The Texas Rangers have a lot of star power on their loaded roster, including former Red Sox pitchers, Nathan Eovaldi and Martin Pérez. But on this postseason journey towards what they hope will be their first World Series championship, someone else – a more under-the-radar player whose Major League career was far from a sure thing – has been their clutch hero.
How very Red Sox of them, too.
Adolis García is having a David Ortiz-level October, and in Boston, that’s not a comparison made lightly.
Entering Sunday, García has homered eight times in 14 postseason games, the first of his five-year career in the Majors. That ties his teammate, Corey Seager (2020 Dodgers), Nelson Cruz (2011 Rangers), Carlos Beltrán (2004 Astros), and Barry Bonds (2002 Giants) for second-most homers in a single postseason in MLB history. Two more, and he’ll tie Randy Arozarena, who happens to be his best friend, former St. Louis Cardinals teammate, and the father of García’s goddaughter.
The two unexpected heroes’ origin stories are somewhat similar. Following the 2002 season, the Minnesota Twins famously tried and failed to trade Ortiz, and so, released him to save money. The Red Sox signed him to a non-guaranteed contract less than a month later, and he arrived in Boston as the championship drought was entering its 85th year. They clinched the American League Wild Card (it was a single-team format then) in each of his first two seasons.
This is the Rangers’ 52nd season, and they’re one of the last teams without a World Series trophy. In December ‘19, the Cardinals designated García for assignment, and traded him to Texas for cash considerations. The Rangers would also DFA García in February ‘21, but when no one claimed him off waivers, they were able to outright him to the minors.
Over three seasons since, García has been an All-Star twice. He earned American League Championship Series MVP by collecting 10 hits, five home runs (including a 9th-inning grand slam), and a postseason-record 15 RBI in the seven-game series.
Ortiz was a two-time All-Star and ALCS MVP over his first three seasons in Boston, too. He and García are two of 54 players who’ve homered at least five times over a postseason run.
But even Ortiz, the most clutch bat in the history of Boston playoff baseball, never hit five in a single postseason series. Back in the postseason as one of the faces of FOX Sports, he’s had high praise for the Rangers slugger.
“People talk about that, what he’s doing is not human, and I absolutely agree,” Ortiz said during the Game 2 pregame show. “Pitchers, look at me,” he added, gesturing to the camera. “Do not hit him! When you hit him, his evil side comes out, and then he gets more dangerous.”
“This guy, he’s hotter than a firecracker,” the Hall of Famer told the Boston Globe. “I love it, I love it because I know what it takes… I had my time and now it’s somebody else’s turn.”
In honor of the 2004 World Series anniversary over the weekend, here’s how García’s tremendous October stacks up against Ortiz’s greatest 2004 hits:
2023 AL Wild Card, Game 2 (Oct. 4)
García breaks the scoreless tie with a leadoff home run off Zach Eflin. Rangers go on to win 7-1 to advance to the division series.
2004 ALDS, Game 3
Ortiz’s walk-off home run and three RBI make the difference in the extra-inning victory over the then-Anaheim Angels, sending the Red Sox back to the ALCS.
2023 ALDS, Game 3 (Oct. 10)
With Texas up 1-0 on Baltimore, García hits a 2-run homer in the bottom of the second. He drives in 3, the difference in the 11-8 victory.
2004 ALCS, Games 4 and 5
Ortiz hits a walk-off home run and walk-off RBI single to end extra-inning stalemates (12 and 14 innings, respectively) and keep the Red Sox from elimination. He becomes the first player in MLB history to walk off two consecutive postseason games, and the Red Sox become the first team to ever come back from 0-3 to win a best-of-seven series. He homers again in Game 7 and is named ALCS MVP.
2023 ALCS, Games 4-7 (Oct. 19-23)
After taking a 2-0 lead in the series, the Rangers drop three straight games to the Astros, putting them on the brink of elimination. García homers five times and drives in 13 runs over the last four contests, including a four-hit, two-homer, five-RBI performance in Game 7 to send the Rangers to the World Series for the first time since 2011. He’s named ALCS MVP.
2004 World Series, Game 1
Ortiz sets the tone immediately, going 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, and two walks in the 11-9 victory over the Cardinals. St. Louis doesn’t win a single game, and the Red Sox finally reverse the curse.
2023 World Series, Game 1
García breaks the 5-5 tie with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th, giving the Rangers their first victory in a World Series since Game 5 in 2011.
Of course, Ortiz didn’t become Boston’s Mr. October after 2003 or 2004. He racked up 76 playoff games over eight Octobers between 2003-16, his clutch-ness consistent enough for three rings.
But if this is García’s idea of just getting started, how thrilling to imagine where he’ll go from here.
