On April 19, 2024, Ronny Garcia, a former prospect of the Houston Astros, was fatally injured in a traffic mishap. The accident, which took place on the Las Galeras-Samaná highway in Samaná, Dominican Republic, involved two motorcycles and resulted in the death of Garcia’s father and another individual. Garcia was 24 years old.
Raised in Samaná, located in the northeastern part of the Dominican Republic, Garcia had a promising career as a pitcher in the Astros organization. He started his baseball career at the age of 16 when he signed with the team in 2016 as an international free agent, and steadily progressed through their minor league system.
From 2017 to 2023, Garcia played in the minor leagues for the Astros, finishing with a record of nine victories and 15 losses. He started his career in the Dominican Summer League teams and relocated to the United States in 2021. Garcia impressed with a 2.11 ERA across the Florida Complex League and Class-A Fayetteville during his time in the U.S.
Garcia’s performance remained strong in 2022, allowing only one run over 18.1 innings with the same teams. Over his career, which included 122 games and 186.2 innings, Garcia had a 3.42 ERA, allowed 170 hits, 71 earned runs, and eight home runs, and recorded 100 walks and 200 strikeouts.
In 2024, Garcia had just begun playing for the York (Pennsylvania) Revolution, a semi-professional team in the Atlantic League. Upon his signing, Revolution’s manager Rick Forney said, “He’s a promising young addition to our bullpen. His career statistics are impressive, and he’s a fascinating young pitcher. I’m eager to see him expand beyond a single-inning role, possibly as a bridge in the sixth or seventh inning. I’m looking forward to working with him closely.”
Garcia’s former team, the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, expressed their sorrow at his passing, stating, “Ronny was with Fayetteville for three seasons, always seen smiling at the ballpark. He was a skilled pitcher and a cherished team member. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family in these tough times.”
Tributes have been flooding social media from fans, fellow players, and baseball organizations, all expressing shock and grief at the premature loss of this talented young player. The Astros organization also expressed its profound sadness over his death, offering their sincere condolences to his family and friends,” on the following Saturday morning.