A rising, under-the-radar Mariners prospect to watch
Aug 8, 2024, 1:20 PM | Updated: 2:31 pm
Baseballs in a glove before a Seattle Mariners game against the Los Angeles Angels. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
The Seattle Mariners have had a knack for finding and developing pitching prospects, and they may have discovered another gem.
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MLB Pipeline recently updated its top prospects by organization and highlighted the biggest risers for each franchise. For the Mariners, that distinction went to left-handed starter Brandyn Garcia, who climbed all the way from outside of Seattle’s top 30 to its No. 13 prospect.
Garcia, a 24-year-old left-hander, was an 11th-round pick in the 2023 draft out of Texas A&M. He was promoted to Double-A Arkansas in late June after a stellar start to the year with High-A Everett.
“Brandyn Garcia is in Double-A already becoming a real prospect and pushing his way to the big leagues,” Mariners director of scouting Scott Hunter said after the 2024 MLB Draft in July.
In 20 appearances (18 starts) in the minors this season, Garcia is 6-2 with a 2.12 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 116 strikeouts while walking 36 batters over 95 innings pitched.
He’s the Mariners’ top-ranked left-hander and third-ranked overall pitching prospect, according to Pipeline.
Garcia shares the same alma mater as M’s starter Bryce Miller, but his combination of delivery, pitch mix and modest college success profile more like starter Bryan Woo.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound lefty delivers from a low arm slot and features a mid-90s two-seam fastball, slider and cutter.
He spent his first three college seasons at Quinnipiac and was mostly used as a starter, but he moved to the bullpen upon transferring to Texas A&M. Garcia didn’t have college numbers that jumped off the page, posting a 5.56 ERA over 43 2/3 innings during his lone season with the Aggies, and a 7.16 ERA over 61 2/3 innings in his final season at Quinnipiac.
Garcia did flash elite ability to miss bats in college with more strikeouts than innings pitched in all but his freshman season, but he consistently struggled with command and was viewed as a likely bullpen piece. However, his early success in the minors has left the possibility open for him to stick as a starter.
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