The Boston Red Sox made a surprising move on Thursday. According to Tommy Cassell of T&G Sports, top outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia has been promoted to the major leagues ahead of the Red Sox's upcoming series against the New York Yankees.
Garcia has dominated since moving up to Triple-A. In 66 games at the level, the right-handed hitter slashed .303/.367/.564 with 12 doubles, three triples, and 17 home runs. He drove in 56 runs, scored 52 more, and stole two bases in two attempts.
Offense isn’t the only strength of his game, though. Garcia is a phenomenal defensive outfielder. Mikey Romero even once stated that Garcia was the best defensive outfielder he had ever played with. That will certainly play.
The Red Sox seem to know that, too. They had started to give Garcia time at first base. They were clearly trying to find a spot for him in the lineup, with the outfield having such a logjam.
Red Sox promote top outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, likely to add Wilyer Abreu to IL, before Yankees series
Garcia’s promotion likely means Wilyer Abreu will be placed on the injured list. It’s hard to imagine the team bringing up Garcia without a clear path for legitimate playing time. If Abreu does land on the IL, that means both he and Rob Refsnyder are out of action, and gives Garcia a route to play the outfield. He more than likely won't get any playing time at first base, since he has so little experience there and the Red Sox just signed Nathaniel Lowe to be their primary first baseman.
With Refsnyder already out, it absolutely helps to bring in another right-handed bat who can mash against left-handed pitching. Garcia is just that. However, he can also hold his own against righties. The only real flaw that anyone can point to is some swing-and-miss issues, but his terrifying power potential and great defense will negate some swing-and-miss.
p@$$w0r) HOMERUN pic.twitter.com/d1KyRxovSH
— Worcester Red Sox (@WooSox) August 15, 2025
The Red Sox's upcoming four-game series against the Yankees be the most important of the year so far. You can already feel the urgency with the Abraham Toro DFA, and now Garcia's promotion. Boston is clearly going all hands on deck.
The good news is that Yankee Stadium feels like the perfect venue for Garcia. You never want to put too much pressure on a rookie, but it certainly feels like at least one home run could be in his immediate future.
Hopefully, Abreu’s injury isn’t very serious. If the Red Sox are calling up Garcia, though, you would assume that he’ll be up for a decent chunk of time. Losing Abreu for any amount of time will hurt. Luckily for the Red Sox, they are uniquely prepared for a situation like this. They have a secret Password that should help keep them afloat, and it's Jhostynxon Garcia.