Is Adolis Garcia a key to the Texas Rangers’ rebuild?

To say 2021 has been a rollercoaster ride of a year for the rebuilding Texas Rangers would be the understatement of the century.

The team has been no-hit twice, swept by Chicago (White Sox), San Diego, Houston, and San Francisco, and had one of the worst starts to a season from their pitching staff in recent memory.

After being swept by Houston and losing three of four to the Yankees, including being on the receiving end of one of those no-hitters from 1-inning Ranger legend Corey Kluber, this would’ve been a stake in the heart of the season for recent Rangers squads.

They’ve had highs to counter the lows, sure. Nate Lowe set a Rangers record as the fastest player to reach 14 runs batted in to start a season. Kyle Gibson has excelled with a 2.24 ERA and the best K/BB ratio of his career, and Dane Dunning has given the Rangers value for their return from the Lance Lynn trade by providing strong command on the mound for such a young pitcher.

And yet, through all of the pain and suffering, among all the fun surprises of a rebuilding team, the Rangers have produced a man who stands alongside the most exciting players in all of baseball: Jose Adolis Garcia. This man has stepped into the spotlight and captured the heart of baseball fans across Dallas-Fort Worth in the blink of an eye.

The 28-year-old rookie defected from Cuba in 2016 to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals, but is only just now finally seeing valuable service time in the majors. All he’s done with that time is contend for the Major League home run lead, top the American League rookie category in just about every batting category, slash .291/.329/.603, walk-off twice (!) in one series against the Astros, and brought a rejuvenated spirit to a struggling ballclub.

The big question on everyone’s mind is what will happen to Adolis? He’s overperforming and over-achieving every expectation that could’ve possibly been set for him. After a dismal start to the year for Leody Taveras, Garcia has not only cemented his role in center field as Taveras’s replacement, but he’s legitimately making a push for an All-Star appearance and is getting a lot of buzz as an American League Rookie of the Year candidate.

Will he be able to maintain this level of production long-term? Will the Rangers shop him around the deadline for younger talent? Adolis Garcia has created some serious buzz for the future of the Texas Rangers, so let’s take a look at some of the factors into his role here.