At 25 years old, Luis García Jr. is the longest-tenured player on the Nationals. Entering his seventh Major League season, he has room for improvement and potential for a bounceback year.
García has been through up and down seasons in Washington since he debuted in 2020.
After posting his best offensive numbers in 2024, his production dipped in ‘25 to a .252/.289/.412 slash line with 16 home runs (including his first three-homer game), 66 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. His bWAR last season was 0.4 compared to 2.2 the previous year.
“I think he's got a really intriguing offensive profile,” said president of baseball operations Paul Toboni. “What’s funny about Luis is, I can get caught thinking that he's older than he is because he's got a pretty mature game. But he's actually still pretty darn young.”
“I think there are ways that he can develop as well, especially from a defensive end. So I’m excited about it and looking forward to working with him.”
At second base, García’s outs above average dropped from 5 in 2024 to -7 in ‘25. That ranked 42nd out of 46 qualifying second basemen. This past season, he recorded 2 OAA lateral to first base, but -7 OAA lateral to third base.
The Nationals are in need of a first baseman, though, and García could help fill that role. García worked on defensive pregame drills at first base during last season, and he made his positional debut there on Sept. 23. In two starts, García was 16-for-16 in total chances at first base.
The Nats have spoken about the potential scenario with García, who may take reps at first base while playing for Los Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican Winter League. It could be a shift that opens up playing time across the infield.
“More than anything, I just think -- and this is the exact conversation we've had with him -- that versatility is a really good thing,” Toboni said. “If you can have that tool in your tool belt, great, you’ll find yourself in the lineup more.
“Then also -- not to say this is going to happen, but if it does happen -- you can find ways to get others on the bench into the game. So whether it’s [Nasim Nuñez] or someone else, there are ways to get our good players into the game on a regular basis.”
In addition to phone calls, García already is getting to know the Nationals’ new coaching staff in person, too. Third-base/infield coach Victor Estevez also is participating in winter ball as the manager of Los Toros del Este. The two have met up on an off-day, and Estevez paid close attention to García when their teams played one another.