions from the organization and fanbase, Garcia has had a career season in 2025.
In 648 plate appearances, Garcia is slashing .286/.352/.452 with an .804 OPS. He also has hit 16 home runs, which is five more than in his last two seasons combined. Despite the power boost, he hasn’t slowed down on the basepaths. He has continued to be a force with five triples and 23 stolen bases.
In addition to his offensive explosion this year, the 25-year-old third baseman has bounced back defensively. After posting a +15 OAA in 2023, his total regressed to +2 in 2024. This year? He’s back to a +16 OAA mark, which ranks in the 98th percentile. Garcia could likely collect his first Gold Glove Award this season.
Thus, it’s not a surprise that Garcia made his first All-Star team this season and is sporting a 5.5 fWAR, making him one of the top position players in the game.
Garcia doesn’t profile as a typical third baseman, especially with a 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame. However, he has shown significant progression with his power tool over the past year, especially in the area of launch angle.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.justbaseball.com ’
