Division III’s Chapman University manages to produce MLB draftees most years. In 2019, Tyler Peck was drafted in the 28th round, and Don August, drafted in 1984, is their most recent of two first-round picks. Nick Garcia could be the highest pick from the university since the year 2000 and the highest selected DIII player in the 2020 Draft.
Garcia is a 6’4″, 215-pound right-handed pitcher rated as the 71st-best prospect on MLB.com. He went to high school at Junipero Serra in California before joining the Chapman program as an infielder. Garcia converted to relief pitcher as a sophomore and then began the most recent season as a starter. This will be Garcia’s first appearance in the amateur draft pool.
Strengths
Garcia has an ideal frame for a pitcher that lets him leverage a fastball that often hits 97 MPH. The fastball is his best pitch, currently graded as a 60/80. He also throws a slider in the mid-80s and a cutter in the high-80s but they are average at this time. DIII competition isn’t the highest but Garcia still had a strong combined 2019-20 season. He threw 27 innings across five starts with a 2.00 ERA and 36 strikeouts compared to just seven walks. Garcia also helped his program win the DIII National Championship as a closer in 2019.
He also participated in the Cape Cod summer league and posted a 3.18 ERA with 20 strikeouts and 11 walks in 17 innings of work. Those are not fantastic numbers but it’s reasonably good for someone playing against some of the best DI players in the country. There is more projection for a player of Garcia’s background compared to one from a more notable program. However, he brings some intriguing possibilities despite facing a lower tier of competition.
Weaknesses
Garcia does not have the best control at this stage of his career. His stuff has gotten him past inferior competition, but his 5.8 walks per nine in the Cape Cod reveal some improvement is necessary.
It’s also unclear if Garcia is capable of starting based on his limited collegiate workload. He will need to work on both his slider and cutter offerings or develop a true changeup to remain a starter. Controlling the strike zone will be the priority but adding an offspeed pitch and improving the breaking pitches will let Garcia keep hitters off balance for longer stints.
MLB Comp
Garcia’s three-pitch repertoire is fairly unique but one possible comparison is Buck Farmer. Farmer has pitched for the Detroit Tigers for several years with mixed results. Last season was his best one. The then-28-year-old pitched 67 2/3 innings with a 3.72 ERA and 73 strikeouts compared to only 24 walks. Farmer throws a changeup instead of a cutter but his fastball averaged 95 and his changeup was in the high-80s much like Garcia’s cutter.
A second comp is Tyson Ross, who also threw for the Tigers last year. Ross is two inches taller and doesn’t throw his fastball as hard as Garcia but his cutter averaged 89 in 2019 with a slider around 84 mph. He represents a possible comp if Garcia takes a little off his fastball so he can increase his control.
Garcia looks primed to be one of Chapman’s highest drafted players in the 21st Century. As he further develops in MiLB, he has the potential to become a quality pitcher at the MLB level.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
