Stuck in Single-A with his confidence dwindling, Justin Garza began to consider quitting baseball when COVID-19 put the world on hold in 2020.
But as he took time for himself away from the field, an unlikely hobby helped the right-handed pitcher get his career back on track: video games.
“ ‘MLB The Show’ actually was a big part about me learning how to pitch and figuring out how to pitch,” said Garza, whom the Mets acquired from the Giants Saturday. “It’s so realistic at times, just playing that video game.”
The reliever made what manager Carlos Mendoza called a “really good first impression” Tuesday night, striking out both batters he faced to escape a jam in the eighth inning of an eventual 5-4 victory over the Nationals at Citi Field.
