DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers today selected righthanded pitcher Rony Garcia from the New York Yankees with the No. 1 pick of the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft.

Garcia, 21, split the 2019 season between Single A Tampa and Double A Trenton, posting a 4.01 ERA (130.1IP/58ER) and 129 strikeouts in 25 appearances, including 24 starts. The 6-3, 200-pound, righty posted a 1.23 WHIP and limited opponents to a .234 batting average. His 104 strikeouts and 105.1 innings pitched with Trenton were both team-best marks, while his 20 starts were tied for the club lead.

Garcia was twice named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week in 2019, first for the week ending July 14 after throwing 8.0 shutout innings with four hits allowed and eight strikeouts on July 12 at Reading. He earned the second honor for the week ending August 25, making two starts during the week and combining to throw 10.0 scoreless innings with four hits allowed and 14 strikeouts.

In four professional seasons, Garcia has compiled a 3.50 ERA (396.0IP/154ER) and 103 strikeouts in 75 appearances, including 72 starts. He has a career WHIP of 1.16 and has held opponents to a .237 batting average. A native of Mao, Dominican Republic, Garcia was originally signed by the Yankees as an international free agent on July 2, 2015.

With the selection of Garcia, the Tigers 40-man roster is now at 38.