The Detroit Tigers promoted outfielder Avisail Garcia to the majors in 2012.
Alejandro Rodriguez and Pedro Chavez scouted Garcia in 2007 and he made his professional debut with the VSL Tigers the following year, hitting .298 with seven home runs and 34 RBI in just 63 games for the Tigers.
The Venezuelan Summer League ranked him 4th in home runs, total bases (110, tied with Marco Yepez), slugging (5th), and hits (tied with Henry Henry and Rogelio Noris) among its top players (73, tied for 5th). Player of the Year for the VSL Tigers.
With the Lakeland Flying Tigers in 2009, he appeared in just three games before being moved to the West Michigan Whitecaps. For the Whitecaps, he hit .289/.289/.324 in 81 games with an 11-game streak in August.
In the outfield, he had 13 assists and 10 errors. For the Caribes de Anzoategui, he went 0 for 3 with a run scored in winter ball. The next summer, he returned to West Michigan and raised his slash line to .281/.313/.356 in 125 games while reducing his error total to six.
Twenty bases were stolen in 24 attempts. In 524 plate appearances, strike-zone judgment went horribly wrong, as 20 walks and 113 strikeouts were chalked up.
He was still ranked ninth in the Detroit system by Baseball America. He had a 0-13 record with the Caribes in 2010-2011.
With 11 home runs and 56 RBI in 2011, Garcia went to Lakeland, where he slugged.264/.297/.389 in 2011. Even worse, he walked 18 times while striking out 132 times.
Only Wade Gaynor and Daniel Fields had more strikeouts in the Florida State League than he did. As the 10th-best Detroit prospect according to Baseball America, he possesses the greatest arm of any Tiger minor league outfielder.
Anzoategui used him that winter and he went 3 for 12 with three runs.
How Old Is Avisaíl García?
Avisaíl García is 31 years old. He was born on June 12, 1991.