Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Former Astros prospect dies at 24

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated 4/20/24

The Houston Astros confirmed tragic news about one of their former prospects on Saturday.

MLB reporter Hector Gomez first shared the news late Friday night that ex-Astros pitching prospect Ronny Garcia was killed in a traffic accident at the age of 24. The accident, which took place in Samana, Dominican Republic, also reportedly took the life of Garcia’s father, who was traveling with him.

The Astros confirmed the news of Garcia’s death on Saturday morning, saying that they were “deeply saddened.”

We are deeply saddened by the passing of former Astros prospect, Ronny Garcia.

Our condolences go out to his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/CjoErDe6EC

— Houston Astros (@astros) April 20, 2024

Garcia spent many years in the Astros organization after signing with them as an international free agent in 2016 when he was just 16. A right-handed reliever, Garcia played six seasons in the Astros' farm system. While he never made it past the High-A level, Garcia posted a strong minor-league career ERA of 3.42 with 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings over 122 total appearances.

In February, Garcia signed a deal to play in the Atlantic League with the York Revolution. The 2024 Atlantic League season has yet to begin, though, meaning that Garcia’s final pitching appearance ultimately came with the High-A Asheville Tourists in September 2023.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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