Robles is #1 on every list … and he’s finally within driving distance! Photo via milb.com
(2016’s version of this post, 2015’s version of this post)
Now that we’re basically through Prospect Ranking season, and now that the four full season rosters have been announced, here’s a fun little look at where all our “top” prospects are assigned to start out 2017. By “Top prospects” I basically mean anyone who has gotten more recent prospect rankings (so for example, Taylor Hill in Syracuse is not listed). Even an “honorable mention” in Sickel’s lists, which go nearly 40 deep. I have it organized not by general ranking, but by the level.
Also, Here’s a link to every Nats prospect ranking list I know of dating to 2004 along with their respective starting locations going back 3 years (the below table only has this year’s and last for comparison purposes).
| Last Name | First Name | Position | 2017 Starting Level | 2016 Starting Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glover | Koda | RHP (reliever) | MLB | High A |
| Marmolejos | Jose | 1B | MLB D/L | High A |
| Cole | A.J. | RHP | AAA | AAA |
| Voth | Austin | RHP | AAA | AAA |
| Severino | Pedro | C | AAA | AAA |
| Bautista | Rafael | OF (CF) | AAA | AA |
| Goodwin | Brian | OF (CF) | AAA | AAA |
| Skole | Matt | 1B/3B | AAA | AAA |
| Fedde | Erick | RHP | AA | High A |
| Stevenson | Andrew | OF (CF) | AA | High A |
| Ward | Drew | 3B | AA | High A |
| Abreu | Osvaldo | SS | AA | High A |
| Read | Raudy | C | AA | High A |
| Williams | Austen | RHP | AA | AA |
| Johansen | Jake | RHP (reliever) | AA | High A |
| Simms | John | RHP | AA | AA |
| Cordero | Jimmy | RHP (reliever) | AA | AA |
| Self | Derek | RHP (reliever) | AA | High A |
| Perez | Stephen | SS | AA | AA |
| Kieboom | Spencer | C | AA | AA |
| Robles | Victor | OF (CF) | High-A | Low A |
| Gutierrez | Kelvin | 3B | High-A | Low A |
| Baez | Joan | RHP (Starter) | High-A | Low A |
| Wiseman | Rhett | OF (corner) | High-A | Low A |
| Agustin | Telmito | OF | High-A | Low A |
| Lora | Edwin | SS | High-A | Low A |
| Crownover | Matthew | LHP (Starter | High-A | Low A |
| Sagdal | Ian | Util | High-A | Low A |
| Davidson | Austin | Inf | High-A | High A |
| Reyes | Luis | RHP | High-A | High A |
| Rodriguez | Jefry | RHP | High-A | Low A |
| Bacus | Dakoda | RHP (reliever) | High-A | AA |
| Rivera Jr. | Mariano | RHP (reliever) | High-A | Low A |
| Soto | Juan | OF (corner) | Low-A | GCL |
| Kieboom | Carter | SS | Low-A | GCL |
| Neuse | Sheldon | 3B | Low-A | Short A |
| Franco | Anderson | 3B | Low-A | GCL |
| Perkins | Blake | OF (CF) | Low-A | Short A |
| Reetz | Jakson | C | Low-A | Low A |
| Watson | Tyler | LHP | Low-A | Short A |
| Banks | Nick | OF (Corner) | Low-A | Short A |
| Johnson | Daniel | OF (Corner) | Low-A | Short A |
| Noll | Jake | 2B | Low-A | GCL |
| Barrera | Tres | C | Low-A | Short A |
| Garcia | Luis | SS | XST | DSL |
| Luzardo | Jesus | LHP (Starter | XST | XST |
| Antuna | Yasel | SS | XST | DSL |
| Upshaw | Armond | OF (CF) | XST | GCL |
| Lee | Andrew | LHP (reliever) | XST | Low A |
| Pimentel | Davinson | C | XST | GCL |
| Fuentes | Steven | RHP | XST | Short A |
| Dickey | Robbie | RHP | XST | Low A |
| Mota | Israel | OF | XST | GCL |
| Gunter | Cody | 3B (now a RPH) | XST | Low A |
| Ballou | Isaac | OF (Corner) | XST | AA |
| Benincasa | Robert | RHP (reliever) | XST | AA |
| Sanchez | Jose | ? | DSL? | DSL |
Thoughts by Level:
MLB: Koda Glover‘s amazing 2016 rise from High-A to the majors is well documented. Now it looks like he may get closing chances sooner than later. For procedural reasons Jose Marmolejos has to be on the major league D/L, but you’d have to think he goes to AA when he’s off of it. His injury, in case you were wondering, is a “Left Forearm Strain” and he should be eligible to come off the 60-day D/L on or about April 24th.
AAA: Of the 6 “prospects” in AAA … 5 of them were there last year. Only Rafael Bautista is making “progress” into the upper-most level of our minors. All six are on the 40-man and all 6 should get call-ups at some point this year (even if its 9/1 for someone like Bautista). We’ve talked these guys to death really; no real surprises on this list.
AA: Lots of guys on the AA roster who have gotten mentions in the past. About half of them are Nats draftees making expected progress from High-A -> AA (Fedde, Stevenson, Ward, Abreu, Read). There’s 5 guys who are seemingly stalled at AA for the moment: Williams, Simms, Cordero, Perez and Kieboom all started last year at AA. And then there’s the two oddities in terms of assignments: Johansen (as previously discussed) and Self (who is now in AA for the fourth season).
High-A: 10 of the 13 guys here are making year-over-year expected progress from Low-A. Two more (Davidson and Reyes) are repeating the level, and then there’s Bacus, who started last year in AA and seems to be moving backwards.
Low-A: 6 guys making expected Short->Low-A jumps, another 4 making the more impressive GCL->Low-A jump. Only Reetz languishing here, repeating Low-A and looking more and more like a draft disappointment. And its reflected in his system rankings; upon his drafting he was back of the top 10 … now he’s 18-20 range, if ranked at all.
XST: contains the expected mix of guys coming off injury and youngsters who were in either the GCL or the DSL last year and were not really ever candidates for Hagerstown. Some of these guys likely get assigned to full-season squads as injuries occur, others will slot into short-season squads in a couple of months. Biggest names here are Luis Garcia, Jesus Luzardo, Yasel Antuna, and Jose Sanchez (who might still be in the DSL as a 2016 IFA signee).
For those interested in seeing Harrisburg, the Bowie Baysox are hosting the Senators Apr. 13-15 (afternoon game on Sat.). Potomac has its first homestand Apr. 13-19, with Apr. 17 as the first “dollar Monday,” the best deal in baseball ($1 general admission on Mondays [parking is $5]). For those farther up in Maryland, you can catch Potomac in road games at Fredrick. The P-Nats just completed a series there.
KW
13 Apr 17 at 9:38 am
For those farther into Virginia, the Richmond Squirrels are also in the same league with Harrisburg, although the Senators don’t visit the Squirrels until May 19-21.
KW
13 Apr 17 at 9:41 am
Just wanted to highlight one guy who may well be on his way to “super” prospect status this year: Juan Soto. He just hit his first HR last night and his stats so far at Hagerstown are incredible, even allowing for a small sample size: .464/.516/.607 for a Harper-like OPS of 1.123. But most impressively, ZERO strikeouts in 31 PAs as an 18-year old in full season ball.
I don’t think it is too early to get excited at just how good this kid could be, nor of the prospect of him and Robles (who is also tearing it up at Potomac) playing together in the Nats outfield for years. It could be like having both Tim Raines and Andre Dawson in their primes, for those of you who are into franchise comparisons.
Karl Kolchak
13 Apr 17 at 12:24 pm
In Luke’s Top 10 Bats list over the winter, I think I was the only one to vote Soto #1 over Robles. I’m not claiming to be a prophet; I just think he has more power that will give him a higher ceiling as a major-leaguer. Soto’s numbers for the first week at the new level are off the charts, though, with Kieboom’s not far behind.
KW
13 Apr 17 at 12:59 pm
Agree on Soto. He even got into BA’s email I saw either today or yesterday.
Robles picking up right where he left off: an OPS north of 1000 to start. Same with Soto/Kieboom as noted. how about Daniel Johnson?? 3 homers in 7 games? he had 1 the entirety of 2016 in Auburn. Nice to see Blake Perkins starting out strong too. I can’t tell if he’s still switch hitting or not.
Todd Boss
13 Apr 17 at 1:41 pm
It makes me cringe to think how many of these guys will likely get traded this year if the bullpen continues to crap the bed. At least good years from the others ought to help keep Soto and Robles protected (crosses fingers).
Karl Kolchak
13 Apr 17 at 2:08 pm
It’s very, very early, but the top four Nat prospects now look to be Robles, Fedde, Soto, and Kieboom, in whichever order you prefer. Three of them have yet to reach AA, although Robles probably will by June. Two just entered the system last season, and three are still teenagers (until Robles turns 20 next month). Should be celebrate their progress, wonder what in the heck happened to all the other guys the system is supposed to have been developing, or perhaps a bit of both? (Admittedly, the Nats traded two of their top five [three of their top 10] for Eaton.)
KW
13 Apr 17 at 2:32 pm
I have an “average” ranking from the various lists and 1-4 is definitely Robles, Fedde, Soto, Kieboom, but the average rankings are interesting.
– Big 3: Robles, Fedde, Soto are all 1-2-3 in some order.
– then there’s a gap, then Kieboom, Stevenson, Glover and Luis Garcia are kinda bunched together.
– then there’s a slight gap to Neuse, Cole and Voth.
– gap to Severino, Luzardo, Ward and Bautista.
Todd Boss
13 Apr 17 at 3:47 pm
Glover did everything “wrong” to get much of a “prospect” ranking. He was an 8th-round pick (no hype), a reliever (no hype), and made the majors only a year after being drafted (no time to build hype). Make no mistake, though, a guy with a 98 mph heater who blows through the minors in a year is a top-tier prospect, whether he’s ranked as such or not.
Stevenson is also a hard guy to rank by traditional prospect grading. He’s a guy with advanced skills who has moved through the system at an above-average pace and was one of the best players in the AZ Fall League. He profiles with a relatively low MLB ceiling, though, so he’s never going to get as much love as the “toolsy” guys. But hey, Spanky Eaton just cracked the very bottom of the top 100 with a similar skills set, yet he turned out to be a guy who could net multiple top-tier “prospects” in trade.
KW
13 Apr 17 at 8:30 pm
FWIW, Joe Ross had a solid start for Syracuse today, one run allowed in 7 IP, 85 pitches. Obviously he’s not down in the minors to save innings. Not sure what it is that he was down for, but it wasn’t that . . .
KW
13 Apr 17 at 8:37 pm
Dane Dunning is destroying A ball early for the Sox. 13k in 8 innings today. Might he be the gem that got away? Giolito and Lopez rough start so far.
I’m liking Eaton a lot.. At the plate at least. Doesn’t look much like a real CF though to my eyes. I’m sure much better in the corners.
Murphy just amazes. Best hitter in the game.
Marty C
13 Apr 17 at 11:44 pm
Yes, it’s early, and…but I agree with KK that one has to point out that Soto’s 1 K in his first 33 AB as a power hitting 18 year old in A ball is outrageous!!
There are a few other names that we need to start discussing more regularly — and yes, Hagerstown gets mentioned for good reason…starting to look like 2016 was as good a draft as 2015…
Daniel Johnson – 4 HR already, for a young and short player still developing his skills. Power and speed.
Blake Perkins – I never had much positive to say. But the Nats faith has been rewarded, as has their promotion of him, with his OBA over 500 and drawing 7 walks already.
Edwin Lora – The 21 year old is on a tear. So Victor Robles is dominating. Expected. But for the SS on the same team to have a higher slugging percentage, and OBA than Robles?
Taylor Gushue – Early power breakout for the 23 year old catcher at Potomac. Wonder how Jackson Reetz must feel watching this come from a catcher the Nats acquired for Chris Bostick’s waiver claim. Sometimes a bag of balls is more than a bag of balls.
Ian Sagdal – The Rodney Dangerfield of the Nats prospects, and he is againb showing himself to be a very productive bat. Old for the level and if he can keep it up, one to root for to move to AA and get back to an age appropriate level.
Raudy Read – Beat out a talented catcher who was on the ML roster until a few weeks ago. In the middle of the lineup and hit the ground running.
Austin Adams – One hit allowed in three appearances, 11K in 6.1 innings. OK, Danny would have been the starting SS right now…
My top 50 at season’s beginning:
Note – I cannot rank players who have not yet produced, based only on bonus, who are producing middlin at an old age/level, or who are international prospects with no track record.
that said:
Victor Robles A+
Juan Soto A-
Erick Fedde AA
Pedro Severino AAA
Andrew Stevenson AA
Austin Voth AAA
Rafael Bautista AAA
Drew Ward AA
Jose Marmolejos AA
Kelvin Gutierrez A+
Carter Kieboom A-
Anderson Franco A-
Brian Goodwin AAA
Tyler Watson A-
Telmito Agustin A+
Raudy Read AA
Joan Baez A+
McKenzie Mills A-
Weston Davis A-
A.J. Cole AAA
Osvaldo Abreu AA
Ed Lora A+
Daniel Johnson A-
Ian Sagdal A+
Austin Adams AAA
John Simms AA
Jakson Reetz A-
Tyler Mapes AA
Blake Perkins A-
Matt Grace AAA
Ryan Brinley AA
Yadiel Hernandez A
Austen Williams AA
Sterling Sharp A-
Hector Silvestre A+
Grant Borne A+
Matt Skole AAA
Jake Noll A-
Phillips Valdez AA
Nick Banks A-
Tres Barrera A-
Stephen Fuentes SS
Yonathan Ramirez SS
Sheldon Neuse A-
Taylor Guilbeau A+
Mariano Rivera A+
Rafael Martin AAA
Wander Suero AA
Matt Crownover A+
Carlos Acevedo A-
forensicane
14 Apr 17 at 12:53 am
You’re lower on some of the newer draftees, like Neuse, Banks, Noll, than many others.
I share your interest in Sagdal. He’s been my sleeper – a guy rarely on prospects list that makes the majors and has some value. It would help him if he could be passable at a few positions like the corners, or even 2b. Mark derosa type, maybe.
By the end of the year, I’ll bet Bautista replaces MAT as the first OF up.
Looks Ike you have finally thrown in the towel on Martin?
Wally
14 Apr 17 at 7:34 am
I’ve been fascinated by both Sagdal (.320) and Davidson (.333), senior draftees who have continued to hit. Neither has particularly settled in a position. From what I can tell from his college listing, Sagdal had a growth spurt and is now four or five inches taller than he was for much of his college career (and therefore seems to have outgrown SS/2B).
I was very high on Banks when the Nats drafted him and am glad to see him off to a good start at Hags (.345). He was projected as a top 15-20 pick before he was slowed by injuries in his last college season.
It’s interesting that the group that collectively was awful at the plate at Auburn last year is now rocking it in Hagerstown, albeit with more than a little help from GCL friends Soto and Kieboom. Neuse (.188) is still struggling, though.
As for Kieboom, I’m not sure what it’s going to take for him to start getting more love as a higher-tier prospect. He’s currently posting high-school-like numbers in A-ball, hitting a cool .483.
KW
14 Apr 17 at 8:36 am
Dunning should be in High-A, not Low-A honestly. A first round college junior draftee from an SEC school has no business being in Low-A his second full year. Look at nearly any other first round pick from an SEC or ACC school last year; they’re all in upper leagues. In fact, lets run through every college junior pick from a major conference prior to Dunning from last year: http://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?year_ID=2016&query_type=year_round&from_type_jc=0&from_type_hs=0&from_type_4y=0&from_type_unk=0
– Senzel: SEC/Tennessee: starting 2017 in Daytona (High-A)
– Puk: SEC (florida): in high-A stockton
– Ray: ACC (Louisville): believe he’s hurt so he’s still in XST but he was a NRI this spring
– Collins: ACC (Miami) starting in Winston-Salem (High-A)
– Quantrill: pac12 (Stanford): in highA california league
– Thaiss: ACC (UVA): high-A
– Dunn: ACC (Boston College): high-A
– Craig ACC (Wake Forest): high-A FSL
– Zack Burdi: ACC Louisville: he’s already in AAA, picked 2 picks before Dunning.
Every draft pick from a major college picked before Dunning is at High-A in 2017 or higher. He’s too low.
Todd Boss
14 Apr 17 at 10:04 am
Agree on Banks; you just don’t go from being on Team USA as a collegiate amateur to sucking. The talent is there. I still think that’s a steal of a pick.
Todd Boss
14 Apr 17 at 10:07 am
That being said on Dunning … while I liked the pick at the time from a “sneakiness” factor I think he’s got a limited upside. If he can’t cut it as an effective command and control starter, what role does he project for in the majors? He doesn’t have swing and miss awesome stuff, so it seems like his fall back option to be a middle reliever may be limited. He’s not a lefty, so he can’t fall back on being a Loogy. Perhaps this is why the Nats felt they could part with him.
Todd Boss
14 Apr 17 at 10:14 am
The only thing that surprises me about Perkins is that anybody is surprised. They knew when they drafted him out of HS that his hitting skills were raw and that he would be a long term project. Ian Desmond, who was a 3rd round HS pick, didn’t have his first plus .700 OPS season until his age 21 year.
Karl Kolchak
14 Apr 17 at 11:11 am
Todd, like you, I talked myself into to liking the Dunning pick, but I suspect what you’re saying now is accurate. Admittedly, the Gator rotation was stacked, but he couldn’t break into it. He doesn’t have upper 90s heat, so he’ll either have to make it as a crafty starter or a crafty reliever, and there’s not a lot of market for either, particularly for righties. (Just ask Austin Voth.)
As for Perkins, I’m glad he’s making some contact, but I still don’t see much of a ceiling for him unless he keeps growing. He has no power and hasn’t stolen many bases, so I’m not sure what his calling card is supposed to be. He has 12 hits this season, but for only 13 total bases.
Right now, I’m more intrigued by Daniel Johnson’s power surge than I am by Perkins. Johnson had 12 HRs as a college junior, but the ball tends to fly in the WAC.
KW
14 Apr 17 at 1:18 pm
Perkins: .387/.513/.419–.932 OPS, 2 SB, 0 CS
Stevenson: .355/.429/.387–.816 OPS, 1 SB, 2 CS
Plus, Perkins is now a switch hitters and is considered an elite defender in CF, whereas Stevenson is lefty only and his arm is considered marginal at best.
If Perkins can keep his BA in the .300 range and develop just a little bit of power, he could have a far better career than Stevenson.
Karl Kolchak
14 Apr 17 at 2:16 pm
I wasn’t a fan of either pick, to tell you the truth. They drafted two guys with the same skills and same deficiencies in the same round of the same draft. I’ve been encouraged by how well Stevenson has progressed through the system, though, and he really put on a show in the AZ Fall League. Perkins, meanwhile, has struggled at every stop before this season. I hope his good start lasts, but we’ll see. I have a hard time envisioning either of them as MLB regulars, at least with a contender like the Nats. But I hope they prove me wrong!
Meanwhile, the Nats’ 8th-round pick from the same draft is throwing 98, with 94 on the slider. Koda!
KW
14 Apr 17 at 6:46 pm
I guess nobody told Dunning he doesn’t have swing and miss stuff. 13 k’s last night and 21 in 2 starts. Low A but still impressive.
Will be interesting to see how Drew Ward progresses this year.
Perkins, no matter his ceiling, is playing 1000% times better than he has in the past.
Ahhh.. Murphy again. He’s a legend.
Marty C
14 Apr 17 at 7:48 pm
And Eaton is crashing into walls and hitting .300. He’ll be a key cog for the Nats for five years.
I said at the time of the trade that the Chisox three don’t have to fail for the deal to be successful for the Nats. They just need Eaton to be good.
The Friday win was an important one for the Nats. The Mets have an easier April than the Nats do, and of course the Nats just made a mess of last weekend in Philly. The bullpen was strong in general, although Treinen sort of got bailed out of a mess he was starting to create.
Murph went 2 for 5 and saw his average go down. Sad.
KW
14 Apr 17 at 9:13 pm
KW, I’m totally siding with KK with Perkins. I read an interview a few years back where Perkins said the Nats told him when they drafted him they were going to convert him to a switchhitter.
That guarantees some very bad nimbers for a few years, but once again I agree with KK that these high school picks can’t be judged for 2-3 years after being drafted.
The Nats saw a potential high ceiling kid that they could mold. In Rizzo I trust.
In truth, I love Spiderman but Perkins is potentially an All Star.
Will make for a great 2017.
Mark L
14 Apr 17 at 11:53 pm
I’ve been hopeful on Perkins as well. Less from anything I can see or measure, but more because the Nats saw enough to draft him high, 2nd round and not really under slot, and other prospect guys like KLaw were bullish on him. But really, he’s likely to take the full 5 years of minor league development time before we know if anything’ there. As opposed to a guy like Banks which, barring injury, I’d say we’ll know at the end of this year if he has a shot. In general, I like these speedy, good defense OFs with a chance to develop the hit tool. But I like watching speed and defense almost as much as hitting, so maybe it’s just personal bias. I’m interested to see Bautista get a shot soon.
I have to say that I’m concerned about Robles. I haven’t heard much about his current injury, and I don’t even know where he was hit. I’m also assuming it’s ok, but he must dive into the plate for so many HBPs and that’s likely to cause long term weakening of his wrists. If he doesn’t change his style, I’d actually start to consider lowering his ceiling and maybe consider trading him while he’s at peak value. I mean, seriously, it’s moving past a statistical oddity.
Wally
15 Apr 17 at 8:12 am
There are three numbers that really matter for speed-first guys: doubles, OBP, and stolen bases. You need at least gap power, you need to get on base consistently, and you need a high SB threat. Basically, it’s the Trea Turner profile, but Robles follows it pretty well, too (and is nearly a year younger than Perkins).
As I said, I hope they all prove me wrong. But the eye of the needle to thread to make the major leagues for a contending team is pretty darn narrow. Look at the Nats now. Six of the eight regulars (counting Trea) and three of five starting pitchers (counting Ross) were 1st-round picks. Of the ones who weren’t, Murphy was MVP runner-up last season, Eaton had a WAR over 6, Roark has a career ERA of 3.03, and Gio once won 21 games. They’re all studs, every one of them. Turner and Eaton are both speed-first guys, but they pile up the extra-base hits.
Wally, I share the HBP concern on Robles. I commented on it on Luke’s site. It’s been an issue far too long for the organization not to have addressed it more aggressively.
KW
15 Apr 17 at 9:12 am
Isn’t the needle to thread to make the majors extremely narrow for all types? Big power guys need to make enough contact to get to that power, for example. At least the speed guys usually offer some base running and defense to hedge if their bat doesn’t get there. But everybody needs pitch recognition and some minimal amount of plate discipline. I guess the high contact guys have the best skill to build off.
But yeah, baseball is pretty hard and least apt for a particular physical characteristic to determine whether you’re good. If your 7′, you have a decent chance at basketball. If you’re 6’6′, 350lbs, football may have use for you. Baseball doesn’t have that correlation.
Wally
15 Apr 17 at 12:59 pm
Just got back from the park a little bit ago where another bullpen meltdown contributed to yet another loss against a team who 3 of their 4 wins this season have been against the Nats. It was particularly frustrating because the Nats were hitting loud outs right to defenders all afternoon. Had it been July and the ball been traveling the way it does on hot sticky days, they would have won that game 8-4.
Good sized crowd for April at least. Lots of walk ups from all appearances. That was nice to see.
Karl Kolchak
15 Apr 17 at 7:04 pm
Wally, I can’t get overly excited about a ten game sample size, but I can get intrigued. Let’s see how things are in a month or two, and if Perkins, Gushue, Johnson, Kieboom, and others are sustaining their production once the league has gotten used to them, then they’ll invariably rise in my estimation.
Gushue is the shock of the system right now, but evidently not to the system itself, which is batting him in the heart of the order. Would be great to see another Rizzo improbable pickup out of another team’s undervalued minor leaguers.
forensicane
16 Apr 17 at 1:04 am
Am I the only one surprised that the Nats find themselves in first place after what feels like a bubbling first two weeks of the season? That’s the good news here; in 2013 and 2015, the Braves and Mets sprinted away from the struggling Nats early. This year, the Mets appear to be just as bumbling. The Marlins have an above-average everyday lineup, at least until Stanton inevitably gets hurt, but it’s hard to see them staying in contention with that rotation.
Speaking of rotations, the Nats’ one looks to be as advertised. Gio has pitched three solid games. (It was a telling stat that he got his first out in an 8th inning yesterday since August 2015.)
The bullpen is, well, a high-wire act. I know Dusty likes to stand behind his guys, but he can’t abide Treinen putting on every first batter he faces much longer. Perhaps Koda and Kelley can get some looks on the back end. Romero seems to be in the doghouse, with good reason, but there’s plenty of room for others to join him there. Blanton is confounding because he hasn’t pitched too badly overall . . . beyond three atrocious gopher balls.
And c’mon, guys, tighten up that defense! What does a team have to do to get a catcher who can catch a throw to the plate?
Oh well. Bryce’s current slash line almost mirrors 2015. Zim looks very promising. Werth isn’t dead yet, at least at the plate (the OF may be another matter). Murph is proving that last year wasn’t a fluke, Rendon is showing some life, Eaton is rapidly becoming a fan favorite, and Trea is healing. It’s time to string together a few wins and make it feel like we’re not just bubbling along.
KW
17 Apr 17 at 12:39 pm
Fun fact of the day, Syracuse’s team ERA is 6.86. That for a team playing April games in upstate NY where presumably the ball isn’t travelling. The biggest disappointment has to be Voth, who got rocked for the second straight time yesterday and sporting an ERA north of 12.00. That’s a long way of saying there’s no immediate help coming for the Nats’ beleaguered bullpen.
The Nats have to hope that the lineup stays healthy and effective as it looks like there are going to be a lot of high scoring, see saw games this year.
Karl Kolchak
17 Apr 17 at 5:25 pm
I’m not expecting any help from Syracuse, other than from Joe Ross. Ross supposedly will be called up on Wed., which will create an interesting situation for the bullpen. Glover and Solis are the only relievers with options. Glover isn’t going anywhere. Albers was an NRI with tenuous standing, but he’s pitched OK. Romero and Solis have been about equally bad, and of course Romero is out of options. Unless someone develops a phantom injury, my guess would be that Solis gets optioned. That’s too bad, as he had some terrific stretches last year. I think he’s going to be a more dependable longer-term option than Romero. Perhaps Solis is optioned but with the thought that they can recall him if/when Romero flames out.
Not sure what’s wrong with Voth. He was quite effective at AAA last year. Perhaps he has some lingering disappointment from not getting much a look by the big club in the spring. Perhaps pitching conditions in Upstate NY in April aren’t ideal. We’ll see.
The Nats have solid talent in the bullpen as it stands. Treinen, Kelley, Solis, and Blanton all had ERAs under 3.00 last year. There is rational reason to hope/expect that they get better.
KW
18 Apr 17 at 9:58 am
Just new posted with a ton of Bullpen talk since that’s what Ask Collier mailbag was about. But yes I agree with you guys; not much in AAA to help.
Todd Boss
18 Apr 17 at 10:28 am