Adolis Garcia’s Brother and a Former Yankees Player – Who is Adonis Garcia?

Adonis Garcia is no household name in the world of baseball. However, it does ring a bell; the name has a striking similarity to a more famous name, Adolis. The Texas Rangers superstar, aka Adolis Garcia, has been on fire as of late. The 30-year-old outfielder has been among the best sluggers in MLB for the last few seasons. In fact, he is a primary reason behind the Rangers’ 2023 World Series triumph. But many aren’t aware of his elder brother, Adonis Garcia.

Born in Cuba in 1985, Adonis played for the Cuban National Series from 2004 to 2011. Soon after, he defected from the communist nation, much before his brother did the same in 2016. After briefly playing for the Venezuelan Winter League and the 2012 Caribbean Series, the elder Garcia made his way to MLB. While his career lacked stability, the talented hitter had only one thing going for him: his resilience.

A baseball career that had many breakdowns 

Garcia was in no way a standout performer and had little chance of being a part of the major league. But he had shown good enough performances throughout the Cuban National League and his brief stints in Venezuela and the Caribbean that he could not be ignored. At the same time, the slugger had a tough going in the USA at first.

After the Yankees released him in 2015, Adonis Garcia went from the Big Apple to the Big Peach. Signing with the Atlanta Braves, the slugger even had an MLB stint. He finished 2015 with a batting average of.277, including ten home runs. Garcia continued for the Braves in 2016 with average success, but as soon as his career saw an uplift, it all crashed down in 2017 a devastating injury.

The season saw him relegated to the minor leagues again. Soon after that, Adonis’s time in America seemed to be nearing an end as the Braves released him from the contract. But Garcia took off to South Korea in 2018, this time signing with the LG Twins in the KBO League on a one-year, $800,000 contract. He even played in the Mexican League after that, but by then, his time in the sunshine was long gone.

His connection with Adolis Garcia

The two brothers, despite the challenges, have been known to have a particularly cordial relationship. Perhaps they both understand the struggle behind success and the support necessary to achieve it. During February of 2017, as the Atlanta Braves faced off against the St. Louis Cardinals, the elder Adonis walked across the field and stood next to his brother, the then-24-year-old Adolis. The younger Garcia had recently signed a minor league deal with the Cardinals in St. Louis.

According to MLB.com, “He has been my role model,” Adolis Garcia said on being asked about his brother. “Having him in the position that he’s in is really helpful for me to be able to see where I want to end up eventually. I’m very happy for him, and once again, he’s my role model. I would like to follow in his footsteps.”

READ MORE – The Story of Once Forgotten Texas Rangers’ Cuban Superstar: Adolis García

Meanwhile, the elder brother was equally happy. Adonis said, “It’s a very special moment just to see the natural ability he (Adolis) has and to be able to see him develop is very special.”

A tale of two brothers of different nationalities

Adolis Garcia’s recent postseason performances have been nothing short of extraordinary. Every time he came out on the field, the talented Cuban made an instant impact. While being a bullet in the outfield, he also shone with the bat. With an impressive 22 RBIs in the playoffs, the slugger led his team to glory. Scoring at an average of.323 with an unreal 1.108 OPS, the younger Garcia has made sure that Texas will not forget him. Only the sky is the limit for El Bombi in the seasons to come.

While his elder brother has never enjoyed even close to such success, Adonis, while never being poor, has never also strolled past greatness; in his 896 appearances, he managed a career average of.267 with 29 homers.

READ MORE: Waking Up Cuban Star Adolis García Spells Doom for Houston Astros as Texas Rangers Secure World Series Berth

While Adolis is a star of the South, Adonis spent some time in the Big Apple.

Yankees signing

The first time Adonis Garcia found a mention in the American press was in May 2012. The then-26-year-old Cuban had signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees worth $400,000. But trouble followed him – he was ineligible for six months due to fraudulent residency papers during his stint in the Bronx.

Garcia made his debut with the Tampa Yankees in 2012 and was later promoted to the Trenton Thunder. Throughout the year, he batted with an average of.263, including five home runs and 29 RBIs in 57 games. In 2013, Garcia played 56 games for the GCL Yankees and the Scranton Rail Riders with a middling.258 average, including four home runs and twelve RPIs. He continued his 2014 with the Rail Riders as well, with an improved .319 average, including nine home runs in 86 games.

But by 2015, his time was up and he moved to Atlanta. The pure love for baseball was evident in Adonis, the same way it’s apparent in Adolis.

Despite the widening gap in their on-field exploits, the brothers have shown their class and resilience at every opportunity. Despite their difficult paths, they have shared a profound love for the sport that stands out. As Adolis is expected to rise further in his career, Adonis, his role model and elder brother, is also not one to be ignored.

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