The story of Luis García in this 2021 seems to have come out of a Hollywood script. From being one more player on the Astros roster, he has become one of their great pitching cards and also one of the favorites for the American League Rookie of the Year.
The Venezuelan pitcher arrived this season low-key, seeking to earn a position on the Houston pitching staff, and due to the injuries suffered by several of his starters, the door was opened for the right-hander to help fill those gaps. However, with the passing of the weeks he surprised and established himself as a trustworthy arm.
In the middle of the final stretch, the native of Bolívar is considered, along with the sluggers Adolis García (Texas), Randy Arozarena (Tampa Bay) and Ryan Mountcastle (Baltimore), a contender to win the award for the most outstanding novel of the harvest.
The sidereal pitcher enters this week with a 10-6 record with a 3.23 ERA in 25 games, 23 of which have been as a starter. His ten wins is the most for a rookie pitcher, matching Josh Fleming of the Rays.
In addition, the venezuelan is third in covered innings with 128.1, while his 150 strikeouts share the top of the category with Tarik Skubal of Tigres. And if that weren't enough, his earned run percentage is the best in the AL and second-lowest in the entire big show.
Among the top favorites, Garcia is the only one to contribute from the mound.
Garcia has been a hitting machine for the Rangers, hitting .248. Still, he leads the rookie hitters with 29 home runs and 78 RBIs.
Mountcastle for his part reached .266 and escorted Garcia with 25 hits and 75 towed teammates. His OPS is fifth best at .810.
Arozarena completes the list by being a pillar in the success of the Rays. He's sixth in hitting with .273, fifth in homers with 19 and fourth in charters with 61.
