García gets ideal Home Run Derby matchup
BOSTON — Close friends. Friendly rivals. Former teammates. Joyful competitors.
And now, in something of a dream matchup, Adolis García and Tampa Bay's Randy Arozarena will square off against each other in the first round of Monday's All-star Game Home Run Derby in Seattle. On Tuesday, they are likely to once again be reunited as members of the AL'S starting outfield.
García, named as a reserve to the AL team last weekend, was the last participant announced for the Home Run Derby. Based on his total homers (21), García is the No. 4 seed in the eight-man bracket. He will face Arozarena, with whom he became close friends while both were in the St. Louis organization. The Home Run Derby will have a decidedly Cuban flair. Arozarena, García and Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox are all natives of Cuba. All three are close friends.
Robert, the No. 1 seed, is in the same side of the bracket, facing Baltimore's Adley Rutschman. It's likely that García or Arozarena would face Robert in the semifinals.
The smack talking started even before the brackets were announced Wednesday evening.
“There has already been some back and forth,” García said through interpreter Raul Cardenas. “I told (Arozarena) that I was going to beat him. He told me the same. But we're all just really happy for the opportunity to do this and do it with each other.”
García's homer accounted for the Rangers' only meaningful offense in a 4-2 loss to Boston on
Wednesday in a game full of more struggles with runners in scoring position. The Rangers were 1for-7 with runners in scoring position Wednesday. After batting .335 with RISP for the first 54 games of the season (the onethird mark), they are hitting only .246 in the 37 games since.
By the end of the week, García, who was fifth in the AL All-star voting among outfielders, may well also join the starting lineup, which includes four other Rangers and Arozarena. Elected starters Mike Trout and Aaron Judge are both on their teams respective ILS and will be replaced. Replacements are usually made according to players voting. The only nonstarter who finished ahead of García in the voting is the
Astros' Yordan Alvarez, who is also on the IL.
MLB had already announced six participants in the derby ahead of Wednesday's bracket announcement on ESPN: Pete Alonso of the New York Mets, Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of Toronto and Julio Rodriguez of Seattle are scheduled to join García, Robert, Arozarena and Rutschman.
The seedings were based primarily on total homers hit, which is why Robert (25), Alonso (25) and Betts (23) claimed the top three spots. García entered the day ranked fourth among them in average home run distance (402) and fifth in average exit velocity (105.3 mph).
Rangers third base coach Tony Beasley will be
García's pitcher. He's also a Home Run Derby vet, having been Joey Gallo's pitcher of choice in 2021.
“I guess I throw a pretty good BP,” said Beasley, who added he hopes to run through a practice round with García this weekend in Baltimore. “It's a little bittersweet because I was going to go home after (Washington) to Virginia to see my family and grandchild, but it meant a lot to Adolis for me to go, so I'll do the best I can to help him win it. We will just try to stay calm and not get caught up in the moment.”
It's the third straight year for the Rangers to have a participant in the field. Corey Seager lost to Rodriguez last year in the first round; Gallo lost to Trevor Story in 2021 in Denver. The Rangers haven't had a player advance to the finals since Nelson Cruz in 2011. He eventually lost to future Ranger Prince Fielder in St. Louis.
The Rangers had a clubrecord four starters voted in during fan voting: second baseman Marcus Semien, shortstop Corey Seager, third baseman Josh Jung and catcher Jonah Heim.
Nathan Eovaldi was named as one of the five starting pitchers, finishing behind Tampa Bay's Shane Mcclanahan in player voting. Mcclanahan is also on the IL, which could give the Rangers six starters. A starting pitcher won't be named until Monday after Houston's Dusty Baker, who is managing the AL team, and MLB officials consult with all teams sending pitchers.