Rico Garcia Has Given the Orioles an Unexpected Weapon
Orioles reliever Rico Garcia has gone from journeyman to one of baseball’s best bullpen arms this season.
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One of the best parts about baseball is seeing a journeyman suddenly get an opportunity and become one of a team’s most valuable players out of nowhere.
That is exactly what the Baltimore Orioles are getting from right-handed reliever Rico Garcia.
Garcia was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 30th round of the 2016 MLB Draft, a round that no longer even exists.
Over six seasons, Garcia bounced between seven different organizations. He never made more than 29 appearances or threw more than 34.1 innings in a season.
Now, in his second stint with Baltimore, Garcia has become far more than a feel-good story. He has been one of the best relievers in baseball.
Through 23.1 innings, Garcia is 3-0 with a 0.77 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, and 2.48 FIP. He has allowed just two earned runs all season.
So, what turned Garcia from an afterthought journeyman into one of baseball’s best relievers? Let’s dive in.
Stats were taken prior to play on May 27.
What Has Fueled Rico Garcia’s Breakout?
Garcia bounced from team to team like many relievers who fail to immediately establish themselves in the majors.
Relief pitchers without upper-90s velocity, a wipeout slider, or a unique arm angle often get discarded quickly before receiving a real opportunity. It has remained one of baseball’s biggest flaws for years.
But that also creates the underdog stories that make baseball great. Every season, a player seemingly comes out of nowhere and breaks out.
Just look at the season that JJ Bleday is having with the Cincinnati Reds, or the one Nick Martinez is putting together with the Tampa Bay Rays. Now, Garcia has become the latest example.
An Enhanced Arsenal
The biggest difference has been the quality and consistency of Garcia’s arsenal. Garcia throws a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup. Every pitch has become a legitimate weapon.
His four-seamer, slider, and curveball each own a run value of +3, while his changeup sits at +2. Opposing hitters are batting under .100 against every pitch in his arsenal.
But what makes Garcia effective is how he avoids becoming predictable. After relying heavily on his fastball earlier in his career, he now mixes all four pitches consistently. He throws his four-seamer 36% of the time, his changeup 26%, slider 21%, and curveball 17%.
His fastball spin ranks in the 96th percentile of baseball, ahead of pitchers such as Jacob deGrom and Shohei Ohtani. Garcia may not throw 100 mph, but the life on his fastball makes it extremely difficult to square up.
His breaking stuff has been just as dominant.
Garcia owns a breaking ball run value of +6, ranking in the 97th percentile across MLB. Nearly every pitch he throws generates weak contact or swings-and-misses.
That dominance shows up in his whiff and strikeout numbers, too. Garcia ranks in the 95th percentile or better in both categories with a 40.3% whiff rate and a 32.5% strikeout rate.
All of this shows Garcia has not simply gotten lucky. His expected ERA sits at 2.23, which still ranks in the 97th percentile in baseball. The underlying metrics fully support his breakout.
One of MLB’s Best Relievers
Garcia’s production has put him in company with some of baseball’s elite relievers this season. His 1.5 bWAR is actually higher than Mason Miller’s 1.3 with the San Diego Padres.
That does not necessarily make Garcia the better pitcher. Miller still handles the highest-leverage innings as a closer and remains one of baseball’s most overpowering arms. But Garcia has become just as valuable in his own role.
His 0.77 ERA ranks fourth among MLB relievers, trailing only Miller, Aroldis Chapman, and Louis Varland. His 0.64 WHIP also ranks fourth, behind teammate Yennier Cano, Tanner Scott, and Dylan Lee.
Another major change has been Garcia’s delivery. When Garcia first reached the majors, he released the ball from a 49-degree arm angle. Over time, that angle gradually increased, eventually reaching 57 degrees during his stint with the Washington Nationals in 2023.
The higher release point never produced consistent results. After spending all of 2024 in the minors with Washington, Garcia landed with the New York Mets. There, he lowered his arm angle back to 49 degrees and immediately showed improvement.
In 12.2 innings with New York, Garcia posted a 2.13 ERA with 16 strikeouts. Even then, it was not enough to stick around long term.
Garcia later signed with Baltimore, where the Orioles saw enough promise to bring him back for another stint. This season, Garcia has lowered his arm angle even further to 46 degrees and unlocked another level.
Baltimore has desperately needed Garcia’s emergence to say the lease.
The Orioles own a 4.52 rotation ERA, which ranks 23rd in MLB. Baltimore often has to go to the bullpen early in games as a consequence. The team has also played without closer Ryan Helsley since April 28 due to right elbow inflammation.
Despite sitting four games under .500, Baltimore remains firmly in the playoff race in a weak American League. The Orioles sit just two games out of the final Wild Card spot.
If Baltimore wants to return to October, Garcia’s breakout will need to continue.
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Written by
Thomas Kelson is an intern at Just Baseball and a graduating senior at Rutgers University, where he studied Journalism and Media Studies with a specialization in…