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hit around again tonight, ERA at 36.00
Robert Cranz (RHP)Current level (age): Triple-A Rochester (23)The Athletic’s rank: Unranked in the Nats’ preseason Top 20.What he’s doing: Throwing harder with mixed results.What it means: There is a path to pitching in Washington’s bullpen this year, but maybe not this month.Six months ago, Cranz sat 92 mph with his fastball. Three months ago, he made his season debut with High-A Wilmington. Here, a bit beyond the season’s halfway point, he is in Triple-A Rochester and averaging 95.5 mph on his fastball.Cranz is the quintessential minor-league success story. He is throwing from a high release height, which with added velocity and a lot of ride, makes it a nightmare for hitters at the top of the zone. It also makes him prone to hard contact, especially given command issues. So while he will have a chance to pitch with the big-league club this year — a remarkable developmental feat, no doubt — counting on him to provide a spark in the next few weeks feels unwise.His next quest: Solving left-handed hitters. That would probably have to come from an off-speed pitch, which he and the organization are working on behind the scenes. He has allowed nine runs in 4 1/3 innings with Rochester. Still, an above-average fastball and a slider that had a 50 percent whiff rate in Double-A is something to build on.
