Author Topic: Nationals Prospect Reports / Minor League Rankings: 2024  (Read 3867 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline imref

  • Moderator
  • ***
  • Posts: 43316
  • Re-contending in 202...5?
Baseball America ranks our top 10:

https://nationalsprospects.com/2023/11/baseball-america-ranks-the-top-10-nats-prospects-11/

Quote
Dylan Crews, OF (’23 Draft pick)
James Wood, OF (2)
Brady House, 3B (5)
Cade Cavalli, RHP (4)
Yohandy Morales, 3B (’23 Draft pick)
Jackson Rutledge, RHP(9)
Robert Hassell, OF (2)
Chrithian Vaquero, SS (6)
Elijah Green, OF (3)
Jarlin Susana, RHP (7)

Susana was terrible last year at low-A and ended they year on the developmental list.

Offline Natsinpwc

  • Posts: 26100
Thanks.  Are the bracketed numbers the prior year ranking?  If so how were two guys #2?

Online Slateman

  • Posts: 63445
  • THE SUMMONER OF THE REVERSE JINX
Who is Chrithian Vaquero?

Offline imref

  • Moderator
  • ***
  • Posts: 43316
  • Re-contending in 202...5?
Thanks.  Are the bracketed numbers the prior year ranking?  If so how were two guys #2?
I assume hassell was #2 for SD last year.

Offline Natsinpwc

  • Posts: 26100
I assume hassell was #2 for SD last year.
Well at this time last year he had been on the Nats for about 4 months.

So Susanna was 7 on the Padres then?

Who was Nats number one last year?

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 40246
  • Platoon - not just a movie, a baseball obsession
I look at that list and see 7-10 ranked more on tools and draft position / signing bonus than performance. Vacquero performed well, but is far away.  It'd be really nice to see one of those 4 perform and move up.

I don't like BA's rankings because they seem almost exclusively "if he's young and he has tools, that's enough." Not "how likely is this guy to be a significant contributor to an MLB roster. I mean, isn't Lile ahead of Green in the system? Sykora probably deserves Susana's slot. I get that Millas and Young are have less upside than Green at this point, but frankly, Hassell seems there mostly because of rep.

Also, Robert Hunter Jerry Garcia still has rookie eligibility and looked great last year. Granted, he was a waiver pick up, but a lefty with a 26% K% and a 17% K-BB who is hard to barrel and throws 94+ and has a decent slider in the majors looks like a good MLB piece.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 40246
  • Platoon - not just a movie, a baseball obsession
Thanks.  Are the bracketed numbers the prior year ranking?  If so how were two guys #2?
wood, Hassell, Green, Cavalli were the 4 who cracked the top 100 for BA, so I assume Wood was #1 and Hassell #2.
https://www.wnff.net/index.php?topic=40495.0;msg=2271765

Offline Natsinpwc

  • Posts: 26100
wood, Hassell, Green, Cavalli were the 4 who cracked the top 100 for BA, so I assume Wood was #1 and Hassell #2.
https://www.wnff.net/index.php?topic=40495.0;msg=2271765
Thanks.

Offline aspenbubba

  • Posts: 5683
Well, I thought Lipscomb would be the first to arrive next season but he really dropped out of contention due to his performance in  the AFL. That'll teach me and I do agree with JCA on his take of BA rankings. I also doubt that Green will get to AA by 2026.

Offline imref

  • Moderator
  • ***
  • Posts: 43316
  • Re-contending in 202...5?
Thanks.  Are the bracketed numbers the prior year ranking?  If so how were two guys #2?

it was a mistake on their site. Woods should have been #1

Offline Natsinpwc

  • Posts: 26100
it was a mistake on their site. Woods should have been #1
Ok thanks.

Offline GataNats

  • Posts: 1429
Brady House and it is not even close.  This guy is a superstar

Offline Natsinpwc

  • Posts: 26100
Brady House and it is not even close.  This guy is a superstar
House or Cruise. Tom Cruise.

Offline Mattionals

  • Posts: 5756
Brady House and it is not even close.  This guy is a superstar
You talk the guy up like your either his promoter, his agent, his hype man, or family!
Not saying you are wrong, but you have a serious liking to House.

Offline imref

  • Moderator
  • ***
  • Posts: 43316
  • Re-contending in 202...5?
Who's house? Brady's house?

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 40246
  • Platoon - not just a movie, a baseball obsession
Who's house? Brady's house?
I thought he sold it after splitting with Giselle?

Offline imref

  • Moderator
  • ***
  • Posts: 43316
  • Re-contending in 202...5?
BBA:
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/washington-nationals-2024-top-mlb-prospects/
Quote
Projected 2027 Lineup

Catcher: Keibert Ruiz (28)
First Base: Yohandy Morales (25)
Second Base: Luis Garcia (27)
Third Base: Brady House (24)
Shortstop: CJ Abrams (26)
Left Field: Dylan Crews (24)
Center Field: Elijah Green (23)
Right Field: James Wood (24)
Designated Hitter: Lane Thomas (31)

No. 1 Starter: Josiah Gray (29)
No. 2 Starter: MacKenzie Gore (28)
No. 3 Starter: Cade Cavalli (28)
No. 4 Starter: Jackson Rutledge (28)
No. 5 Starter: Jake Irvin (29)
Closer: Jarlin Susana (23)

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 40246
  • Platoon - not just a movie, a baseball obsession
Rizzo discusses with Dave Laurila the state of the system, how the level of talent compares to the system at the start of the run last decade, and the state of pitching in particular.
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/sunday-notes-scott-harris-likes-reese-olsons-ceiling/

Quote
“It’s probably as exciting of a group of young players, prospects, that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” replied Rizzo. “It’s as good as we’ve had, but I’ll qualify that with prospects are prospects until they compete and win in the big leagues. There are still steps to take, and progress to make.”

... How pleased he is with the top of their pitching pipeline?

“We like it,” said Rizzo. “We’ve got three good young starters already at the big league level, cutting their teeth and getting experience at the big league level. We’ve got [Jackson] Rutledge who just joined them for a couple of starts. And we’ve got several guys down in the pipeline that I think will be the next wave. When you can put together a list of eight to 10 prospects that you think can be part of your big-league rotation, that’s a big part of the rebuilding process.”

Rizzo gave four examples when asked about notables within that group. Cole Henry and Mitchell Parker were Nationals draft picks, as was Jake Bennett who underwent Tommy John surgery in September, while DJ Herz was acquired from the Chicago Cubs at this summer’s trade deadline. The highest ranked is Henry, whom Eric Longenhagen has assigned a 45 FV. “Those guys are all part of the depth we have at starting pitching,” Rizzo said.

Offline imref

  • Moderator
  • ***
  • Posts: 43316
  • Re-contending in 202...5?

Offline imref

  • Moderator
  • ***
  • Posts: 43316
  • Re-contending in 202...5?
Prospects151 Nats' top-10:

https://prospect361.com/2023/11/24/2024-washington-nationals-top-prospects/

   Last Name   First Name   Position
1   Crews   Dylan   OF (CF)
2   Wood   James   OF (Corner)
3   House   Brady   SS/3B
4   Vaquero   Cristian   OF (CF)
5   Hassell III   Robert   OF (CF)
6   Cavalli   Cade   RHP (Starter)
7   Morales   Yohandy   3B
8   Green   Elijah   OF (CF)
9   Susana   Jarlin   RHP (Starter)
10   Sykora   Travis   RHP (Starter)

I don't get why Susana is so high. He was terrible in low-A last year and ended the season on the developmental list.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 40246
  • Platoon - not just a movie, a baseball obsession
Looks like a lot of confidence in Vaquero but he has a long way to develop. Speed, D, and willingness to take a walk have shown up in the  Florida complex league and in < 80 PAs in A ball. Contact and power still not evident, but he's so young.

Not sure what Hassell has to do to tone down the expectations.

Overall, with Green and Susana showing here, this looks like it's more of ceiling and tools list than a projection of the likeliest to help the team over a sustained period. However, the writer does acknowledge he repeatedly "downshifted" his rankings on Hassell, Green, and Susana over the year as they have not met expectations. , who do we think is under-rated and should have been on this list? Lile? Millas? Lipscomb? Herz? I think Lipscomb could have had an argument with a good AFL, but not now.

He is super high on Wood, and pulls out the Gunnar Henderson comp for Crews:

Quote
Two guys that I felt great about were Dylan Crews and James Wood.  Crews feels like Jackson Holliday 2.0.  High Floor with great tools that should make him an excellent Major Leaguer.  Not Ronald Acuna, but more Gunnar Henderson.  Wood could be Ronald Acuna if he can make enough contact.  His swing is fighting his length; unfortunately, the length is winning.  But athleticism like he has doesn’t grow on trees, and he could be special.

Views Susana right now as a 1 pitch guy with an outrageous fastball and no secondaries, thus thinks a high leverage reliever is the most likely outcome. In contrast, he feels Cavalli if he returns to past form after the TJS is a mid-rotation starter.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 40246
  • Platoon - not just a movie, a baseball obsession
Who do we think should be in the top 10 in place of some of these guys?  Millas? Herz? Lipscomb? Lile? Best case might be Herz. Lipscomb would have had an argument with a good AFL. Maybe Rutledge?

Offline imref

  • Moderator
  • ***
  • Posts: 43316
  • Re-contending in 202...5?
i'd easily swap out Herz for Susana.

Offline blue911

  • Posts: 18490
Who do we think should be in the top 10 in place of some of these guys?  Millas? Herz? Lipscomb? Lile? Best case might be Herz. Lipscomb would have had an argument with a good AFL. Maybe Rutledge?

Anyone other than Green.

Offline aspenbubba

  • Posts: 5683
Anyone other than Green.
Won't make it for a cup of coffee in Harrisburg.