Report Card Series: Grading the Houston Astros' 2022 Rotation

4) Luis Garcia

The lone potential "underachiever" in the 2022 rotation, Luis Garcia finished 15-8 with a 3.72 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. By no means was Garcia a poor starter, but he didn't take the anticipated step forward from last season to this season, seeing a rise in ERA and a drop in strikeouts per nine.

Most of this can be explained in his erratic performances. 2022 for Garcia can best be summarized as a rollercoaster. His good was really good: 4-0 in September/October with a 1.86 ERA in five starts. His bad, however, was really bad: a 5.28 ERA in five starts in August.

Garcia finished with a 3.20 ERA in his starts ending with a win or a no decision, but in Garcia's eight losses, he recorded an ERA of 5.00. His unpredictability made for a somewhat disappointing season, but only because he had such high expectations.

His performance in Game 3 of the ALDS bumps his mark slightly higher. Garcia threw five scoreless innings in relief, preserving the shutout into the 18th inning and earning the win. The legendary relief outing has been somewhat forgotten due to the World Series no-hitter and heroics of Pressly, Abreu and other relievers, but what Garcia did that night in saving both the rotation and the bullpen cannot be overstated. It was a massive performance in a playoff run filled with them, and it increases his score for the 2022 season.

Luis Garcia's 2022 Report Card: B (84/100)