Cornerstone for '14, Garcia looks ahead to next season

CHICAGO -- Avisail Garcia's .329 batting average since Aug. 13 stands as the seventh-best mark in the American League. Since joining the White Sox, Garcia has a .314 average with five homers and 21 RBIs in advance of Saturday's matchup with the Royals.

While Garcia is pleased with his finish, he's already focused on 2014.

"You've got to finish strong, keep in mind the next season and work hard in the offseason," Garcia said during a recent interview after connecting off of Danny Salazar for a homer in Cleveland. "You have to get ready for the full season."

Manager Robin Ventura would like to see continued improvement in terms of pitch selection for Garcia, who is one of the cornerstones as the White Sox rework their roster for 2014.

"But he's been improving," Ventura said. "There's something to getting him up here and letting him play, and seeing how he responds and does things.

"We've seen improvement since he's been up here, just being able to put the ball in play, fight off pitches. Sometimes guys just have that innate ability to do that, and he seems to be one of those who does that."