Garcia in line to be next Nats phenom

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Even though he is in his first big league camp and at 18 is the youngest player invited to Major League Spring Training, Luis Garcia doesn't really look out of place. When he walks alongside Juan Soto, Trea Turner or Victor Robles, he blends in with that next generation of talented Nationals position players. That's until Garcia shows off his toothy grin, revealing a mouth full of braces that give away his youth.

The Nationals wanted Garcia, their No. 3 prospect and No. 75 in all of baseball per MLB Pipeline, in big league camp even though he is the same age as a high school senior. And they believe he is well equipped to handle it.

They rave about Garcia’s maturity, instincts well beyond his experience and comfort navigating the clubhouse, a skill passed down by his father, also named Luis, who was signed by the Tigers out of the Dominican Republic and got a cup of coffee with Detroit in 1999. The younger Garcia earned a promotion to Advanced Class A Potomac last season and put together an impressive .299/.338/.412 slash line in 49 games. He won't turn 19 until May 16.

The ways in which Nationals officials rave about Garcia ring similar to how they raved about Soto one year ago, before his remarkable rise to one of the greatest teenage rookie seasons ever and a runner-up finish for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

“[Garcia] doesn’t sweat the small stuff,” Johnny DiPuglia, the Nationals' vice president of international operations, said. “The slumps don’t bother him because he knows he’ll get out of it. He’s going to help you defensively, around the bases. He’s a very high baseball IQ kid, probably the highest IQ kid we’ve had here ... because he knows the little parts of the game, the locker room part, the bus part, the failure part, the success part, being a good teammate.”

Garcia took notice of Soto’s rise last season.

"It definitely motivated me a lot, knowing what Juan did last year as a 19-year-old,” Garcia said through an interpreter. “And the fact that they gave him the opportunity. Once I received the phone call [inviting him to Spring Training], I was like, ‘Wow, they are also obviously giving me a little bit of an opportunity to showcase my skills.'”

The Nationals are being careful not to pressure Garcia into matching Soto’s ascension.

They note that Garcia plays a more demanding position, a shortstop who will also see time at second and third base. The Nats still see lapses on the basepaths.

And they have no reason to rush him. They are set with Turner at short, Brian Dozier at second and Anthony Rendon at third. Infielder Carter Kieboom, the team’s No. 2 prospect, is closer to Major League ready.

“[Garcia’s] bat has certainly expedited his development,” Mark Scialabba, the Nationals' director of player development, said. “But we want to make sure that he’s the best defender possible, best baserunner, and knows game situations. He’s getting a crash course in everything this spring.”

Besides, a lot had to go wrong last season for Soto to have gotten the chance to become Soto.

Last May, the outfield depth chart was a mess. Adam Eaton’s ankle was not 100 percent following his torn ACL. Howie Kendrick had torn his Achilles tendon. Robles had hyperextended his elbow. Brian Goodwin had injured his left wrist. Rafael Bautista had torn his ACL. Michael A. Taylor had taken a step back at the plate, leaving the Nats hoping to get production out of Moises Sierra and Andrew Stevenson. That all came before they made the bold gamble to promote the 19-year-old tearing through the Minor Leagues.

So Garcia will be in the big leagues when he proves he is ready. And if he masters the Minor Leagues as quickly as Soto did, he might indeed be the next Soto.

“You can draw comparisons, but it wouldn’t be fair to Luis,” Scialabba said. “I think the timeline is going to be a little different most likely, but you never know. These players move themselves for the most part. We’re not going to hold somebody back just to hold him back. When we feel like he’s ready for the next step, then we’ll move him. But he certainly will be challenged this year.”