Luis Garcia Jr. reveals Yankees connection behind jersey number

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Luis Garcia Jr. reveals Yankees connection behind jersey number

Originally posted on MLB on ClutchPoints
By Zachary Draves, ClutchPoints | Last updated Aug 3, 2026 8:39 PM ET

First baseman Luis Garcia Jr. is beginning his stint with the New York Yankees after being traded from the Washington Nationals. A long-awaited dream come true for the native New Yorker.

Garcia grew up a huge Yankees fan, and because of that, he wanted to pay homage to his two favorite players with his jersey number, per SNY Yankees. Garcia will be wearing No. 26, but he made sure that the No. 2 remains in place. It turns out Garcia grew up a huge fan of Derek Jeter.

“It’s one of the reasons why I wear 2,” Garcia said. He also mentioned that Robinson Cano was one of his favorite players.

Luis García Jr. says that he grew up as a Yankees fan

He says that his favorite players were Derek Jeter and Robinson Canó:

"It's one of the reasons why I wear 2." pic.twitter.com/TLfpUaNWdU

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 3, 2026

Jeter and Cano ruled the Yankees infield for nine seasons from 2005 to 2013. In 2009, they helped lead New York to their first World Series title in nine years.

Jeter retired from the sport in 2014, and Cano retired in 2022 while playing for the Atlanta Braves.

Garcia is batting .283 with 101 hits, 23 home runs, and 76 RBIs. He was also leading the National League in slugging average at .560 and an OPB of .313 and an OPS of .873. A major reason the Yankees acquired him was to add additional power to the lineup. All the while, with , Garcia fills a major void at a precarious time.

The Yankees are currently in a tight race in the American League East Division. They are 2.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays and are currently leading the American League Wild Card standings over the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Guardians.

This article first appeared on MLB on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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