Pittsburgh Pirates: Three More Forgotten All-Stars From 20 Years of Losing

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22 Aug 1993: Infielder Carlos Garcia of the Pittsburgh Pirates runs to field a ball during a game against the San Diego Padres at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn /Allsport
22 Aug 1993: Infielder Carlos Garcia of the Pittsburgh Pirates runs to field a ball during a game against the San Diego Padres at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn /Allsport

1994 – Infielder Carlos Garcia

Carlos Garcia was once a top prospect in the early-1990s. Baseball America ranked him #62 in 1991 and #45 in 1993 despite not posting great numbers in the minors except for 1992. Garcia didn’t play much in 1990 to 1992, only accumulating 71 plate appearances, but played a full season in 1993 when he batted just .269/.316/.399 with a 91 OPS+, a dozen home runs and 18 stolen bases. He was a poor defensive second baseman with -6 total zone runs above average.

1994 was when things started to look up for the former top prospect. Although he started off the year with a weak .267/.307/.332 line, Garica still made the MLB All-Star Game, being the Pittsburgh Pirates lone representative during a game that took place in their own park. Garcia got off to a hot start in the second half, batting .305/.318/.467, but it was cut short as a strike took place, cutting the season short in early August.

Garica finished the 1994 season with a .676 OPS and 75 OPS+. After that, Garica mainly served as a utility infielder. Although he did improve with the bat, hitting for a .289/.335/.408 line, and a 94 OPS+, his glove was still subpar with a -0.9 dWAR in both seasons. Garcia played until 1999 where he bounced between the Toronto Blue Jays, Anaheim Angels, and San Diego Padres after being traded away from the Pirates.

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