How White Sox's Avi Garcia blossomed into one of AL's best hitters

For significant chunks of the last three seasons, Chicago White Sox fans wanted to know why Avisail Garcia was still on the team.

This year, the same flock is demanding Garcia's inclusion on the American League all-star team.

Baseball, as the saying so often goes, is a funny game.

And no one is laughing at Garcia anymore.

Not only has the White Sox's 26-year-old right fielder finally harnessed all of his obvious tools, Garcia boosted his American League leading batting average to .343 after going 2-for-3 in Thursday afternoon's 5-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

In the fifth inning, Garcia and manager Rick Renteria were ejected by first-base umpire Paul Emmel. Garcia thought he checked his swing with two strikes but Emmel called him out.

As Garcia walked back to the dugout, he put two fingers up to his eyes and was tossed. It was his first career ejection. Renteria was ejected for defending Garcia.

"I didn't know that it happened because I turned my back," Garcia said. "I didn't know I was out of the game, but that happens. Nothing we can do about it. I didn't swing, 100 percent. That's why I get mad. But that happens. Everybody makes mistakes."

Garcia no longer makes consistent mistakes in the batter's box. What's behind the turnaround?

As Renteria has been quick to point out, Garcia led the major leagues in batting with runners in scoring position and two outs (.415) last season.

He also led the AL in batting with runners in scoring position (.355).

Overall, Garcia batted just .245 for the season, so that tells you focus was an issue when the bases were empty or there was just a runner on first base.

That has changed this season - in a big way.

"Focus and keep working at it every day and every at-bat, trying to do my best and trying to help my team win," Garcia said. "I have more experience right now, I've been in the league for a little bit, and you just have to keep working."

Garcia has worked hard on laying off pitches out of the strike zone, which was a chronic problem from 2014-16.

This season, the 6-foot-4, 230-pounder has trimmed that total to 57 strikeouts in 242 at-bats.

"His approaches have been consistent," Renteria said. "He's still seeing the ball very well and controlling the strike zone better. It's been a good run and hopefully he adds to it as the season progresses."

Garcia has had productive stretches before, reaching in his first 11 games to open the 2015 season and batting .319 with 4 home runs and 10 RBI in 14 games last August.

This year, he started hitting right out of the gate and has yet to slow down.

"I just try to swing at strikes," Garcia said. "Swing at strikes and don't try to do too much, because when I try to do too much, nothing happens. We have to make it simple, put the ball in play and see what happens."

Garcia looks like the White Sox's lone all-star this season. Does he look like a keeper for a team that is rebuilding?

"I would say that as you've seen him perform right now, you would think, yeah, this is a kid that's potentially one of the guys that's a piece of the puzzle," Renteria said. "He's still young enough. The beauty of it right now, and I guess it's just baseball, he's been kind of chipping away at who he is. This is seemingly a breakout year for him, so you're hoping that this continues as he's moving forward through the course of the season.

"And then you have to make a determination as to whether you think this is who he is, based on one season, or are there some other pieces of his development in terms of the years and past, is he somewhere in between? I think those are obviously good questions to ask, and those are things that we're going to have to think about to make a determination moving forward. But certainly, based on what he's doing right now, he sure does look like a piece of the future."

White Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre

TV: Comcast SportsNet Friday and Saturday; WGN Sunday

Radio: WLS 890-AM

Pitching matchups: The Sox's Jose Quintana (2-8) vs. Joe Biagini (1-5) Friday at 6:07 p.m.; Mike Pelfrey (2-5) vs. Marcus Stroman (7-2) Saturday at 12:07 p.m.; James Shields (1-0) vs. J.A. Happ (1-4) Sunday at 12:07 p.m.

At a glance: The White Sox head back out on the road after winning 3 of 4 vs. the Orioles during a quick stop at home. Shields comes off the disabled list (strained right lat) and makes his first start since April 16. Still trying to turn the corner, Quintana is a career 5-2 with a 1.67 ERA in 8 career starts vs. the Jays. The Sox were 5-1 vs. Toronto last season. The Jays (32-33) are tied for last place in the AL East. First baseman Justin Smoak leads Toronto in batting (.293), home runs (18) and RBI (43).

Next: Minnesota Twins at Target Field, Tuesday-Thursday.

- Scot Gregor