Linkin Garcia Earns National Freshman of the Year Buzz for Texas Tech Baseball
At the heart of that conversation is Texas Tech's Linkin Garcia, a freshman infielder whose arrival in Lubbock has generated widespread attention across the sport. Following a wave of preseason evaluations, Garcia is officially earning National Freshman of the Year buzz. That places him among the most closely watched newcomers in the country and elevates expectations for the Red Raiders’ middle infield.
National Recognition Puts Texas Tech's Linkin Garcia in the Spotlight
The momentum behind Garcia’s rise gained even more traction on Tuesday when Baseball America named him one of the top 25 freshmen in the nation. The publication went a step further, ranking Garcia as the No. 9 overall candidate for the National Freshman of the Year award.
The accolades are rolling in for 🔗#WreckEm | @GarciaLinkin pic.twitter.com/WGKxgfiBoR
— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) February 4, 2026
Within the Big 12 Conference, he sits as the No. 2 overall candidate, trailing only Jack Bauer. Much of the excitement surrounding Garcia is rooted in his explosive offensive résumé from the prep level. During the 2025 season at A3 Academy, Garcia delivered one of the loudest stat lines in the country.
He hit .513 over 119 at-bats, showcasing a rare blend of power, contact, and consistency. His season included six home runs, 48 RBIs, 11 doubles, and three triples, numbers that consistently caught the attention of scouts and evaluators.
Garcia’s impact extended beyond the batter’s box. On the basepaths, he was a perfect 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts, further highlighting his athleticism and all-around offensive value. That performance followed an equally impressive 2024 campaign, when he hit .425 with four home runs and 26 RBIs across 32 games.
A Prospect with National Validation
Garcia’s reputation was well established long before he arrived at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park. Baseball America has already projected him as the No. 63 prospect for the 2027 MLB Draft, a rare distinction for a player just beginning his college career. Perfect Game ranked him as the No. 90 overall recruit in the country. That's a ranking that now places him at No. 93 among incoming freshmen nationwide.
His accolades include being named a First Team High School All-American and earning invitations to some of the sport’s most prestigious showcases. That includes the East Coast Pro and the Area Code Games.
Garcia’s development has been shaped by winning at the highest prep levels. At A3 Academy, where he played alongside fellow Texas Tech freshman Jake Spinder, Garcia helped lead the Trojans to the 2025 PG High School and Academies Showdown championship.
His background also includes time with the Trosky and Brewers scout team. And then a selection to both the 16U and 17U Team USA Athlete Development Program rosters.
Baseball runs deep in the Garcia family. Linkin is the son of Jason and Suna Garcia, and his father played collegiate baseball at BYU from 2002 to 2003 and at Long Beach City College from 2000 to 2001. A native of Huntington Beach, Garcia arrives in Lubbock planning to major in sports management. He is joined by his siblings, Kane and Cruz, and the family’s two French Bulldogs, Shooter and Bambino.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.