Projection: Don't be fooled by Nieto's numbers in 2008. First, he had just 23 at bats and second, there is a lot of adjusting for a high school player to do when he turns pro. This is a young kid with a lot of tools and he has a brilliant future ahead of him. He's likely going to wind up being a defensive catcher in the realm of Ivan Rodriguez and have plenty of offense to go with the comparisons.
ETA: Even with his tough start to pro ball, Nieto believes that he can reach the majors in three or four years. He's going to be the type of player that starts off as a bit of a project until all of a sudden he starts putting up big numbers and likely starts skipping a level here and there. Look for Nieto to be pushing for a major league spot around 2013.
Comparison: The comparisons to a young Ivan Rodriguez are worth making. Rodriguez has always been a player who concentrates on his defensive skills and has all of the natural offensive skills that he needs to be successful. Nieto's offensive skills may not be quite where Rodriguez was in his prime, but he'll be putting up good enough numbers that he'll be considered a serious offensive threat.
That was written two years ago about Nieto.
http://nationals.scout.com/2/828174.html
