Pirates Have Next Great Power Bat
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have some fantastic prospects in their farm system, but one player finally had their breakthrough in 2026.
Pirates outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia returned to Triple-A Indianapolis after time out with injury and hit three home runs in his first three at-bats in his first game back in almost a month.
His play was crucial, as he finished 5-for-5 on the game, adding two singles, and lead Indianapolis to a 10-8 road win over Louisville on May 12.
Garcia has only just come back to Triple-A, but it might not be long before the Pirates realize the talent they have in him.
Jhostynxon Garcia Could be Next Great Pirates Slugger
The Pirates added Garcia in a trade with the Boston Red Sox back on Dec. 4, parting with starting pitcher Johan Oviedo.
Garcia joined the Pirates off of back-to-back seasons where he hit 20+ home runs in the minor leagues and even made his MLB debut with the Red Sox in 2025.
There's a lot to like about Garcia and what he can do at the plate. His swing is fast, but smooth, opening up his body and making great contact on the ball, which results in impressive power.
It's almost reminiscent of MLB-great Manny Ramirez and how he swung the bat, with incredible power if he connected with a pitch.
His three home runs for Indianapolis showed great power and exit velocity off the bat, with 107.3 mph and 437 feet to center field on the first one, 109.9 mph and 393 feet to left-center field on the second one and then 113.5 mph and 374 feet back to left-center field on his third one.
Jhostynxon Garcia's first 3 at-bats of the day for the Triple-A @indyindians:
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 12, 2026
⚫️ 107.3 mph homer
🟡 109.9 mph homer
⚫️ 113.5 mph homer@Pirates | @YoungBucsPIT pic.twitter.com/ZWG31wgE9z
Even more impressive for Garcia was that he hit three different pitches in three different locations for those home runs.
His first home run came on changeup up and away, his second home run was a four-seam fastball inside and down near the knees and his third home run was a sweeper down and in the strike zone.
Garcia displayed not only great power, but that he has a strong understanding of what pitches he'll see and that he can make adjustments to take them on and do what he needs to at the plate.
Will Garcia Make Pirates Debut Soon?
The Pirates could use some outfield depth, as they really haven't found a great hitter to come off the bench for the likes of left fielder Bryan Reynolds, center fielder Oneil Cruz and right fielder Ryan O'Hearn.
Jake Mangum is currently on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain, leaving Billy Cook and utility man Nick Yorke as the two outfield options.
Cook and Yorke have struggled this season from the plate, hitting .190 and .205, respectively, and haven't proven that they can fill in for the Pirates outfield trio.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington wants to see Garcia stay healthy and produce at Triple-A and with performances like these, it might be hard for Cherington to not consider moving Garcia up in the near furture.
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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.