LOL Marlins, Jarlin García is good

The next name on our list of 2021 San Francisco Giants player reviews is left-handed pitcher Jarlin García.

2021 review

58 games, 68.2 innings, 2.62 ERA, 3.77 FIP, 0.961 WHIP, 68 strikeouts, 18 walks, 1.6 rWAR, 0.4 fWAR

The first thing I will always think of with Jarlin García — or at least for as long as he is good — is how the Miami Marlins waived him. The Marlins were bad, García was a quality left-handed reliever (they don’t exactly grow on trees), and he had four years of team control remaining.

Why?

Bad teams are bad teams for a reason, and good teams are good teams for a reason, and so it goes that the Giants swooped in and grabbed García prior to the 2020 season. It looked good then, and it looks even better now.

García had a strong season, allowing less than a baserunner per inning, and sporting an ERA healthily in the twos. And yes, there’s a massive difference between his ERA and FIP (which mostly explains the even more massive difference between his rWAR and fWAR), but there’s reason to be optimistic there. García has outperformed his FIP rather comfortably in each of the last four seasons. For his career, his ERA is almost a full point lower than his FIP; at 257 career innings pitched, it’s fair to think that he might just be a pitcher in that mold, a la prime Matt Cain. It’s not that rare with pitchers who don’t make a living striking hitters out.

García was reliable and consistent, not good enough to be thrown into the setup or closer roles, but good enough to be used at virtually any point of a game. During one series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he pitched the 11th (and final) inning of a game, then pitched in the first inning (and the second and third) the next day.

He was good, he was enjoyable, and he was versatile.

And he’s on the Giants, not the Marlins. That should make you smile and laugh.

Role in 2022

García is out of options, but still has two years of arbitration remaining. The Giants have a whole lot of intriguing arms — especially since Kervin Castro looked like the real deal last year, Gregory Santos’ suspension is over, and Randy Rodriguez has been added to the 40-man roster — but García still seems a lock for next year’s roster. He’ll play the same role: pitch in any inning needed, and likely do a darn good job.

Grade: B+