Robert Christopher Garcia…he and wife, the former Paige Virgil, have two children…had planned on retiring from professional baseball following the 2021 campaign, but was selected by Miami in the Minor League phase of the 2021 Rule 5 Draft…notes that he was sitting at his desk at a new job when he received word of his selection…after completing his undergraduate degree in managerial economics at UC-Davis in 2018, earned his master’s degree in business administration from Grand Canyon University in 2020 while Minor League Baseball was suspended to due the pandemic…had two-year collegiate career at the University of California-Davis, where he met Paige – a four-year member of the Aggies’ water polo team…posted a 3.41 ERA (61 ER/161.0 IP) with 134 strikeouts in 32 career collegiate games/24 starts from 2016-17…finished his 2016 redshirt freshman season with a 2.73 ERA in 85.2 IP, earning an All-Big West honorable mention at season’s end…prepped at Modesto Christian H.S. where he was a four-year baseball letter winner…earned first team All-Trans Valley League nod following his senior season in which he posted a 0.89 ERA with 102 strikeouts while also hitting .369 as a first baseman for the Crusaders…his sports hero is Nolan Ryan.
2025
Served in a myriad of roles out of the Texas bullpen, including as the club’s closer for portions of the season…went 4-8 and was 9-for-16 in save opportunities with a 2.95 ERA (21 ER/64.0 IP), 1.25 WHIP and 22 BB/68 SO in 71 relief appearances, the second-most by a Ranger (73-Hoby Milner)… the trio of Garcia, Milner and Shawn Armstrong were the only bullpen arms to remain on TEX’s active roster for the entirety of the season…established a new career high with 64 IP, while his 68 SO were T-most among TEX relievers (also Armstrong)… entered in seventh-or-later in 67 of 71 app…Garcia’s nine saves matched Armstrong and Luke Jackson for the most by TEX in 2025… also led the club with seven blown saves (T-second-most in A.L./T4th in MLB) and eight relief losses (T-second-most in A.L./MLB)…seven BS were second most by TEX in last 11 seasons beg. 2015 (8-David Robertson in 2024)…eight relief losses were most by Rangers reliever since Neal Cotts (9) in 2014…won his first decision on 4/5 vs. TB, but suffered an 0-7 stretch from 4/30-8/6 (4.20 ERA in 35 G)…marked T-longest single-season losing streak by TEX reliever in club history (beg. 1972), also: Mike Henneman in 1996, Jim Kern in 1980, Brett Martin in 2022…notched first career save on 4/17 vs. LAA (1.0 IP, 1 SO)…drew the win in three straight decisions from 8/22-9/24, before taking L in final appearance of 2025 on 9/27 at CLE (0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R-ER, 2 BB-1 IBB, 0 SO, 1 HB)…plunked C.J. Kayfus with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning to end the game… collected 15 holds, second-most by TEX (18-H. Milner)…career-high 13-game scoreless streak from 8/18-9/17 (13.1 IP)… season-high two SHO IP in victory on 9/24 vs. MIN…registered just the fourth season in club history (1972-) of 8+ losses, 7+ BS and an ERA under 3.00, first since F. Cordero in 2003 (8 L, 10 BS, 2.94 ERA)…first MLB pitcher with those figures since Jim Johnson on the 2013 Orioles (8 L, 9 BS, 2.94 ERA)…went 4-6 with a 3.33 ERA (10 ER/27.0 IP) in 27 G when entering in a one-run game… opponents slashed .286/.354/.460/.814 (46-for-161) in ‘close and late’ situations…retired just 48 of 71 BF (67.6%) to open his outings (11 1B, 4 2B, 3 HR, 5 BB), lowest pct. in TEX ‘pen (min. 30 games)…opposition was 5-for-16 (.313) off him in extra innings and 8-for-27 (.296) with runners in scoring position and two outs.
2024
The left-hander set career highs in wins (3), games (72), innings (59.2), holds (13) and strikeouts (75) in his first full season in Washington, leading the club’s staff in strikeouts per 9.0 (11.31)…his 11.31 SO/9 signified the second-highest mark by a qualified left-handed reliever over a single season in Nationals history (beg. 2005) to only Sean Doolittle’s 2018 campaign (12.00 SO/9)…his 72 games were tied-sixth most in the National League…also ranked among MLB LH relievers in games (T4th), strikeout to walk ratio (5th, 4.69) and strikeouts per 9.0 (10th, 11.31)…limited opponents to a .237/.288/.323/.611 (55-232) slash line, including a .226/.291/.301/.592 (21-93) line vs. left-handers… missed 13 games from 4/23-5/6 while on the 15-day Injured List with influenza; stint included one Minor League rehab appearance at Single-A Fredericksburg (2.0 IP, 0 R, 4 SO)…also missed time from 8/17-19 while on the Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency List…enjoyed heightened success in the season’s latter months, posting a 3.06 ERA (11 ER/32.1 IP) over his final 36 games of ’24 beginning 7/3, compared to his 5.60 ERA (17 ER/27.1 IP) over his first 36 G…did not permit a walk in 22 of his final 23 games (2 BB/23 SO in span) beginning 8/4, including zero walks in his final 17 G (18 SO in span)…had 31 appearances of 0.2 IP or fewer, second-most such games in the N.L. to only ARI’s Joe Mantiply (38)…also logged nine relief appearances of 1.1+ IP (13.1 IP, 0.68 ERA)…had just one outing of 2.0+ IP (8/31 vs. CHC – 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R-0 ER), compared to his nine such outings in 2023…Washington was 33-39 in his 72 appearances.
2023
Made his Major League debut with Miami on July 14 at Baltimore and eventually joined the Nationals on Aug. 1...Earned first career hold in first outing with the Nationals, Aug. 8 at Cincinnati (2.0 IP, BB, 2 SO)...Earned his first Major League win on Sept. 17 at Miilwaukee (2.0 IP, H, 2 BB, SO)...Pitched the 10th and 11th innings of a thrilling 2-1 win...Six of 13 earned runs came in one outing, Aug. 17 vs. Boston (0.2 IP)...Pitched to a 2.03 ERA (7 ER/31.0 IP) in the 23 other appearances...Left-handed batters hit .214 (9-for-42) with two extra-base hits (2B, HR)...Went 2-0 with a hold and a 0.00 ERA (11.0 IP) and a .176 opponents’ batting average (6-for-34, 0 XBH) in his last nine games before going on the Paternity List on Sept. 29...2023 Pitch Mix: 4-Seam Fastball (48.7%) Changeup (27.2%) Slider (24.1%).
2022
Robert Garcia, a non-roster invitee for the second consecutive season, posted a 3.75 ERA (62.1 IP/26 ER) in 46 total appearances in 2022... Made two outings with Double-A Pensacola, going scoreless in 4.2 innings with one hit allowed and four strikeouts. Promoted to Triple-A Jacksonville on April 17 and spent the rest of the season there... Went 1-5 in 44 appearances with the Jumbo Shrimp, holding opponents to a .222 batting avg. and posting a 1.37 WHIP in 57.2 innings pitched... Did not allow a run in the month of April (two games w/ Pensacola and 24 games w/ Jacksonville). Struck out 11 batters and allowed two total hits in 11.2 innings pitched.
