Major Breaking: Texas Rangers Coach Bruce Bochy Makes Adolis Garcia’s Decision After 148 Games

Major Breaking: Texas Rangers Coach Bruce Bochy Makes Adolis Garcia’s Decision After 148 Games

-### Bochy’s Big Move: What He Decided After García’s First 148 Games

After 148 games, Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy made a tough but telling decision regarding outfielder Adolis García. The move reflects both García’s performance to that point and Bochy’s willingness to adjust dynamics in pursuit of better results.

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### Background: García’s 2023 Season

* In 2023, Adolis García played in **148 games** and put up a strong year: a .245 batting average, a .328 on‑base percentage, a .508 slugging percentage, totaling an .836 OPS. ([Wikipedia][1])
* He hit **39 home runs** and had **107 RBIs**, identifying himself as one of Texas’s key offensive players. ([Wikipedia][1])

These numbers made him one of the anchors of the Rangers’ offense, but also set high expectations for consistency.

### What Led Bochy to Make This Decision

In 2025, García began to struggle at the plate, especially with plate discipline and consistency. Key issues included:

* A high **chase rate** (i.e. swinging at pitches outside the strike zone). He was among the worst in the league in this regard. ([Dallas News][2])
* A low batting average over recent games, coupled with too many strikeouts and too few walks. ([Reuters][3])
* Slumps that stretched over multiple series. García had gone through stretches (e.g. last 10 or 15 games) where his statistics dropped significantly. ([Reuters][3])

Bochy, observing these declines, concluded that some change was needed to help García regain form—and perhaps more importantly, help the team’s offense regain stability.

### The Decision

Here’s what Bochy decided:

* He shifted García’s position in the *batting order*, moving him down from the cleanup spot (typically 4th) to 7th or 8th. The intent: reduce pressure, allow him to get back into rhythm without being leaned on at a point in the order where production is expected. ([Dallas News][2])
* He gave him days off (“rest”) and even benched him for a few games. Bochy called some absences a “mental break,” giving García time away from the game to reset. ([Dallas News][4])
* He asked him to work on mechanics, approach at the plate, particularly adjusting his swing and timing, and making better decisions at the plate rather than chasing off‑speed or out‑of‑zone pitches. ([Reuters][3])

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### Why This Matters

* **For García**: It signals that Bochy still trusts him enough to allow a recovery, but won’t keep using him in high leverage roles if he’s not producing. It gives García space, but also sets a standard: performance and consistency matter.
* **For the Rangers**: It’s an example of a manager adapting. Bochy is showing he’s willing to make changes even for a star player when the situation demands it. It’s also about setting example for the rest of the offense: no one is immune from accountability.
* **Mental/Physical Reset**: The rest and mechanical fixes suggest that Bochy believes at least part of García’s slump is mental or timing‑based rather than purely physical decline.

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### Possible Risks and Downsides

* García might lose confidence if the changes aren’t handled carefully. Being moved down in the lineup or benched often can affect a player’s mental state.
* Rust could build; being out of high‑leverage at bats or facing fewer top pitchers might delay getting back to top form.
* The rest of the lineup may be undermined if García doesn’t bounce back: other hitters will face more pressure, and pitchers may adjust knowing a key bat isn’t heating up.

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### What’s Next & What to Watch

* How García responds: both in minor tweaks (swing, plate discipline) and in results in upcoming games.
* Whether Bochy keeps him in lower spots of the lineup for longer, or rotates him in/out of the starting lineup until form returns.
* Whether other players are given similar “breaks” or adjustments, signaling that Bochy sees this as a broader offense issue.
* The Rangers’ ability to score runs during García’s troubled stretches: does the rest help the team overall or does it expose weaknesses elsewhere?