Indians 2003–2004 Garko was selected as a catcher by the Cleveland Indians in the third round (78th overall) of the 2003 Major League Baseball draft. On July 8, 2003, he signed a contract with the Indians and was assigned to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the New York–Penn League. In his first professional season, Garko batted .273 with four home runs and 16 RBIs in 45 games. The next season, , he split time between the Class-A Advanced Kinston Indians, the Double-A Akron Aeros, and the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. During April, he was named the "Player of the Month" in the Carolina League. He was also named the 13th best prospect in the Carolina League by Baseball America. He batted a combined .330 with 33 doubles, 22 home runs, and 99 RBIs in 113 games with all three leagues. Garko was third in the Carolina League in batting average with a .328 clip, and sixth in home runs with 16. At the end of the season, he was named the Cleveland Indians' minor league player of the year by USA Today. Garko participated in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) at the end of the 2004 season. With the Peoria Javelinas in the AFL, he batted .348 with 40 hits, 5 home runs, and 30 RBIs in 30 games. He was named to the AFL Raising Stars team, an all-star team voted upon by managers and coaches. 2005 season In 2005, Garko spent spring training with the Indians, but he was returned to the minor leagues before the regular season. He spent most of the season with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. He hit .303 with 19 home runs, and 77 RBIs in 127 games. Halfway through the 2005 season, Garko was selected to the International League all-star team. He was also selected to the All-Star Futures Game in Detroit. On September 18, 2005, Garko made his major league debut against the Kansas City Royals, pinch-hitting for Travis Hafner in the eighth inning and striking out against Chris Demaria. That was his only major league appearance of the year. For the second straight season, Garko played in the Arizona Fall League at the end of the season, this time with the Mesa Solar Sox. He batted .314 with 27 hits, 5 home runs, and 27 RBIs in 23 games. 2006 season Entering the 2006 season, Baseball America ranked Garko as the fifth