No. 08: Red Sox catching prospect Johanfran Garcia
Johanfran Garcia is the younger brother of Jhostynxon Garcia. Instead of an outfielder, Garcia is a big bat behind the plate.
The right-handed hitting catcher slashed .274/.372/.442 with 13 doubles, two triples, and six home runs between the FCL and Single-A. He drove in 37 runs, scored 29 more, and stole six bases in 57 games (208 at-bats). Garcia walked 24 times compared to 61 strikeouts.
If it wasn't for Kyle Teel (who we'll get to later), it feels like Garcia would be the best all-around catcher in the Boston system. The Red Sox were lacking when it came to catching prospects heading into the season, and now it feels like they're in a phenomenal place. The emergence of Garcia is a big reason for that.
Johanfran Garcia has a violent-looking swing that leads to hard contact. He should be able to keep a solid average and reach base at a high clip.
When it comes to home runs, Garcia has real potential for big numbers.
Defensively, Garcia isn't the best catcher in the system. However, he possesses solid athleticism for the position and looked good behind the plate in the short time I got to see him. The arm strength looks to be a plus as well.
Garcia is absolutely an offense-first catcher. However, he's no slouch with the glove.
He's not fast, but Garcia's not slow compared to other catchers. It won't factor into his game much, but it's not a massive negative.
Garcia has the potential to be a solid mid-to-high .300s OBP guy with 25-plus home runs and plenty of run production while being a solid receiver behind the dish.
Kyle Teel might be in a league of his own when it comes to catching prospects in the Red Sox system. Johanfran Garcia isn't too far behind him, though.
Hit: 60
Power: 65
Run: 35
Arm: 60
Field: 50
Overall: 55