Luis Garcia Jr. Became First Nationals Player To Do This Since Kyle Schwarber in 2021
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The Washington Nationals rebounded from their disastrous series against the Philadelphia Phillies to win two out of three on the road against the Baltimore Orioles.
That was a huge response for this Nationals side, who endured three historic losses against their division rivals in what was their most important matchup of the season. And in the finale at Camden Yards, with the set tied at one win apiece, it was Luis Garcia Jr. who came through for Washington in a huge way.
First, the slugging first baseman evened the game up at two runs apiece in the third inning with a two-run double. Later, in the top of the fifth, Garcia hit a solo homer that extended the Nationals' lead to 5-2. And then, for good measure, he hit a line drive solo shot in the seventh inning that looked like a double but was later reviewed and called a home run.
Luis Garcia Jr. Hits Double-Digit Home Runs in June
With two longballs on Sunday, Garcia reached 11 home runs for the month of June. And with that, he became the first Nationals player to have double-digit homers in a single month since Kyle Schwarber had 16 in June of 2021, according to MLB.com. Schwarber's 16 homers in June were the most by any player in a single month in franchise history, and he was named the National League Player of the Month for his efforts.
Whether or not that happens for Garcia remains to be seen, but it's a great sign that the 26-year-old has performed in this fashion after a disappointing season in 2025.
In fact, since May 9, Garcia has been one of the best hitters in baseball. Per Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic, Garcia has a top 10 wRC+ in all of baseball, which puts him in the same category as Shohei Ohtani, Yordan Alvarez, Juan Soto, Nick Kurtz, Junior Caminero and Schwarber.
Following the 2025 campaign, there were questions if Garcia would even be around. He was seen as a possible non-tender candidate, and when Washington acquired slugging first base prospect Abimelec Ortiz as part of the return package from the Texas Rangers for MacKenzie Gore, it wasn't a given that Garcia would be on the roster at the start of the 2026 season.
But he's reminded everyone why he was once considered a possible cornerstone of this franchise. With the tear he's been on in June, Garcia now owns a slash line of .279/.307/.543 with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs, which are both on pace to shatter his previous career-highs.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai