Ask and receive (from BP)
Top 10 Talents 25 And Under (born 4/1/87 or later)
Bryce Harper, OF
Stephen Strasburg, RHP
Anthony Rendon, 3B
Drew Storen, RHP
Lucas Giolito, RHP
Wilson Ramos, C
Danny Espinosa, 2B
Brian Goodwin, OF
A.J. Cole, RHP
Nathan Karns, RHP
Although Washington’s farm system lacks depth behind the elite talents at the top, no team in baseball can top their under-25 one-two punch. Even that may be an understatement, as Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg are two of the game’s rapidly emerging superstars.
Harper, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year, will play the entire 2013 campaign at age 20. His gargantuan raw power and plus-plus arm from the outfield have been well documented over the years. Harper flashed an impressive feel for hitting with the ability to make late-season adjustments down the stretch last season. Meanwhile, a healthy Strasburg is a true ace. Armed with three wipeout pitches, the 24-year-old righty attacks hitters with a fastball that averages 96 mph, a power curveball, and a diving changeup.
Harper’s narrow edge over Strasburg is all about personal preference, and it leads to an intriguing debate. Just for kicks, a handful of scouts and front office personnel were asked, “If you were starting a team, in a vacuum that excludes contract status, would you choose Harper or Strasburg?” The answers were split about evenly. In the end, the rankings of these two are subjective. The important aspect is that both are already well above average major leaguers, and there’s no reason to believe they’re done improving.
High-ceilinged righty Lucas Giolito could zoom up this list if he makes a full recovery from Tommy John surgery and performs as expected. Having thrown just two professional innings, the 18-year-old Giolito slots behind 25-year-old reliever Drew Storen this year. Storen is one of the game’s better young bullpen arms. He’s had success in each of his three major-league seasons and even logged 43 saves for an 80-win Nationals team in 2011. After missing a chunk of last season to elbow surgery (bone chips), he quickly regained his mid-90s velocity and plus slider while pitching in a setup role. Washington’s offseason signing of Rafael Soriano may keep Storen in the seventh or eighth inning for the time being, but there’s no reason to believe his performance will dip.
After Wilson Ramos went down with a season-ending knee injury in May of last season, the Nationals acquired Oakland’s Kurt Suzuki for the stretch drive. With Suzuki still around, the two should split the club’s catching duties this year. Ramos remains Washington’s catcher of the future, however. The 25-year-old Venezuelan broke out when fully healthy in 2011, hitting .267/.334/.445 while handling himself very well behind the dish.
Danny Espinosa, also 25, may not be a star, but he has established himself as a capable everyday second baseman. The Long Beach State product provides a plus glove at second along with the chops to handle shortstop in a pinch. While his massive strikeout rates will always hold him back offensively––he led the NL with 189 punchouts in 2012––the switch-hitter consistently hits lefties well and provides enough overall pop. For this season, it may be important to keep in mind that Espinosa is attempting to play through a torn left rotator cuff. —Jason Cole
