Chicago White Sox's Garcia seeing ball ... and hitting it

Avisail Garcia entered Wednesday night's game against the Yankees leading the major leagues with a .440 batting average.

In his first at-bat against New York, the Chicago White Sox's right fielder showed why - while taking a walk.

Facing Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka, Garcia took a called first strike. In past seasons, it was a hole he rarely escaped.

This year Garcia has remained calm when he's behind in the count, and, most important, he has kept his eye on the ball.

Garcia took Tanaka's next pitch for a ball, and he watched the next three pitches barely miss the strike zone before trotting down to first base with the walk.

While his vastly improved patience and strike-zone awareness didn't help prevent the Sox from losing to the Yankees 9-1, Garcia continued to show why he was considered one of the top young talents in the game when he was acquired in a three-way trade from the Detroit Tigers on July 30, 2013.

After walking in his first two trips to the plate Wednesday, Garcia was robbed of a hit by shortstop Ronald Torreyes and he lined out to right field in his final at-bat.

Through 14 games, Garcia leads the White Sox with a .423 batting average, 3 home runs, 13 RBI and a .483 on-base percentage.

"We're just trying to get him to stay on the ball a little bit more," manager Rick Renteria said. "I know people talk about homers as being something you can create. I guess that's debatable.

"But when guys put the barrel on the baseball, his size, maybe you have a particular loft in your swing, it can generate a homer. You don't have to always hit homers to the pull side. But you've got to hit first, and I think that's what he's focusing on right now."

At 6-feet-4, 225 pounds, Garcia has shown some impressive power early in the season. But, like Renteria said, making contact is the most important thing.

"I'm just trying to put my hands more inside and not try to too much," Garcia said. "Try to put the ball in play, you know, try to see the ball. I've been missing fastballs because my head was a little bit off. But I'm working to feel better."

In Wednesday's loss to the Yankees, Jose Abreu finally looked better at the plate while going 3-for-4 and raising his batting average to .200. He drove in the Sox's run with a double in the fourth inning.

Making his second start, Dylan Covey (0-1) was shelled for 8 runs on 10 hits (3 home runs) and 2 walks in 5 innings.