Luis Garcia Aspirations / Trepidations Thread

[Slateman]

On his podcast, Grant Paulsen implied that in his conversations with team personnel, Garcia and the coaching staff may have been at odds. Essentially, Garcia is not sticking with changes that the coaching staff has tried to make.

Which kind of makes sense if you watch the Royals series again. He went 6-6 in the first game, then hitless the rest of the series. Beginning to sound like shades of Robles.

[Natsinpwc]

On his podcast, Grant Paulsen implied that in his conversations with team personnel, Garcia and the coaching staff may have been at odds. Essentially, Garcia is not sticking with changes that the coaching staff has tried to make.

Which kind of makes sense if you watch the Royals series again. He went 6-6 in the first game, then hitless the rest of the series. Beginning to sound like shades of Robles.

You are truly king of the small sample size.  And you are on the record that the hiring coach is clueless. Why should he listen.  Seems they have ruined him.

[Slateman]

You are truly king of the small sample size.  And you are on the record that the hiring coach is clueless. Why should he listen.  Seems they have ruined him.

Or maybe he was never an MLB talent to begin with.

PS - The Royals series was the example Paulsen used, not me

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Baker right now is Garcia's prime short term competitor for playing time. Downs is up because he's already on the long roster and Baker needs a bit more time at AAA after his injury. There are plenty of ways to get Baker on the roster. As has been mentioned, Cronin can be put on the 60 day IL at any time. It will start his service time clock but that's not a huge consequence.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

You are truly king of the small sample size.  And you are on the record that the hiring coach is clueless. Why should he listen.  Seems they have ruined him.

we've had 2 months since the Royals series and he had a tough June and a miserable July offensively. A .655 OPS does not make one 2d baseman for life. Downs likely isn't the answer either, but he's faster, more versatile, and had better pop. give him a couple of weeks, then try Baker. At least it should send Garcia a message (like it seems to have done for Robles this past off-season).

[Slateman]

This is like third time Garcia has been sent down to figure it out.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

This is like third time Garcia has been sent down to figure it out.

clearly 1st call up was premature. He had a little coronation as a future line up fixture sometime last year when he finally was called back up. This one is the use of an option to send a message.

[Natsinpwc]

we've had 2 months since the Royals series and he had a tough June and a miserable July offensively. A .655 OPS does not make one 2d baseman for life. Downs likely isn't the answer either, but he's faster, more versatile, and had better pop. give him a couple of weeks, then try Baker. At least it should send Garcia a message (like it seems to have done for Robles this past off-season).

I was responding to HIM citing one game where Garcia went 6 for 6 as some evidence the coaches approach was working. 

[Natsinpwc]

This is like third time Garcia has been sent down to figure it out.

Third times a charm?

[rileyn]

How many ground balls to 2nd did he hit last night?

[Natsinpwc]

How many ground balls to 2nd did he hit last night?

I was going to say same as Ruiz but the Nats did not play.

[Slateman]

I was responding to HIM citing one game where Garcia went 6 for 6 as some evidence the coaches approach was working. 

And Im citing Grant Paulsen's atatement that that was the example team personnel gave him.

But it does make sense. How oftenhave we seen him get hot and then totally drop off a week or two later. Up and down is to be expected, but Garcia seems like an extreme example of this.

[Natsinpwc]

And Im citing Grant Paulsen's atatement that that was the example team personnel gave him.

But it does make sense. How oftenhave we seen him get hot and then totally drop off a week or two later. Up and down is to be expected, but Garcia seems like an extreme example of this.

So if Martinez and the hitting coach are making everyone worse how come you want Garcia to listen to the coaches? You contradicted yourself. Don’t blame Grant Paulsen.

[Slateman]

So if Martinez and the hitting coach are making everyone worse how come you want Garcia to listen to the coaches? You contradicted yourself. Don’t blame Grant Paulsen.

I think he should listen to Martinez. I think Coles should be ignored and fired.

Garcia seems unwilling to put in the effort to improve. Third season, third send down. Coles gets some blame, but its pretty obvious the core issue lies with Garcia.

[IanRubbish]

I think Coles should be ignored and fired.

Not just him, everyone behind the weak contact/swing at junk strategy that permeates the org.  They used to mess up the patient hitters, now they're messing up the free swingers.  But I don't expect Mini Me to suddenly splurge for better coaches.

[Slateman]

Not just him, everyone behind the weak contact/swing at junk strategy that permeates the org.  They used to mess up the patient hitters, now they're messing up the free swingers.  But I don't expect Mini Me to suddenly splurge for better coaches.

Thats Coles. That is literally his philosophy. It has followed him everywhere he goes. I have no idea why he's still here and its why I have zero faith in any "rebuild" until ownership changes.

[Senatorswin]

There was an article early in the season, maybe even spring training, that said Martinez and Coles were trying to convince Garcia to be more patient. To walk more and get his OBP up. Early in the season he had gotten his OBP up and was having better at-bats. Since then he has reverted to his old ways.

On a side note I saw comments to an article on the Phillies where a bunch of fans were calling for the dismissal of Kevin Long. Their main complaint was other than Stott, Bohm and Marsh everybody else was having a down year at the plate. I'm not sure how much a hitting coach can affect veterans like Turner, Schwarber, Harper, Realmuto and Castellanos though.

[Natsinpwc]

There was an article early in the season, maybe even spring training, that said Martinez and Coles were trying to convince Garcia to be more patient. To walk more and get his OBP up. Early in the season he had gotten his OBP up and was having better at-bats. Since then he has reverted to his old ways.

On a side note I saw comments to an article on the Phillies where a bunch of fans were calling for the dismissal of Kevin Long. Their main complaint was other than Stott, Bohm and Marsh everybody else was having a down year at the plate. I'm not sure how much a hitting coach can affect veterans like Turner, Schwarber, Harper, Realmuto and Castellanos though.

Interesting because others here have said the Nats have been pushing ALL their guys to be aggressive and swing early.  So maybe the hitting coach does not have an inflexible approach. 

Can anyone compare swing rates and such between this year and last and across this year?

[Slateman]

Interesting because others here have said the Nats have been pushing ALL their guys to be aggressive and swing early.  So maybe the hitting coach does not have an inflexible approach. 

Can anyone compare swing rates and such between this year and last and across this year?

Overally, he is swinging less. 50.7% vs 53.3%% last year
Swing at pitched outside of the zone: 34% vs 43.7%
In zone swing increased this year, 75.7% vs 68% last year

Contact rates across the board are up compared to last year.

[nobleisthyname]

Overally, he is swinging less. 50.7% vs 53.3%% last year
Swing at pitched outside of the zone: 34% vs 43.7%
In zone swing increased this year, 75.7% vs 68% last year

Contact rates across the board are up compared to last year.

If you didn't know anything else about his season these would all sound like improvements.

[Natsinpwc]

Overally, he is swinging less. 50.7% vs 53.3%% last year
Swing at pitched outside of the zone: 34% vs 43.7%
In zone swing increased this year, 75.7% vs 68% last year

Contact rates across the board are up compared to last year.

So overall he seems to be doing what they want. Without results.  No wonder he is skeptical.

[Slateman]

If you didn't know anything else about his season these would all sound like improvements.

So overall he seems to be doing what they want. Without results.  No wonder he is skeptical.

Yep. I believe many here were saying that if he could cut down the strikeouts and walk more, he'd be a good regular.

100 games later, his walk rate has doubled, his strikes were cut almost in half, and he's having a terrible season.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

His July started to slip into old habits

[Senatorswin]

I'm not sure if this is the article I saw earlier in the year but it could be. It's from May 2. It talks about Martinez and Coles trying to change Garcia's approach:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/05/02/luis-garcia-nationals-plate-discipline/

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I'm not sure if this is the article I saw earlier in the year but it could be. It's from May 2. It talks about Martinez and Coles trying to change Garcia's approach:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/05/02/luis-garcia-nationals-plate-discipline/

he went on to have a good May after a bad April. I can imagine the coaches be annoyed to have revert to old ways after they fixed him.