MLB Rookie Report: Jarlin Garcia, LHP, Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins promoted left-handed pitching prospect Jarlin Garcia to the big league roster over the weekend. He is one of the brighter lights in the rather thin Marlins farm system; let's take a look at what he offers.

Garcia was signed by the Marlins out of the Dominican Republic in May of 2011. He moved up the ladder in textbook fashion: the Dominican Summer League in 2011, the Gulf Coast League in 2012, the New York-Penn League in 2013, the South Atlantic League in 2014, generally pitching well at each level. In 2015 he opened with Jupiter in the High-A Florida State League, posting a 3.06 ERA in 97 innings with a 69/23 K/BB, then made seven starts for Jacksonville in the Double-A Southern League, posting a 4.91 ERA with a 35/17 K/BB in 37 innings.

From the 2016 Baseball Prospect Book

Jarlin Garcia, LHP, Miami Marlins
Bats: L Throws: L HT: 6-2 WT: 170 DOB: January 18, 1993
2014: Grade C+; 2015: Grade C+

Jarlin Garcia continues to make steady progress, pitching in the Futures Game last year and seeing his stock rise with scouts. The Dominican lefty features generally solid control of a low-90s fastball with a power breaking ball and major league quality change-up. He had some command issues after being promoted to Double-A but pitched better than the 4.91 ERA indicates: he got hit hard in two starts but was very effective in the other five. This is a typical number four starter profile but if he can enhance his command a bit more he could be a number three. His physical frame looks slight but he is a good athlete and has held up to a workload so far. Grade B-.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY

Garcia returned to Jacksonville to open 2016 and posted a 4.04 ERA in seven more starts, running up a 25/9 K/BB in 36 innings. Scouting reports haven't changed: low-90s heater, power curveball, a few sliders, solid change-up. He doesn't walk the park but is still working on tight command within the strike zone.

Not quite a finished product, Garcia projects as a number four starter with a chance to be a number three if he maximizes his control. For now he is assigned to the Marlins bullpen, which needed a lefty, but with no Triple-A experience under his belt and just a decent Double-A track record it may be too soon to ask Garcia to take on a larger role.