José Adolis García Arrieta, nicknamed "El Bombi", (born March 2, 1993) is a Cuban-born professional baseball outfielder for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals, in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants, and in the Cuban National Series for Tigres de Ciego de Ávila. García was an MLB All-Star in 2021 and 2023. García won the 2023 World Series with the Rangers, winning ALCS MVP and setting the single post-season record by recording 22 RBI throughout their championship run.

Adolis García
García with the Texas Rangers in 2024
Texas Rangers – No. 53
Outfielder
Born: (1993-03-02) March 2, 1993 (age 31)
Ciego de Ávila, Cuba
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Professional debut
NPB: June 16, 2016, for the Yomiuri Giants
MLB: August 8, 2018, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
(through 2024 season)
Batting average.239
Home runs122
Runs batted in384
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Career

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Early career

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García played for Tigres de Ciego de Ávila of the Cuban National Series from 2011 into 2016.[1]

On April 20, 2016, García signed with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball.[2][3] García played for the Cuban national team at the 2015 Pan American Games.

St. Louis Cardinals

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García defected from Cuba in 2016.[4] He signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in February 2017, receiving a non-roster invitation to spring training.[5] He spent 2017 with both the Springfield Cardinals of the Class AA Texas League and the Memphis Redbirds of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League, posting a combined .290 batting average with 15 home runs and 65 runs batted in (RBIs) between both clubs.[6]

 
García with the Memphis Redbirds

García began the 2018 season with Memphis. The Cardinals promoted him to the major leagues on August 6.[7] In 112 games for Memphis, he batted .256 with 22 home runs, 71 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases. In 21 games for St. Louis, he recorded two hits, one of them being a double, and one RBI in 17 at bats.[8]

García was designated for assignment on December 18, 2019.[9]

Texas Rangers

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On December 21, 2019, García was traded to the Texas Rangers in exchange for cash considerations.[10] In 2020 for the Rangers, García recorded only six at-bats, and went hitless on the year.[11]

2021

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On February 10, 2021, García was designated for assignment after the signing of Mike Foltynewicz was made official.[12] On February 12, García was outrighted and invited to spring training as a non-roster invitee.[13]

On April 13, 2021, García was selected to the active roster after Ronald Guzmán was placed on the injured list.[14] García was named the American League Rookie of the Month for May 2021 after hitting .312 with a .633 slugging percentage and 11 home runs.[15] García was named as a reserve for the American League in the 2021 MLB All-Star Game,[16] and went one-for-two with a double in the game.[17] In 2021, García batted .243/.286/.454/.740 and led all rookies with 90 RBIs and 59 extra-base hits. He also hit 31 home runs and tied for the league lead with 16 outfield assists.

2022

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Over 156 games for Texas in 2022, García hit .250/.300/.456/.756 with 27 home runs, 101 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases.[18]

2023

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On April 22, 2023, against the Oakland Athletics, García had five hits, including two doubles and three home runs, and drove in eight runs.[19] With this, he became the fourth person in MLB history to hit three home runs and two doubles in one game.[20] García was named as a reserve for the American League in the 2023 MLB All-Star Game, the second selection of his career.[21] On September 8, García suffered a right knee patella tendon strain but missed only 10 games.[22] In 148 total games in 2023, García hit .245/.328/.508/.836 with 39 home runs, 107 RBI, and 9 stolen bases.[23]

 
Garcia with the Texas Rangers

In 2023, despite losing the division to the Astros on the final day of the regular season, the Rangers upset the Rays and Orioles to make it to the ALCS to play Houston. Over the final four games of the series, García homered five times. In Game 5 García hit a lead-changing three-run home run to put Texas up 4-2. In the bottom of the eighth, Garcia was at the center of a benches-clearing incident after he was hit by a Bryan Abreu fastball, resulting in his ejection from the game and a fine.[24] Houston ended up winning 5-4. In Game 6 in Houston, with Texas in a must-win situation, he hit a grand slam in the top of the ninth despite striking out four times that day.[25] In Game 7, an 11-4 blowout in favor of Texas, García homered twice and drove in five runs. Over the series, García set a record with 15 RBIs in a postseason series and was named the ALCS Most Valuable Player.[26] In Game 1 of the 2023 World Series versus the Arizona Diamondbacks, García hit a walk-off home run versus Miguel Castro in the bottom of the eleventh inning.[27] García set a single post-season record by recording 22 RBI throughout the Rangers run.[27] García suffered a strained right oblique at the end of Game 3 and missed the final two games of the series. García and Texas won the 2023 World Series in 5 games.[28] García won an American League outfield Gold Glove Award in 2023, the first of his career.[29]

2024

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On February 8, 2024, García signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Rangers to avoid arbitration.[30]

Personal life

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His older brother, Adonis García, is a former professional baseball player.[31][32]

García is the godfather of Randy Arozarena's daughter. Arozarena, who defected from Cuba a year before García and also signed his first minor league contract with the Cardinals, described García in July 2023 as "kind of like my brother."[33]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "10 things to know about Rangers' Adolis García, including origin of 'El Bombi' nickname". The Dallas Morning News. January 27, 2024. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  2. ^ "Adolis José Garcia will play in Japan". Juventudrebelde.cu. April 20, 2016. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  3. ^ "Adolis Jose Garcia signed with the Yomiuri Giants". Cubadebate.cu. April 20, 2016. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  4. ^ Badler, Ben (August 30, 2016). "Outfielder Jose Adolis Garcia Leaves Cuba". Baseball America. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  5. ^ Saxon, Mark (February 24, 2017). "Cardinals ink Cuban prospect Jose Adolis Garcia to minor league deal". Espn.com. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  6. ^ "Jose Adolis Garcia Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats". MiLB.com. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  7. ^ FOX Sports Midwest (June 13, 2018). "Cardinals put O'Neill on DL, purchase Adolis García's contract". Fox Sports. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  8. ^ "Adolis Garcia Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  9. ^ Rogers, Anne (December 18, 2019). "Cardinals sign Korean lefty Kim to 2-year deal". MLB.com. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  10. ^ Derrick Goold (December 21, 2019). "Cardinals ship Adolis Garcia to Rangers for cash". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  11. ^ "Adolis García Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  12. ^ Adams, Steve (February 10, 2021). "Rangers Designate Adolis Garcia For Assignment". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  13. ^ "Rangers Announce Several Roster Moves". MLB Trade Rumors. February 12, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  14. ^ "Rangers Place Ronald Guzman On 10-Day IL, Select Adolis Garcia". MLB Trade Rumors. April 13, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  15. ^ David Adler (June 2, 2021). "García, Rogers win Rookies of the Month for May". MLB.com. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  16. ^ "Gallo, García, Gibson added to ASG roster". MLB.com. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  17. ^ Kennedi Landry. "'Just special': Rangers trio represents in ASG". MLB.com. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  18. ^ Postins, Matthew (October 27, 2022). "Rangers 40-Man Roster Wraps: Adolis Garcia". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  19. ^ Ronald, Issy (April 23, 2023). "'Incredible' Adolis García makes history with three home runs and 8 RBIs in Texas Rangers 18-3 demolition of Oakland As". CNN. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  20. ^ "García in rare company after 3-HR, 8-RBI night". MLB.com. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  21. ^ Landry, Kennedi (July 3, 2023). "Eovaldi, García headed to Seattle to give Rangers six All-Stars". MLB.com. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  22. ^ Landry, Kennedi. "Jung, Adolis welcome sights for stretch run". MLB.com. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  23. ^ Stavenhagen, Cody (October 12, 2023). "Adolis García took a long road to becoming the Rangers' heartbeat". The Athletic. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  24. ^ Hoch, Bryan (October 22, 2023). "Benches clear after HBP follows Adolis' long HR trot". MLB.com. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  25. ^ Grez, Matias (October 23, 2023). "Texas Rangers force ALCS Game 7 with comfortable victory over the Houston Astros". CNN. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  26. ^ "Adolis Garcia, Rangers crush Astros in ALCS Game 7 to reach World Series since 2011". USA TODAY. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  27. ^ a b Han, Nathan (October 28, 2023). "García breaks postseason RBI record with walk-off blast". MLB.com. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  28. ^ Passan, Jeff (November 2, 2023). "A night 63 years in the making: Inside the celebration as the Texas Rangers -- finally -- became World Series champions". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  29. ^ Landry, Kennedi (November 5, 2023). "Heim, Lowe, García add Gold Gloves to Rangers' trophy case". MLB.com. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  30. ^ "Adolis García, Rangers agree to 2-year deal, avoid arbitration". ESPN.com. February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  31. ^ Ortiz, Jorge L. (February 4, 2016). "Braves' Adonis Garcia relishes chance to play with Cuban brother". USA TODAY. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  32. ^ Sanchez, Jesse (May 24, 2018). "Garcia set to lead Cuban team against Rays". MLB.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2016. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  33. ^ Weaver, Levi (July 10, 2023). "Friends and former teammates Randy Arozarena, Adolis García meet again in Home Run Derby". The Athletic. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
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