Maikel Garcia

Garcia stole 37 bases in 2024 but otherwise struggled offensively with a .613 OPS, so it was a major surprise to see him break out last season with a .286/.351/.449 slash line. He played in 160 regular-season games in 2025 and totaled 16 home runs, 23 steals, 74 RBI and 81 runs while improving his strikeout and walk rates to 12.4 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively. The breakout was likely driven by a higher launch angle (which he raised more than three degrees to 9.7) and better hard-hit rate (45.1 percent). The improved plate discipline and batted-ball numbers set Garcia up nicely to potentially repeat the production. He had positional eligibility at second and third base in 2024 but will likely have single-position eligibility at the hot corner to begin 2026 since he made just 17 appearances at shortstop and 11 at second base last year. If Garcia can maintain the better contact numbers and boost his steals closer to the 2024 figures, he could be in for an even more productive campaign in 2026. Read Past Outlooks