Rangers' Adolis García Focused On Discipline After Breakout Year
One of the biggest questions for the Texas Rangers heading into the 2022 season is how Adolis García will follow a standout performance as a 28-year-old rookie last year.
It was an exciting-yet-volatile campaign for 'El Bombi.' One one hand, García broke single-season franchise records for a rookie, including 31 home runs and 90 RBI. On the other hand, García did most of his damage in the first half of the season. Prior to the All-Star break, García slashed .270/.312/.527/.840 with 21 home runs and 62 RBI, but limped to the finish line, slashing .211/.256/.370/.627 the rest of the way.
2021 was a year of evaluation, and the Rangers saw enough to know García has the potential to be an impact player for years to come. But with the club spending well more than half a billion dollars in free agency, the signal has been sent to the returning players that expectations will be much higher in 2022.
"This kid's heart is as big as anyone's," said Rangers manager Chris Woodward. "He wants to be a great teammate. He wants to be part of what we're building.
"I think last year was good for him to kind of go through a little bit of struggle and expose him a little bit. When we get outside of our discipline, that's when we get into trouble. When the rest of the team is highly disciplined, he will stand out."
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There was some concern that García tired along the way, playing his first full season in the big leagues while manning a physically demanding position in center field.
"I'm ready to go," García said through interpreter Raul Cardenas. "I feel like we're a lot more competitive this year. I'm excited. I've been working mentally and physically, and been doing everything I need to do to get ready for the season. I'm ready to go for 162 games."
García worked out in Tampa Bay over the offseason, focusing on his patience and discipline at the plate. While he'll likely not become one of the top guys in terms of walk rate, García is aiming to close the gap between 32 walks and 194 strikeouts. He also ranked in the sixth percentile in whiff percentage and chase rate last season.
García's aggressive tendencies at the plate can be a strength. It's what helped him accomplish what he did in 2021. Woodward, along with new bench coach and offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker and new hitting coach Tim Hyers, are trying to come up with a recipe that hones that aggressive nature into a more disciplined approach.
"I'm not asking Adolis to go out there and be passive," Woodward said. "Everything we do offensively is on-the-go from pitch one. He's just gotta find a way to be disciplined in that zone. That's basically everything we teach."
Woodward started camp by putting García in the same hitting group as Corey Seager and Marcus Semien during batting practice. García's locker in the Surprise clubhouse isn't too far away from Semien's as well. After spending a season as one of the stalwarts in the lineup—one that the team heavily leaned on for production—García has a much more accomplished cast around him to help him improve on and off the field.
"I think those guys around him just showing him every day, 'This is how you do it on a daily basis,' that's really going to make him better," Woodward explained.
"I'm excited to be in the same group with those guys," García said. "I'm watching and learning, trying to take different things like their routines to try to pick little things that they do so I can improve my game."
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So far in spring training, García's desire to become more disciplined has showed. In 11 Cactus League plate appearances through Friday, García has gone 2-for-7 (.286 average) and walked four times. In those walks, he has laid off high fastballs and tempting breaking balls—pitches he chased far too often last season.
It's a fool's errand to buy stock in results in Arizona. We've seen it time and time again. Some players rake in the Cactus League and fail to carry that over into games that count. However, it's clear that García is dedicated to the process. Now, as part of a deeper lineup, García will have more freedom to refine this approach and evolve into the player the Rangers believe he is capable of being.
"We've done all the numbers and data. He was an All-Star last year. We saw what he did when he did stay in the strike zone," Woodward said. "If he stays in the strike zone, he's a superstar."
