From Nicaraguan Winter League to MLB, Garabito stars in debut

Garabito inked a Minor League contract with the Rangers in December, and he did not make an appearance in the major league camp during Spring Training. However, Texas finds itself in a pitching dilemma with six starters sidelined due to injury. The team is in desperate need of pitchers.

This is where Garabito steps in.

The 28-year-old right-hander had been away from affiliated baseball for two years before joining the Rangers’ system. He swiftly arrived in Minnesota on Sunday to take the mound for Texas in the series finale against the Twins at Target Field. In the game, he pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing just one run in the 6-2 victory that put an end to a six-game losing streak.

Bochy commented on Garabito’s time away from affiliated baseball, expressing uncertainty about his activities during that period. Bochy mentioned that they hadn’t delved into that aspect yet, as Garabito had just joined the team. He suggested directing questions about Garabito’s past endeavors to Garabito himself.

Originally hailing from the Dominican Republic, Garabito was initially signed by the Royals as an international free agent in September 2012. He spent seven seasons within the Kansas City system from 2013 to 2019 and one season with the Giants in 2021 before departing from affiliated baseball.

During his time away from affiliated ball, Garabito participated in various winter leagues, including the Dominican Winter League (2023-24 for Aguilas Cibaenas), Nicaraguan Winter League (2022-23 for Leones de León), and Venezuelan Winter League (2021-22 for Leones del Caracas). Across these international stints, he compiled a record of 6-2 with a 2.86 ERA in 17 games, making 12 starts. Despite his success in these leagues, he remained relatively unknown to many within the United States.

If it hadn’t been for a tip from an external source who observed Garabito pitching for the Dominican team in an international tournament, he wouldn’t have garnered the attention of the Rangers’ scouting team. Following some additional scouting, Garabito soon found himself back in the United States with the Rangers during Spring Training. Just a few months later, he has made it to the big leagues.

“Congratulations to him, it’s a remarkable achievement,” remarked catcher Jonah Heim. “That’s incredible. I feel like each of us has our own journey. Some of us made it here quickly. Others, like myself, took seven years to get here. You really have to respect the effort it takes to reach this level. It’s even more impressive what he accomplished today.”

Prior to his callup, Garabito had posted a 2.05 ERA with 10 walks and 37 strikeouts across seven games (five starts) for Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock this season. He had allowed one earned run over his last 17 1/3 innings in the Minors, leading the Pacific Coast League in ERA (min. 15 innings) in that span.

“First of all, I feel so happy about this,” Garabito said. “I just still [wanted to do] my job. … It was something I was waiting for a long time, and then today it happened to me. It was like, ‘Wow, I did it.’ When I signed, I had a plan, but I didn’t expect to be here at this time. But it’s God’s plan. That’s the only thing I can say.”

“There’s been some great stories in this game, and I think this is one of them,” Bochy said pregame. “I do, especially when you look at the path that led him to this point. Sometimes you get away from it for a little bit and it even makes you more hungry. I’ll say this, when you step back and you look at it from a different perspective or lens, you look at the game and you learn a lot. You do. You think about what you could have done differently or what you would do differently and maybe the passion grows. It’s pretty cool.”