With his long hair, nickname (The Password) and talent, Jhostynxon Garcia is sure to be a fan favorite at Hadlock Field. Photo by Ella Hannaford/ Portland Sea Dogs
A quiz. The Password is:
A) a classic game show on which B-list celebrities hammed it up with the contestants;
B) what you forgot that gets you locked out of your Netflix account;
C) the center fielder for the Portland Sea Dogs and one of the top prospects in the Boston Red Sox organization.
The correct answer is of course, D) all of the above, but in Maine and Red Sox Nation this summer, the answer that really matters is C. The Password is the nickname of Jhostynxon Garcia, a 22-year old outfielder who is beginning the season with the Sea Dogs. Each of his plate appearances probably requires a capital letter, a number, and a ‘!’.
When you mention his nickname to Garcia, it elicits the widest of smiles. It’s the best nickname in baseball, and Garcia wears it with honor and pride.
“I love the nickname, but to be honest, I don’t remember how it started or who gave it to me,” Garcia said through interpreter Juan Rivera, one of Portland’s pitching coaches.
Garcia became the password in October 2021, with the Twitter account @InsideFastball, who saw Garcia’s collection of consonants (pronounced josh-ting-saun) and thought it apt. Garcia embraced it, and it’s joined him on his journey up Boston’s minor league ladder. He enters this season as Boston’s No. 6 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline, No. 8 by Baseball America, and No. 14 by soxprospects.com.
A native of San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela, Garcia climbed through three levels of baseball in 2024. He started the season in Low-A Salem, where he hit five home runs and drove in 19 runs in 24 games while scoring 20. That earned Garcia a promotion to High-A Greenville, where his improvement continued. In 53 games with the Drive, Garcia smacked 16 home runs, drove in 37 and scored 44, all while producing a .311 average, .371 on-base percentage, and a .998 OPS (on-base plus slugging).
Making three stops in the Red Sox minor league system last season, Jhostynxon Garcia had 118 hits, 23 home runs and 66 RBI. Photo by Jamie Fiedorek/ Portland Sea Dogs
When the Big Three of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kyle Teel were promoted to Triple-A Worcester in mid-August, Garcia got to the call to Double-A. He struggled some, as hitters often do. The jump from High-A to Double-A is considered by many to be the toughest in pro baseball. In 30 games with the Sea Dogs, Garcia hit two home runs, with 10 runs batted in and 14 scored.
“I think you saw last year, in the limited time he was here, trying to do too much at times. There was a lot of chase, and I don’t think that’s really who he was. You expect that from a young guy, getting promoted and trying to do too much,” said Portland manager Chad Epperson.
The biggest thing Garcia took from his short stint in Double-A at the end of last season was he had to improve his approach at the plate against the tougher pitchers he saw at this level.
“The biggest thing, and the main thing, is what am I going to do in the damage counts? Being a little bit more selective, and aggressive when I do see the pitch that I’m looking for,” he said.
The Red Sox added Garcia to the 40-man roster in November, so he began spring training with the big club. When he moved over to minor league camp, Epperson noticed a difference.
“I saw a different, more relaxed, calm guy that obviously was invited to major league camp coming down with some confidence to the minor leagues. He’s in such a really good spot,” Epperson said. “Quite a few (at-bats) for him in spring training. I am really, really happy for him and the work he’s put in, because his swing decisions are way better right now.”
The Red Sox added Jhostynxon Garcia to their 40-man roster and he started spring training with the big league club. Photo by Cullen McIntyre/ Portland Sea Dogs
Fans will be able to spot Garcia by his long hair, which touches the 35 on the back of his jersey. At some point this season, he could be joined in Portland by his younger brother, Johnafran, a catcher in the Red Sox system who begins the season on the injured list recovering from an ACL tear suffered last May with Salem. Garcia knows you might struggle to pronounce his name, but if you call him Password, he’ll appreciate it. He also knows a nickname isn’t what will get him to the majors.
“Honestly, it’s just always working hard and bringing good work day in and day out to the ballpark,” Garcia said. “I’m making sure I’m putting good focus on my swing. That’s what pulls you up.”
The Password knows, when it comes to success in baseball, there is no password.
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