The Washington Nationals Thread: The Future is Near!

[PleaseBlitz]

Stras has been done since 2019 yall. Please join me in reality. 

Edited February 16, 2023 by PleaseBlitz

[bcl05]

No chance we win in 2019 without peak Stras.  He is and always will be a hero for this franchise.  He gave us everything he had.  I wish (and I'm sure he wishes) that he had more to give, but that arm is gone and not coming back.  Still, when he was healthy, one of the most compelling and greatest pitchers I've ever seen.  

[Riggo#44]

Strasburg is the ultimate What If player. HOF if he stays even remotely healthy.

[KDawg]

Do I have hope this season? Someone fill me in. I’m so in the football loop and now basketball as a Celtics fan (and the Sabres aren’t doing bad!) that I haven’t checked in on the Nats… at all. 
 

And by hope I mean will we win 50 games?

[PleaseBlitz]

16 minutes ago, KDawg said:

Do I have hope this season? Someone fill me in. I’m so in the football loop and now basketball as a Celtics fan (and the Sabres aren’t doing bad!) that I haven’t checked in on the Nats… at all. 
 

And by hope I mean will we win 50 games?

Stick to the Celtics for as long as you can. 

[Ball Security]

1 hour ago, KDawg said:

Do I have hope this season? Someone fill me in. I’m so in the football loop and now basketball as a Celtics fan (and the Sabres aren’t doing bad!) that I haven’t checked in on the Nats… at all. 
 

And by hope I mean will we win 50 games?

I would take a bet that says we don’t end up with the worst record.  Not going to be good, but they’re players to watch and track this season.  The top six I’m following are Gore, Cavalli, Gray, Abrams, Garcia, and Ruiz.

 

 

[tshile]

On 2/15/2023 at 10:00 PM, PleaseBlitz said:

Stras has been done since 2019 yall. Please join me in reality. 

Yup. 
 

great pitcher. Great person by all accounts. 
 

but the most important ability is availability. 
 

Nats are a dumpster fire in terms of being an organization. Hopefully it gets straightened out soon. 

[CRobi21]

Chase Dollander starting for Tennessee tonight @ 8pm. Live on MLB Network!

[Ball Security]

13 hours ago, CRobi21 said:

Chase Dollander starting for Tennessee tonight @ 8pm. Live on MLB Network!

 

UT starter Chase Dollander was impressive on the mound as well despite suffering the loss. After a bit of a rocky start, the junior right hander allowed a pair of runs in the first two innings before retiring 10 straight batters. Dollander finished the night with seven strikeouts and just one walk while allowing two earned runs on three hits over 4.2 innings of work.

 

Looking forward to checking in on him on Friday nights.

 

And BTW, Soto was there.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2023 by Ball Security

[EmirOfShmo]

This was in an email from the MLB Nats writer Jessica Camerato. Would be cool to see Zim spend some time with House:

 

HOUSE SHIFTS TO HOT CORNER

In a move that had been anticipated since he was drafted, 19-year-old Brady House has moved from shortstop to third base. House, the 11th overall pick in the 2021 Draft, was projected to eventually shift infield positions because of his size and power. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, MLB Pipeline has described House as having a “rocket arm” that clocked 96 mph in high school.  

A lingering back issue expedited the move to the hot corner, and the Nationals wanted him to get settled into the position they envision him playing in the Majors. House, ranked last season as the Nats’ No. 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline, had not played a defensive position other than shortstop over his two seasons in the Minors.  

"We always like to give players an opportunity to play where they feel most comfortable before we make any changes,” general manager Mike Rizzo said. “With Brady's body type and his skill set, I think he transfers over to third base very comfortably and very smoothly. He was a big shortstop over there, kind of looked like a third baseman playing shortstop.”

 

Here's a link to a story about the move to 3rd:

 

The Washington Nationals have moved prospect Brady House to third base full-time, general manager Mike Rizzo announced Friday, per Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports. The Nationals drafted the 6-foot-4 House in the first round in 2021 as a shortstop.

Despite House’s desire to stay at shortstop, moving him to third seemed to be the Nats’ plan. That’s even before the Nationals acquired CJ Abrams last July from the San Diego Padres in the Juan Soto trade. Abrams has gotten tabbed as the franchise shortstop.

House’s frame has warranted third base as a natural fit, going back to his playing days at Winder-Barrow High School (GA).

 

 

https://dcsportsking.com/2023/02/17/nats-prospect-brady-house-moved-to-third-base-full-time/

Edited February 21, 2023 by EmirOfShmo

[Riggo#44]

 

and @KDawg, we'll win more than 50, that would be historically bad, otherwise. All goes well, 65 wins. There is a lot of talent coming though--youngest farm systems in the majors and just outside the top 10 in most rankings is a good combination after one full year of a rebuild.

Edited February 21, 2023 by Riggo#44

[Ball Security]

Speaking of House, I’m hoping his tough 2022 and his position change will mean he plays at Fredericksburg to start this season with Lipscomb in Wilmington.

 

Green, House, Cox, Cruz, Lile, and Quintana all in Fredericksburg? Yes, please.

[KDawg]

20 minutes ago, Riggo#44 said:

 

and @KDawg, we'll win more than 50, that would be historically bad, otherwise. All goes well, 65 wins. There is a lot of talent coming though--youngest farm systems in the majors and just outside the top 10 in most rankings is a good combination after one full year of a rebuild.

 

Excellent. As Rochester is my hometown it would be nice for the Wings not to suck. 

[Ball Security]

20 minutes ago, KDawg said:

 

Excellent. As Rochester is my hometown it would be nice for the Wings not to suck. 

May not be until later this summer or next year when you see the talent there. The bulk of the talent is in the lower minors.

 

Cole Henry P,  Jake Irvin P  and Jeter Downs, INF are the guys you’ll want to watch with Robert Hassell OF hopefully promoted later in the season.

Edited February 21, 2023 by Ball Security

[KDawg]

16 minutes ago, Ball Security said:

May not be until later this summer or next year when you see the talent there. The bulk of the talent is in the lower minors.

 

Cole Henry P,  Jake Irvin P  and Jeter Downs, INF are the guys you’ll want to watch with Robert Hassell OF hopefully promoted later in the season.

Ironically I was a Nats fan prior to them joining with the Wings. But the Wings have been brutal for a long time now, even with the Twins.
 

I generally catch up with baseball right as the season is starting so this is very helpful. Thanks bro.

[Riggo#44]

4 hours ago, KDawg said:

 

Excellent. As Rochester is my hometown it would be nice for the Wings not to suck. 

 

Most of the talent won't get to Rochester this year--Hassell is the biggest name you'll see pass through there this year. Next year, you'll see Wood. Wood is going to be a beast. Then the year after that, is when you'll see some of the bigger guns: House, Green, Vaquero, Susana make their way there.

[Riggo#44]

 

[Ball Security]

BA came out with their preseason top 30.

 

 

I’ve been messing around with a similar exercise.  Our top13 are the same players with some differences in order.  We overlap on 23 guys.  The seven guys on here that I don’t have are Ward, Cate, Irvin, Millas, Cronin, Acevedo, and Solano.  Instead I have Aldo Ramirez, Brenner Cox, Jared McKenzie, Juan Hillman, Jeter Downs, Mason Denaburg, and Will Frizzell.  
 

I kind of used 25 as an arbitrary cutoff.  That’s why I don’t have Ward, Irvin, or Jake Alu. (Don’t quote me on that because I think Lee may be entering his age 26 season even though he’s a half year younger than Ward).

 

MLB pipeline should have theirs out on Monday.

 

[Ball Security]

 

 

[RemoveSnyder]

 

[Ball Security]

On 2/17/2023 at 7:54 PM, CRobi21 said:

Chase Dollander starting for Tennessee tonight @ 8pm. Live on MLB Network!

Struck out 12 in 5.2. Gave up another homerun. Two runs total tonight in his second start.

Edited February 25, 2023 by Ball Security

[Ball Security]

Spring Training games are here.

 

CJ Abrams led off with a single, stole second, and scored on a Stone Garrett single.  
 

Gore pitched a scoreless first with a strikeout. The box score will show he gave up a double, but it was a dribbler that hit the oversized bag and then ricocheted into the dugout.  He faced Arenado and Goldschmidt.  So good outing for him.  Going to the bullpen in the second.

 

Jeremy De La Rosa singled in the second which probably doesn’t go through if they had a shift.  But he turned on a pitch earlier in the AB and just missed a double.

 

Colome pitched a 1-2-3 second. All three fly outs and was helped by the wind.  Had a pitch clock violation.

 

Wily Peralta got touched up in the third giving up a double and HR before getting 3 outs.

 

Ramirez looked good in a 9 pitch fourth with a strike out.

 

Riley Adams managed a single in the fourth. Their fourth single in as many innings.

 

They waste a leadoff double by Abrams in the fifth.  A nice shot down the right field line against a lefty. 
 

Rule V pick Thaddeus Ward pitched a scoreless fifth with a walk, wild pitch, and a strikeout.

 

Nothing doing in the top of the 6. Machado tosses a 1-2-3 6th. Jake Alu came in to play 2B.

 

This pace of play is really nice. 6.5 innings in a little over 1.5 hours.

 

LHP Jose Ferrer struck out two in his scoreless inning but gave up a double.

 

Alu led off the eighth with a double.  Two outs later, Valera punches him in.  Tie game heading into the bottom of the 8th.

 

Matt Cronin with a 1-2-3 9th with a strikeout. He has an outside chance of making the team if they carry a lefty in a pen.  Not sure if they will or not.

 

Just a shade over 2 hours to complete 8 innings.

 

Eric Mejia plates Drew Millas from second to give the good guys a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the 9th. 
 

Nine hits, two walks, and a catcher’s interference for the Nats. Carrillo who came over in the Turner/Max deal on to try to close it out.

 

Undefeated!  Chavis had four plays in the ninth.  Made things exciting with a sliding catch, but also threw the ball away with a 2 out error.

 

2.5 hour game. Very nice!

Edited February 25, 2023 by Ball Security

[Metalhead]

The Astros tv play-by-play guy has the worst voice I've ever heard. It's like a goofy car salesman combined with Phil Hartman and a faint lisp. It's driving me crazy.

[CRobi21]

Jackson Rutledge touching 98!

 

 

Edited February 26, 2023 by CRobi21

[Ball Security]

1 hour ago, CRobi21 said:

Jackson Rutledge touching 98!

 

 

Lots of good stuff today.  Cavalli and Gray had perfect innings.  All the guys who have a decent chance at making the team put up zeros.

 

Brenner Cox and Brady House both got in the games and scored runs. Cox is a hell of an athlete. Would probably play D1 football in Texas right now if he wasn’t playing baseball.

 

They actually manufactured a run with a walk, steal, push they guy to third, sac fly.

 

Alex Call and Riley Adams are taking advantage of their opportunity to earn a spot in the team.