Energy catalysts can come from anywhere. The Rangers came off an offensive spur, getting swept by San Diego and shutout by the Rays’ Tyler Glasnow. When Ronald Guzman went down with a torn meniscus that Monday night, the Rangers called up Adolis García the next day to replace Guzman on the roster. The club showed immediate hype in talking about García the next day, including Chris Woodward, hitting Coach Luis Ortiz, and Nick Solak.
“We’re so excited,” Luis Ortiz said when the Rangers added García to the roster. “Not only for the quality of talent he is, but the quality of a kid he is. He has the package.” “To have [Adolis] come into lineup and swing the bat the way he has is really awesome,” Solak said last week. “Going back to Spring Training, Adolis has swung the bat well. I wouldn’t want to pitch to him, he’s so strong and has really good at-bats.”
García was a fringe player that showed massive improvement throughout Spring Training. I asked Rangers manager Chris Woodward if Adolis could spark the lineup that the club looked like they didn’t have. “This kid brings a lot of energy,” Woodward said. “Energy oozes out of him, and he’s a really positive guy. It puts a little jolt into your lineup, especially when he comes out and does something.”
I’ll be honest when Willie Calhoun and Khris Davis went down with injuries in spring, I thought it shed a clear opening for Adolis to make the club out of Spring Training. Unfortunately, the Rangers sacrificed a position player spot for an extra pitcher, and Adolis drew the short straw. “He’s putting himself in the mix for consideration to say, hey, this guy can play, and this guy can help us this year. We’ve never really given him that opportunity in the big leagues,” Chris Woodward told me on March 14th. A week and a half into the season, García made his 2021 debut. Woody said he didn’t quite know what the ceiling was for Adolis. A month later, I asked him if that’s the case now. “The talent ceiling is as high as I’ve ever seen,” Woody told me Friday. “The ability to get to that ceiling is every player’s quest.”
When Adolis’ name wasn’t called to the Opening Day roster, it didn’t diminish his spirit. Adolis kept working and immediately made that impact when called upon. “The game has a funny way of challenging you and if you have a poor attitude or a poor me mentality at the end of camp, it’s going to come back and give you an opportunity and you’re not going to be ready,” Woodward said. “Adolis has been that way ever since we got him and he was ready the second his name was called in Tampa.”
In nine games with the Rangers, Adolis García’s impact has ranged from three go-ahead homers, a triple that honestly should have been an inside-the-park home run, and a game-saving throw last Sunday against the Orioles. “Anything I can do to help the team, and anything that we can do to win, it’s a great feeling,” García said after Wednesday’s win over the Angels.
The Rangers look like they don’t want a repeat Cowboy hat performance and give other guys opportunities in the early going. However, Adolis García is making it challenging to abide by that. In the meantime, it appears García is becoming a stud right within our eyes, and Woodward sees it. “It’s remarkable,” Woody said after Wednesday’s game. “I told Bobby Wilson on the bench that it’s a pretty easy way to be an instant fan favorite if he hits a home run right here, and he hit a home run that pitch.”
I can’t speak on Rangers nation, but I feel Rangers fans are welcoming “El Bombi” into their living room.
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