The Arizona Diamondbacks' season ended disappointingly when an 86-76 record was not enough to propel them to the playoffs in the difficult National League landscape.

It marks the third season in a row that the Diamondbacks have failed to punch their ticket to October after winning the National League pennant in 2023. Now, with owner Ken Kendrick focused on trimming payroll ahead of the 2027 season, Arizona’s roster will almost certainly look different next year.

Depending on which veteran players end up departing, some of the Diamondbacks’ younger players may end up having greater responsibility. One such player is left-hander Brandyn Garcia.

Garcia, 26, was selected by the Seattle Mariners with the 337th pick in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. On July 21, 2025, he made his MLB debut.

Garcia appeared in just two games for the Mariners before being traded to Arizona in a swap that was headlined by Josh Naylor going to Seattle. From there, Garcia appeared in 12 games for the Diamondbacks and went 0-2 with a 5.84 ERA. 

This season was one in which Garcia enjoyed tremendous growth as his role expanded. In 57 relief appearances, he posted a 1.93 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 51.1 innings of work.

Garcia’s growth is important because the Diamondbacks’ pitching staff was their weakness in 2026. Therefore, things may look significantly different next year, and Garcia’s role will likely grow even more as a result.

From the perspective of ERA and opponent batting average, Arizona’s relievers were average this season, falling to 16th and 18th, respectively, among Major League Baseball’s 30 teams. Among the Diamondbacks’ relievers, Garcia had the best ERA.

According to his Baseball Savant profile, Garcia provides strong fastball velocity that sits in the 89th percentile. His primary pitch is a sinker, which he relies on 49% of the time.

Garcia saw most of his action in July, when he made 14 appearances. Over that span, he made the most of his time on the mound, posting a 1.54 ERA with two saves in 11.2 innings of work. 

Garcia joins a list of young players, such as Ryan Waldschmidt and Jordan Lawlar, who can play bigger roles for Arizona in the future. Given the amount of time they have logged so far, it would not be surprising to see them become mainstays on the field as soon as next season.

The Diamondbacks could certainly use another leap from Garcia and others as they try to find a way to make it back to the postseason.