Garcia is becoming one of the better players in baseball.
Kansas City Royals star third baseman Maikel Garcia was rewarded with a five-year contract extension earlier this offseason following his strong 2025 campaign. His play was recognized once again on Wednesday, as it was revealed that Garcia is ranked No. 65 overall on MLB Network's top 100 players list.
Garcia, 25, had a breakout 2025 campaign. Not only did he make his first career All-Star team, but the third baseman won his first Gold Glove and even finished 14th in American League MVP voting. It was a strong season to say the least. Garcia is establishing himself as one of the best all-around players in the game.
He slashed .286/.351/.449 across 160 games played during the '25 campaign. The Royals star ultimately recorded 16 home runs, 39 doubles, five triples, 74 RBI, 23 stolen bases and an .800 OPS. He is an extremely balanced player who does a little bit of everything on the field.
It was also recently announced that the Royals will be moving in the outfield fences for the 2026 season. Perhaps the decision will lead to Garcia's first 20-plus home run season of his big league career.
MLB Network also revealed each player ranked from No. 61-70 on Wednesday. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Brice Turang, Freddy Peralta and Nathan Eovaldi checked in at No. 60-64, while Eugenio Suarez, Michael Busch, Kyle Stowers, Wyatt Langford and Josh Naylor are ranked from 66-70.
Peralta finished fifth in National League Cy Young voting in 2025 and has been one of the most consistent pitchers over the past few seasons, so it was surprising to not see him ranked higher. Other than Peralta, it is difficult to argue with most of the other rankings here.
Garcia could realistically take a step forward during the upcoming 2026 season, however. 2025 was his breakout season, but he is only 25 years old. As a result, Garcia is still improving. Perhaps he can become a top 50 player next season when MLB Network releases its player rankings. His ceiling remains high, and the Royals clearly believe in his future given the aforementioned five-year contract extension.
For now, he will have to settle for No. 65, which is still a respectable place to be. It suggests he is indeed one of the better players in all of baseball.
Maikel Garcia is on track for his best season yet in 2026 as the Royals hope to return to the postseason.