New Pirates Prospect Impresses in Venezuelan Winter League Debut
In this story:
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates just acquired one of the better prospects in baseball and he recently showed what he'll bring next season in a recent game.
Jhostynxon García, who the Pirates landed in a trade with the Boston Red Sox just two days prior, made his Venezuelan Winter League debut on Dec. 6.
García is playing with Navegantes del Magallanes and started in center field, while batting sixth for them in his first game in the Venezuelan League.
He showed in this game why Pirates fans are excited for what he may do with the team in 2026.
Jhostynxon García Stars in Venezuelan Winter League Debut
García and Navegantes del Magallanes took on Leones del Caracas on the road on Dec. 5, where he finally got to make his debut
He ended up with three hits in four at-bats, including a double in his first at-bat in the top of the second inning.
Jhostynxon García with a double tonight in his first Venezuelan Winter League game…👀
— Christian ✞ (@CWolfPGH) December 6, 2025
pic.twitter.com/XtSqm6z8O0
García also singled in the top of the fourth inning, walked in the top of the sixth inning, which he eventually scored on to give Navegantes del Magallanes a 5-4 lead.
He struck out in the top of the eighth inning and got his third hit of the day in the top of the ninth inning, a single, but his team fell 9-7.
García showed good plate discipline, besides the strikeout, and good contact in his first showing in his home country this winter.
The Venezuelan Winter League Schedule
The Venezulean Winter League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional, LVBP, started play on Oct. 15.
It contains eight teams, along with Aguilas del Zulia, Bravos de Magarita, Cardenales del Lara, Caribes de Anzoátegui, Tigres de Aragua and Tiburones de La Guaira.
Each team plays each other nine times over a 63-game schedule, with four games at home and five games on the road, or vice versa.
The four best teams after the end of the regular season, Dec. 30, start off on Jan. 2 in a best-of-seven game series in the semifinals. The winners then go on to the World Series and play in a best-of-seven games as well.
How Did the Pirates Acquire Him?
The Pirates landed García in a trade with the Red Sox on Dec. 5, that also brought in right-handed pitching prospect Jesus Travieso.
García and Travieso were the return for the Pirates, as they sent right-handed starting pitcher Johan Oviedo and prospects in left-handed relief pitcher Tyler Samaniego and catcher Adonys Guzman.
This served as the first major move for the Pirates this offseason, with the Winter Meetings coming up next week, Dec. 8-10 in Orlando, Fla.
What the Pirates Get in García
García joins the Pirates as a top 100 prospect in baseball, with MLB Pipeline ranking him 85th overall, which places him as the sixth best prospect in the Pirates farm system.
He possesses great power and is coming off of 23 home runs in 2024 and 21 home runs this past season.
García slashed .267/.340/.470 for an OPS of .810 in 114 games across Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, but his best play came in the 88 games at Triple-A in 2025, where he hit 18 home runs and slashed .271/.334/.498 for an OPS of .832.
García has a beautiful swing, that sees him open up his body and crush balls in the zone, punishing pitchers for leaving balls for him to send out for a home run.
He does tend to pull the ball for a right-handed batter, but this works well in PNC Park, which is deeper in right-center field than it is closer to the foul pole.
García also can play all three outfield positions, but features mostly in center field, then at right field and a little bit in left field. This gives the Pirates options on where to put him, but also could serve as a backup for Oneil Cruz, putting him at designated hitter at times too.
While there are great things about his game, Garcia does have a high strikeout rate, 24.0% in 2024 and increasing to 30.1% this past season.
This comes from him going for power, which obviously comes with its risks, strikeouts, and also rewards, home runs.
He also struggles with offspeed pitches, with a whiff rate of 43.75% on the changeup and 43.69% on the slider, but does do better with higher velocity pitches, like the fastball and sinker.
García is solid against both right-handed pitching and left-handed pitching. He slashed .268/.339/.461 for an OPS of .800 against righties and .246/.348/.509 for an OPS of .857 against lefties.
Where He Projects for the Pirates in 2026
The Pirates are giving García a shot to make the team out of Spring Training, but won't rush him and will allow him to develop at Triple-A Indianapolis if needed, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
García did make his MLB debut with the Red Sox last season, but only played in five games and went 1-for-7 from the plate.
He turns 23 years old in a week and is coming off a strong season in Triple-A, that saw him make the Futures Game.
The Pirates do need a left fielder for next season, with Cruz in center field and Bryan Reynolds in right field, the only other option currently is Jack Suwinski or potentially Marco Luciano, who they got off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
García has a good future ahead of him, and if he makes the strides necessary in Spring Training, he could end up on the Opening Day roster.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.