Mariners call on 2023 draft steal to shore up overworked bullpen

The Seattle Mariners are once again dipping into their endless well of pitching reserves, this time calling on one of their more intriguing arms from the 2023 draft class in left-hander Brandyn Garcia.

Garcia, an 11th-round selection out of Texas A&M, has quickly worked his way through the Mariners’ system, joining a growing list of arms who’ve turned heads with rapid development. During spring training, Mariners general manager Justin Hollander pointed to Garcia as one of the standout success stories in the organization’s latest crop of pitching prospects — a group that’s built a reputation for jumping levels and showing up big in the majors.

Brandyn Garcia set for MLB debut as Mariners seek relief support

Seattle has shown a clear willingness to bypass Triple-A for top-performing Double-A pitchers. But in Garcia’s case, the team took a more traditional approach, giving him some run in Tacoma after a strong showing in Arkansas. The extra seasoning has seemingly paid off, and with the Mariners bullpen running on fumes, Garcia is getting his shot.

Through 33.1 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A, Garcia posted a 3.51 ERA with 42 strikeouts and 17 walks. Perhaps most telling is his elite 55.4 percent groundball rate — a mark that would rank sixth among all qualified Double-A and Triple-A pitchers if he had enough innings to qualify. That is the kind of contact suppression needed to stabilize a bullpen that’s been leaned on heavily right out of the All-Star break.

“He’s multi-inning capable at a minimum,” Hollander said earlier this year. “His ability to kill a changeup at the front of the plate really does give him the ability to be somewhat platoon-neutral, and that’s really critical if you’re gonna pitch over multiple innings because he doesn’t need to be purely situational.”

Garcia’s mix of groundball stuff, deceptive changeup, and strike-throwing ability gives the Mariners another weapon in the middle innings — especially as they try to manage innings during a tough stretch in the schedule.

His arrival comes at a critical time. Seattle just finished a grueling series against the division-rival Houston Astros, a set that required heavy bullpen usage. With no off day before starting a new series against the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers, reinforcements were needed. In a corresponding move, right-hander Juan Burgos was optioned back to Triple-A after pitching two full innings in the finale against Houston.

For fans who’ve followed Garcia’s ascent through the system, this debut has been a long time coming. For the Mariners, it’s another reminder of what they do best. Identify, develop, and deploy quality arms when it matters most.