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Andry Lara’s confidence waned during his first three seasons in the Washington Nationals’ minor league system. At times, he doubted himself and his ability. He worried about his numbers and his emotions snowballed. And — in his words — he forgot how fun baseball was supposed to be.But Lara started to put the pieces together in what proved to be a pivotal 2024 season. The 21-year-old right-hander was promoted to Class AA Harrisburg after just six starts in high Class A Wilmington. The confidence that had faded in seasons prior returned with each successful outing. He started to enjoy himself again. And this November, the Nationals showed their belief in him by protecting him, along with outfielder Robert Hassell III, from the Rule 5 Draft and placing him on the 40-man roster.
“When you get drafted or you sign, you’re a big fish in a small pond,” said Harrisburg pitching coach Rigo Beltrán. “You come to pro ball, everybody’s really good. Your talent gets questioned at times. I think all of us as professionals hit that stage at some point or another.”
Beltrán, who was new to the organization in 2024, normally watches three starts in person before beginning to make tweaks with a pitcher he just started working with. He noticed Lara’s inconsistent delivery. His direction to the plate varied and he didn’t generate enough power from his back legs, resulting in noncompetitive misses outside of the strike zone.But Lara’s slider, his best pitch with gyro-type spin, also caught Beltrán’s eye. With Lara’s uptick in velocity in 2024, Lara regained the shape on his slider from years prior. Lara could throw it to both righties and lefties for swings and misses. But what impressed Beltrán most was how Lara manipulates his slider to throw it with different speeds and shapes if he wants.
RHP Andry Lara (No. 17)Age: 22Signing class: 2019, $1.25 million (Nationals)Major League ETA: 2026Last season: High-A Wilmington, Double-A Harrisburg (added to 40-man roster in November) 2024 stats: 11-11, 3.34 ERA, 25 starts, 1 complete game, 134 2/3 innings MLB Pipeline: “Lara’s mid-80s slider has helped drive his return to K form in ’24. The pitch stands out more for its vertical drop than its sweep, and Lara can consistently wear out the gloveside corner to get whiffs below opposing bats. His upper-80s changeup doesn’t show a ton of separation from the fastball but shows enough running armside action to make it a possible average offering.”
