Texas Rangers Record-Holding Slugger Poised To Bounce Back This Season

There were several Texas Rangers players who took their performance to another level during the 2023 season, one of them being outfielder Adolis Garcia.
Career-highs were recorded in several statistics, as he hit 39 home runs, knocked in 107 RBI and recorded a wRC+ of 126 and a WAR of 4.6. He was named an All-Star for the second time, as his 4.2 WAR as also a single-season high.
That torrid production carried into the postseason, where Garcia cemented his name amongst the all-time greats with a historic performance.
In 15 games, he recorded a slash line of .323/.382/.726 with eight home runs, one double and 22 RBI. That RBI total broke the AL/NL postseason record of 21, which was held by David Freese in 2011.
Garcia was named the ALCS MVP and also approached several other records. He hit a home run in five straight games and recorded an RBI in seven consecutive, both of which tied for the second longest in postseason history.
Unfortunately for the Rangers, that production did not carry over into 2024.
Like so many of his teammates, the following campaign was a huge letdown as Texas didn’t even have a chance to defend their title, falling short of qualifying for the postseason.
Garcia’s numbers plummeted, as he had a wRC+ of only 92 and recorded a -0.2 WAR across 154 games played.
He produced single-season lows in home runs, RBI, hits, runs scored and OPS+, with his entire slash line also being career lows.
It wasn’t only his bat that fell off.
A Gold Glover in 2023, the star right fielder wasn’t as impactful defensively, as his RDS went from 7 to -5 at the position and Total Zone dropped from 16 to 5, per Baseball-Reference.
Looking to get back to the top of the American League, Garcia returning to form as a middle-of-the-order threat would go a long way to helping.
And that is what he is projected to do in 2025.
As shared by Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com, Garcia is expected to be one of the most improved players in baseball this upcoming year.
His WAR is projected to improve by +2.3, which would put him in a tie with Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners for the third biggest jump amongst players who had at least 450 plate appearances in 2024 and are projected to do again in 2025.
The Rangers have put together one of the deepest and most talented lineups in baseball, adding some pop beyond Garcia with first baseman Jake Burger and designated hitter/outfielder Joc Pederson.
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