Chicago White Sox: Avisail Garcia earns first All-Star selection as reserve outfielder

Avisail Garcia will represent the Chicago White Sox as a reserve in the All-Star Game July 11 in Miami.

The Chicago White Sox stuck with Avisail Garcia through three trying seasons, waiting for the day he delivered on his immense promise. Today, he reaped the benefits both of their faith in him and his own unexpected resurgence.

Garcia was selected to represent the White Sox as a reserve outfielder for the American League in the All-Star Game on July 11 in Miami, Florida. It will be his first career All-Star appearance.

For the still-young right fielder, this season has been about the long-awaited fulfillment of the White Sox’s vision when they traded for him in 2013.

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Hailed as a “mini-Miguel Cabrera”-type of player in the Detroit Tigers’ farm system, he struggled to live up to that billing in Chicago until this season. As a starter, he underwhelmed, never cracking .260, hitting more than 13 home runs or topping 60 runs batted in. Fans justly wondered if he would ever justify the faith the Sox put in him.

The Emergence

Now, in 75 games this year, he is hitting .318 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI. Barring injury, he will shatter all his past numbers easily. He has demonstrated improved plate discipline, is squaring up the baseball regularly and has shown renewed hustle on the basepaths and in the field. In short, he’s finally looking like he could be the franchise cornerstone that the White Sox had been hoping for.

Naturally, with the White Sox unlikely to contend this season, some would like the team to trade Garcia right now. Given his play, he’d certainly fetch very good value.

However, with a wealth of talent now in the team’s pipeline, the Sox could get very good very quickly. And when that happens, they might be happy to have a player like Garcia just entering his prime. Should he continue improving, his emergence could be one of the best things in a bright future on the South Side.

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When he got off to a hot start this season, I expressed hope that his success wouldn’t be a fluke. I’m happy to say that that prediction worked out. After years of struggle, Garcia is an All-Star now. With any luck, he’ll keep right on being one for as long as he’s here.