Justin Garza’s Journey: From Promising Prospect to MLB Free Agent

In a recent roster shake-up, the New York Mets designated right-handed pitcher Justin Garza for assignment, marking another chapter in the 31-year-old’s winding baseball career. After clearing waivers, Garza was outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse, but he exercised his right to reject the assignment and enter free agency instead. This decision comes after a brief stint with the Mets that began in June when they acquired him from the San Francisco Giants. During his time in New York, Garza appeared in just five major league games, posting a 5.40 ERA across 6.2 innings—numbers that tell the story of a pitcher struggling to find his footing at baseball’s highest level. His performance at Triple-A Syracuse was even more concerning, with a 7.86 ERA over 26.1 innings suggesting deeper issues with his effectiveness on the mound.

Garza’s journey to this point illustrates the challenging reality many professional baseball players face—a career defined by potential, brief opportunities, and the constant fight to remain relevant in an unforgiving sport. Originally drafted by Cleveland in the 26th round of the 2012 MLB Draft, Garza made the bold decision to attend college instead. This gamble paid off when Cleveland selected him again in 2015, this time in the eighth round, suggesting his development had increased his stock in scouts’ eyes. The California native finally reached the majors with Cleveland in 2021, recording a respectable 4.71 ERA over 28.2 innings. This initial taste of big-league action seemed promising, but like many fringe players, consistency proved elusive as he spent the entire following season back in the minor leagues.

The subsequent chapters of Garza’s career demonstrate the often nomadic existence of players on the MLB bubble. After signing with the Los Angeles Angels before the 2023 season, he was designated for assignment without even making an appearance for the team. The Boston Red Sox claimed him off waivers, where he struggled through 17 appearances with a bloated 7.36 ERA over 18.1 innings. From there, he landed with the Giants organization, where he remained in Triple-A Sacramento posting a concerning 6.11 ERA before the Mets took a chance on him this June. Throughout these transitions, Garza has accumulated 43 major league appearances with a career 5.70 ERA and 49 strikeouts across 53.2 innings—statistics that tell the story of a pitcher with enough talent to reach the majors but not quite enough consistency to establish himself there.

What makes Garza intriguing to organizations despite his struggles is his pitch arsenal, particularly his velocity. His four-seam fastball averages an impressive 96.1 mph, a tool that continues to attract interest from teams hoping they might unlock something in his approach. The Mets notably had him throwing his cutter significantly more than previous organizations, suggesting they saw potential in adjusting his pitch mix. Alongside his fastball and cutter, Garza also employs a slider and split-finger, giving him a four-pitch mix that theoretically should provide enough variety to keep hitters off balance. However, his career numbers indicate challenges in generating strikeouts and limiting hard contact—two essential skills for a modern relief pitcher hoping to stick at the major league level.

The Garza story reflects the reality for dozens of pitchers across baseball—talented enough to receive opportunities but constantly walking the tightrope between the major and minor leagues. His journey through Cleveland, Boston, San Francisco, and New York organizations demonstrates how teams are willing to take chances on power arms, particularly those with high-velocity fastballs. Each new team represents both an opportunity and a challenge: a fresh set of coaches who might see something previous organizations missed, but also the pressure to quickly prove his value before another roster crunch forces tough decisions. At 31, Garza finds himself at a crucial career juncture where he must demonstrate significant improvement to secure another major league opportunity.

As Garza enters free agency once again, he joins countless other players searching for their next chance in professional baseball. His career serves as a reminder of the razor-thin margins that separate major league success from a career spent bouncing between organizations. For the Mets, moving on from Garza represents a small footnote in a season of larger decisions, but for Garza himself, it means another period of uncertainty while waiting for the phone to ring. The velocity that has kept teams interested remains his calling card, but wherever he lands next, the challenge will be the same: transforming raw tools into consistent performance. Baseball’s history is filled with late bloomers who finally found the right situation to succeed, and Garza will hope that his next opportunity might be the one where everything finally clicks into place.