The baseball community is mourning the loss of a young talent.
Former Houston Astros prospect Ronny Garcia died in a traffic accident in Samaná, Dominican Republic, the team confirmed on social media. He was 24.
The Astros, who initially signed Ronny as an international prospect in 2016, added in their April 20 statement, “Our condolences go out to his family and friends.”
The pitcher, his father and one other person were killed in the crash, which involved two motorcycles, local newspaper Alertas Mundial reported, on the highway that connects Samaná with Las Galeras.
Garcia joined the Astros’ organization in 2016 as a 16-year-old international signing, Yahoo Sports reported.
He pitched in their system in the Florida Complex League and Class A.
Throughout his eight-year career in professional baseball, Ronny pitched for a number of teams in the Dominican Republic and the United States.
He recorded 200 strikeouts and spent three seasons with the North Carolina-based Fayetteville Woodpeckers, a minor league affiliate of the Astros.
“We are saddened to learn of the passing of Ronny Garcia,” the team wrote in an April 20 post on X. “Ronny spent parts of three seasons with Fayetteville, always carrying a smile around the ballpark. He was a talented pitcher and a beloved teammate. Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time.”
