KANSAS CITY, MO — The Kansas City Royals recently announced they have agreed to a five-year contract extension with infielder Maikel Garcia through 2030, with a club option for 2031. The deal covers what would have been his first four years of salary arbitration, plus his first year of free agency.
Garcia, 25, had a breakout 2025 season, earning his first career All-Star Game selection and his first career Rawlings Gold Glove Award, as well as being named a finalist for a Louisville SluggerSilver Slugger Award at the Utility position.
He set career highs this year in games (160), hits (170), doubles (39), home runs (16), RBI (74), on-base percentage (.351), slugging percentage (.449) and OPS (.800).
Garcia in 2025 became the first third baseman (min. 75% of games at the position) in Royals history to record at least 15 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season. He was one of only two Major Leaguers to turn the trick this year, alongside Cleveland’s José Ramírez (30 HR, 44 SB).
Among 2025 American League leaders, he ranked 5th in doubles, tied for 5th in triples (5), tied for 7th in hits, 9th in batting average (.286) and tied for 15th in stolen bases. His 50 multi-hit efforts were tied for the 6th most in the AL, just 3 games behind the league leaders.
Garcia was also one of the league’s best defenders in 2025, becoming the second Royals third baseman to win a Gold Glove Award, joining George Brett in 1985. He ranked 4th in the American League with 17 Outs Above Average, and his 18 OAA as a third baseman led all AL players at that position, according to Baseball Savant.
Maikel Garcia and the Royals came to an agreement on a contract extension last week to keep the La Sabana, Venezuela native in Kansas City along with Bobby Witt Jr. – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
He ranked 3rd among American League third basemen with 130 starts, but ranked 1st in total chances (346), putouts (105) and fielding percentage (.980). He was charged with just 7 errors in his 346 chances at third base, fewest among American League players at the position (min. 125 starts). He committed only 1 error in his final 75 games at third base from June 25 through season’s end.
The La Sabana, Venezuela native signed with Kansas City as an international free agent in July 2016 and made his Major League debut on July 15, 2022. He’s appeared in 449 games over parts of four seasons in the Majors, and had the 5th-most improved batting average (+.055) in MLB from 2024-25.
Information Courtesy of the Kansas City Royals and Major League Baseball
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