What’s the next step for Maikel Garcia? The Royals infielder gave a candid answer
Kansas City Royals infielder Maikel Garcia gave an honest response when asked about his personal goals for the 2025 campaign.
“I have to play better this year,” Garcia said.
Garcia, 25, enters his third full season with the Royals. In 2024, Garcia took a step back offensively by posting a .231 batting average in 157 games. He registered seven home runs, 58 RBIs and 37 stolen bases.
Notably, Garcia struggled in the second half. He was inconsistent and posted a .458 OPS (on-base plus slugging) in September. During that stretch, Garcia was 10-for-62 with 16 strikeouts in 24 games.
The Royals needed to see more production. And Garcia was disappointed by his inability to contribute in key moments.
“I know last year was not a great year for me personally,” Garcia said. “I (made) a lot of adjustments to be better this year.”
What do those adjustments entail?
This offseason, Garcia analyzed his swing mechanics. He focused on leveling out his swing to regain his timing and attack pitches. He also had a minor procedure to remove a bone spur in his right elbow.
And he was tasked to learn a new position.
The Royals will utilize Garcia in center field this spring. He was set for his first start on Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Cactus League play.
It’s another experimental move by the Royals. Garcia has shown versatility playing third base, shortstop and second. Now, the Royals will give him an opportunity to play the outfield to better configure their lineups.
The Royals hope Garcia can adapt to center field. It could allow him to back up incumbent starter Kyle Isbel and give the Royals another right-handed hitter at the position.
“I worked a lot at home with the machine and in BP (batting practice),” Garcia said. “(Royals general manager) J.J. (Picollo) asked me after the surgery if I can play center. I said yes, and that’s when I started working to take fly balls and practice at home. I think I can play there.”
Garcia has flirted with the outfield before. The Royals used him as a defensive replacement in right field against the Houston Astros last season.
He will still primarily play third base this season. But Garcia’s ability to play center field will diversify his skill set.
“I think it’s just being ready for more running than at third base,” Garcia said. “You cover a lot of space, so you have to prepare your legs. Kauffman (Stadium) is a big field.”
As Garcia adds to the lineup’s defensive versatility, the Royals are equally excited to see his progression at the plate.
Royals hitting coach Alec Zumwalt explained that Garcia has gotten stronger and added a toe-tap to better balance his swing mechanics.
“Maikel and I talked going into the offseason and we talked here in Arizona when he was doing his rehab,” Zumwalt said. “The biggest thing is we’ve just got to get back to what he did best as he was coming up. He brought the toe-tap back a little bit. I think (earlier in camp) was a really good example of the (flexibility) he has in his swing. He is just getting back to being in a more controlled position.”
Still, the Royals understand that it takes young hitters time to develop. Zumwalt believes that Garcia is on the right track as evident by his offseason work.
“He did a lot of hard work off the field, if you will, on knowing that he has got to give himself a little more grace,” Zumwalt said. “No one is harder on himself than he is. And you know, it’s been addressed and he knows that. But I mean that’s the reality.
“He is just very hard on himself. And look, that’s a good thing. You know, he has high expectations for himself and high standards. That’s a resilient warrior mindset that we want to have.”
Garcia had a strong start to the 2024 season. He hit a leadoff home run against the Minnesota Twins on opening day. Later, Garcia hit .305 in May and finished 7-for-22 in the postseason against the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees.
Now, he hopes to put it all together. The Royals value his potential to be a high-contact and speed player.
And Garcia is ready to prove himself once again.
“I feel like I can hit better, be more consistent with hard contact and take more pitches,” Garcia said. “So let’s see what happens.”
