Sleeper Watch

Sometimes, you just have to wait a little longer…

Way back in 1995, Karim Garcia, then only nineteen, hit .319 and slugged 20 home runs and 91 rbi in his first season in the PCL. Garcia earned minor league player of the year honors for his efforts, and his future looked bright indeed. Yet even though he seemingly had all the tools needed to succeed at the big league level as well, Garcia was less than impressive in several call-ups with the Dodgers, and looked lost in subsequent seasons with Arizona and Detroit.

All this changed when he joined Cleveland in 2001. After never topping .240 previously, Garcia hit .311 with five home runs in a twenty-game call-up that year, and impressed again last season, hitting .297 with 16 hr in just over 200 at bats. The Indians see Garcia as an important part of their rebuilding efforts, and given the chance to play regularly, 40 hr and an average close to .300 are not out of the question – fantastic numbers for a player who is slipping to the final rounds of most mixed drafts.

Garcia has power, anticipation and excellent bat speed; all that’s missing now is patience at the plate. If he can improve his discipline and selectivity, he could be very solid for years to come; watch this aspect of his game closely. Consider picking him up late as your fourth outfielder in mixed leagues, or in the middle rounds of AL-only leagues. It looks like Garcia may finally live up to his promise this time around.