Nats hoping for help from farm
For Washington Nationals fans who saw their team finish with the worst record
in the Majors, pretty much anything would be an improvement.
The good news is that the organization is considered one of the most improved
in the game, and not just because its teams finished over .500 for the first
time in more than a decade (.516).
Nearby teams at Class A Hagerstown (Md.), Class A Advanced Potomac (Va.) and
Double-A Harrisburg (Pa.) have accelerated the careers of nearly all of the
system's young stars and top prospects.
Though pitcher-heavy, the prospect list also features some interesting young
hitters.
That pitching depth should be even deeper within a few months since the Nats
own the first pick in the Draft and are expected to grab San Diego State
right-hander Stephen Strasburg with that selection. The 2008 Olympian's
fastball has been clocked at 100 MPH.
They also have the 10th overall pick because they were unsuccessful in
signing their top pick, right-hander Aaron Crow of Missouri, last year. In
addition to that item in the "debit" column, the impact to the organization
from the revelation that top teenage shortstop prospect Esmailyn Gonzalez is
neither teenage nor Esmailyn Gonzalez is yet to be determined.
Coming Soon
Roger Bernadina, OF
Bernadina enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2008 at age 24 when he combined to
hit .335 and steal 41 bases at two levels en route to his big league debut.
The Curacao native, MLB.com's Minor League Hitter of the Year for the
Nationals, is the organization's top speed threat and defensive outfielder.
Though he batted just .211 in the bigs, he struggled in a late-June stint,
but hit .306 in in September.
Shairon Martis, RHP
He no-hit Panama in the 2006 World Baseball Classic as a teenager out of
Curacao, but skipped this year's event in order to focus on winning a
rotation spot with the Nationals. He made a brief big league debut in 2008
after posting a 3.64 ERA in the Minors.
Jordan Zimmermann, RHP
He could jump from his first full season in the Minors right into the Nats'
rotation as a non-roster invitee this spring. He combined to go 10-3 with a
2.89 ERA at two levels last year and was the organization's Minor League
Pitcher of the Year. A second-round pick in 2007, Zimmermann has the best
fastball and slider in the system and walked 47 batters while striking out
134 in as many innings in '08.
Under the Radar
Adrian Alaniz, RHP
In his first full season, the 2007 eighth-round pick out of Texas went 9-5
with a 3.28 ERA on two levels, including a 9-0 stint (2.62 ERA) for the
eventual Carolina League-champion P-Nats. Coming off a debut that saw him go
8-2 with a 2.39 ERA at Vermont in 2007, Alaniz finished fourth in the system
in ERA in 2008.
Leonard Davis, IF/OF
The 2004 eighth-round pick out of a California junior college came out of
nowhere in 2008 to hit .308 with 25 homers and 76 RBIs at Potomac, Harrisburg
and Columbus, earning the organization's Minor League Player of the Year
award.
Brandon "Boomer" Whiting, OF
A 28th-round pick in 2007 out of Louisville, Whiting has game-changing speed
as his 47 steals in just 101 games between Hagerstown and Potomac may attest.
In his 2007 debut at Vermont, he swiped 37 bags in 62 games and stole a
school-record 73 bases at Louisville prior to the Draft.
Draft
Top Picks
2008: Aaron Crow, RHP
The club never came to terms with the former Missouri ace, who wound up going
the independent league route and will be back in the Draft this spring. As
compensation, the Nationals get the 10th overall pick this spring. Don't
expect them to use it on Crow, however.
2007: Ross Detwiler, LHP
The first member of his Draft class to make it to the Majors when the Nats
gave the sixth overall pick a taste of the bigs that September, the 6-foot-5
southpaw spent '08 anchoring the Potomac rotation with a 4.86 ERA. He's
recently added a changeup to his fastball/curveball arsenal.
2006: Chris Marrero, 1B
The Miami high school star, taken with the 15th pick overall, is the system's
best power prospect, but lost most of 2008 to an ankle injury suffered while
sliding into home plate. He came into camp in great shape and the Nats are
looking for a big comeback year from the outfielder-turned-first baseman, who
hit .273 with 23 homers and 88 RBIs in 2007 at Hagerstown.
2008 Draft Recap
OF Destin Hood (2) has first-round talent but fell to the second round due to
signability questions (he was committed to playing football at Alabama). The
converted shortstop is still learning the outfield ropes, but is an
outstanding athlete. ... SS Daniel Espinosa (3) out of Cal State-Long Beach
hit .328 in 19 games for Vermont and showed good plate patience. He is also
an excellent defensive shortstop. ... OF Marcus Jones (11) was drafted out of
North Carolina State but, perhaps more significantly, played his high school
ball in Washington D.C. He hit .333 in 14 games at Vermont. .. LHP Will
Atwood (12), drafted out of South Carolina, posted a 2.41 ERA in 12 starts at
Vermont, walking just nine while fanning 60 in 52 1/3 innings. The Nationals
could foresee a quick ascent for Atwood similar to that of ace John Lannan
and Jordan Zimmermann. ... OF J.P. Ramirez (15) won't turn 20 until after the
upcoming season but he already projects as one of the best pure hitters in
the organization after hitting .521 as a senior. The left-hander signed for
first-round money in the waning moments of the Draft window and hit .364 in a
handful of Gulf Coast League games.
Predictions
Hitter of the Year -- OF Justin Maxwell
Work ethic, athleticism and a fierce desire to make up for lost time from a
wrist injury that wiped out most of his 2008 campaign could combine for a
terrific comeback for this triple-threat.
Pitcher of the Year -- LHP Ross Detwiler
With Jordan Zimmermann more likely to be in the bigs too long to qualify for
this, Detwiler is one of the true gems of the system and should improve even
further on a fine 2008 campaign.
Notes of Note
It's anyone's guess how the SS Esmailyn Gonzalez/Carlos Alvarez David Lugo
saga will play out. Now known to be 23, Lugo (whose .343 average in the Gulf
Coast League led the system) will likely start the year in A ball with his
performance there determining his progress. ... LHP Josh Smoker, signed for a
$1 million bonus as a supplemental first-round pick in 2007, struggled early
in 2008 and then was shut down with shoulder trouble that necessitated
surgery. On a throwing program, he's schedule to arrive in camp on March 9
and hopes are that he will join Hagerstown sometime in May. ... Former big
league catcher Matt LeCroy will make his pro debut as the manager for the
Class A Hagerstown Suns.
Quotable
"He's a high-energy sparkplug type of guy who puts the ball in play, can
bunt, can steal bases, and a guy you find yourself rooting for because he
doesn't have great physical size but he's a gamer with good makeup, a great
team guy. He opened a lot of eyes with what he did last summer and is an
exciting player."
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