Underrated: Luis Garcia Jr.
Quick, name the two longest-tenured active Washington Nationals. Okay, sure, the section title gives one away, but you still might be thinking, “Really? Luis Garcia Jr.?” (The other is Kyle Finnegan, who recently re-signed with the club.)
With the departures of Tanner Rainey and Patrick Corbin, Washington no longer employs any players from its 2019 championship team. Since then, they have embarked on a lengthy rebuild that has left them mired below .500 every year. Though competing in the NL East in 2025 remains a tall task, they now boast an exciting young core that’s poised to make some noise — and Garcia is a key piece of the puzzle.
There is significant hype around the Nationals’ hopeful stars, headlined by outfielders James Wood and Dylan Crews. In discussions on the team’s future, however, Luis Garcia Jr. warrants inclusion but is often forgotten. He debuted in 2020, but is still just 24 years old and has generally improved in every season since.
Garcia reached a new level in 2024, posting a 3.1 fWAR that ranked sixth among all MLB second basemen. He makes contact at an excellent rate, and his power is improving after being below average in previous years. He does suffer from a lack of patience at the plate, but there’s still time for that to develop.
His 2024 campaign also included marked development as a baserunner and defender, jumping from below average to above average (by some metrics) in both departments. Other metrics disagree about his defensive ability, but there were at least improvements across the board.
Luis Garcia Jr. is relatively ignored, likely due to his generic-sounding name — which he shares with two other current big leaguers — and Washington’s lack of relevance in recent seasons. But it’s about time he receives some acknowledgment as a significant member of the Nationals’ future.