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| Jaime Garcia finished 3rd in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. |
But St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jaime Garcia didn't get as much consideration by voters as he maybe should have after posting a monster season as the Cardinals number 3 starter. Garcia not only should have finished second in this vote, but he should have finished right behind Posey.
Garcia was not only the best starting pitcher among National League rookies, he was one of the top starters in all of MLB baseball!
Garcia, who was not named the Cardinals number 5 starter until late in spring training, made 28 starts and threw 163.1 innings for the disappointing Redbirds. Taking the hill 28 times, the second most among National League rookie starters, and compiling those types of innings are impressive for a rookie.
Compiling 19 quality starts, also tops among all rookies and doing so in 68% of his outings, is valuable beyond what any statistic can measure for an organization during a grueling 162 game schedule.
What was more impressive were the results. Garcia finished with a 13-8 record and posted a 2.70 ERA, good for fourth best among all National League pitchers.
Garcia struck out 132 batters while walking just 64, a detriment to the command and poise the rookie showed throughout the season.
Its this body of work by a young starting pitcher that deserved more recognition by the voters.
Yes, Buster Posey deserved the award. Yes, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jayson Heyward is going to be a star in baseball for years to come.
But Garcia, the only candidate on a MLB roster for the entire season as Posey didn't come up until May and Heyward missed significant time with a injury, deserved more recognition for the outstanding season he put together.
Garcia relies on a sinking fastball, powerful overhand curve ball, and a change up that got better with every outing.
The little lefty from Mexico will never be mistaken for countryman Fernando Valenzuela as he stands just 6 foot 2 inches and has a listed weight of 215 pounds, but he has the tools to be a very effective pitcher for years to come in MLB.
Garcia compares very nicely to New York Mets left-hander Johan Santana, both in their style, repertoire of pitches, and demeanor on the mound.
Garcia should have scored more than just one first place vote in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.
He may not of won the award this year, but he has the talent and potential to have a better career than either Buster Posey or Jayson Heyward.
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