According to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com, two Washington Nationals players picked up post-season awards from the Dominican Winter League today. Right-handed starter, Yunesky Maya, was named the league's Pitcher of the Year, and outfielder Eury Perez was named the leagues Rookie of the Year. 

Maya, 29, signed with the Nationals last season after defecting from the Cuban national team. Maya breezed through the minors before having a rough debut month in Washington. In five starts the former Cuban all-star got tuned up, going 0-3 with a 5.88 ERA and just 4.15 K/9. Many in Nats Town pegged this up to rustiness, a result of Maya sitting out nearly a year from the time he defected from Cuba to the time he signed with the Nationals in late July. 

According to Goessling, Maya went 4-2 with a 1.32 ERA in eight starts in the Dominican League while striking out 42 batters in 41 innings. 

Hopefully this is a sign for both Maya and the Nationals that the rustiness has wore off and he will be ready to go for 2011. The Nats gave him a pretty big payday last summer when they signed him to a four-year $8 million dollar deal, so this is the hurlers chance to prove that the club didn't just pay for hype.

Perez, 20, was just recently named by Baseball America as one of the clubs top ten prospects. A speedy outfielder, Perez projects to be a center fielder who can cover great ground with his wheels. A hitter in the mold of Juan PIerre, Perez batted .345 in the Dominican League over 37 games. While he has been able to hit for a high average throughout his professional career, his inability to get on base may keep him from ever batting leadoff, significantly diminishing his value. Perez had an OBP of .367 in the Winter League, which is a strong number, but when you bat as high as .345 it means you are not getting on base much outside of hits. 

Perez posted just a 4.7 walk percentage in 131 games in A-Ball for the Nationals in 2010.   no comments

As many of you know, each year Baseball America releases it's almost iconic list of top ten prospects for each organization. Along with this list they provide scouting reports, the top players for each skill, and a projected lineup for the club four years into the future. The idea here is to give the reader an idea of how the team will look when their prospects develop. 

In 2007 the publication released the Nationals top 10 prospects (Cris Marrero topped the list) as well as their projected lineup for the club in 2011. It was as follows:

Catcher	Jesus Flores
First Base	Chris Marrero
Second Base	Stephen King
Third Base	Ryan Zimmerman
Shortstop	Ian Desmond
Left Field	Wily Mo Pena
Center Field	Justin Maxwell
Right Field	Michael Burgess
No. 1 Starter	Ross Detwiler
No. 2 Starter	Collin Balester
No. 3 Starter	Jack McGeary
No. 4 Starter	Josh Smoker
No. 5 Starter	Jordan Zimmerman
Closer	Chad Cordero

 
Take a minute to soak that all in.  Baseball America projected that by this spring Ross Detwiler and Collin Balester would provide a potent one-two punch at the top of our rotation while Justin Maxwell, Michael Burgess, and Wily Mo Freakin Pena would roam our outfield. 

I don't know if this is an indictment on our developmental system, poor scouting, or an indication that we all should take less stock in prospects, but it's interesting how incredibly off this list is.

Jesus Flores of course has been injured, but Wily Mo Pena is essentially out of baseball at this point, Stephen King is stuck in Single A. Jack McGeary and Josh Smoker couldn't seem further away from the major leagues and Collin Balester has proven his inability to make outs at the major league level. 

Justin Maxwell and Michael Burgess were both promising outfielders but both have fizzled tremendously. And Chris Marrero, the Nationals top prospect when this list was made, has yet to even come close to a cup of coffee. 

Essentially of the nine players on this list who had not had previous significant major league experience, only two of them are projected to be everyday players for the Nationals next year; Zimmermann and Desmond.   no comments

The Washington Nationals announced the signings of two minor leaguers late Tuesday night. The team signed right-handed pitcher Harvey Garcia and catcher Carlos Maldonado.

Neither player has seen substantial time on a major league roster, so don’t expect too much out of either of them this year in terms of helping out the Nationals big club unless one of the two was to really turn some heads in Spring Training.

Maldonado, 31, was designated for assignment in September by Washington and granted free agency. However, chose to re-sign with the Nationals. He has had 4226 minor league plate appearances but only 62 in a big-league uniform and has been in pro-level ball since 1996.

Garcia pitched in eight games in 2007 with the Marlins, posting a 4.38 ERA, but other than that has spent time in the Pirates’ and Dodgers’ systems and has yet to make a major league appearance since his brief 2007 cameo.

However, Garcia has been pitching very well in the Venezuelan Winter League and most likely earned his contract on the basis of his recent performances there.

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Matt Hagen of The Hardball Times ranked his view of the Washington Nationals top 10 prospects. He also ranked the Nationals top 10 players under the age of 26, and surprisingly, he ranked Bryce Harper ahead of Stephen Strasburg:

Washington Nationals: Top 10 Players Under Age 26 (as of 4/1/11)

1. Bryce Harper / OF
2. Stephen Strasburg / SP
3. Danny Espinosa / 2B/SS
4. Derek Norris / C
5. Jordan Zimmermann / SP
6. Drew Storen / RP
7. Ross Detwiler / SP
8. Ian Desmond / SS
9. A.J. Cole / SP
10. Wilson Ramos / C

I think this is the first time I've seen in writing what I feel we've all been believing the past few months, Harper could be even better than Strasburg. That's a pretty crazy thought when you consider the hype and excitement that surrounded Strasburg, who absolutely dominated the Major Leagues when he arrived this summer. But Harper appears to be a special case who surpasses all lofty expectations thrown at him.

There were those who doubted he could handle playing in a wood bat league against college kids at the age of 17, but he shut them up by winning the Golden Spikes award for collegiate player of the year. Then, there were many who believed he couldn't handle the Arizona Fall League after facing no prior minor league pitching, and he posted a 1.039 OPS, helping his team win the AFL title. 

Strasburg may have received the larger contract out of the draft, but it could be Harper that becomes the biggest star on the Nationals roster in the future. 

(The included photograph of Bryce Harper was taken by the Nats Fan Girls at NatsFanGirls.com, be sure to check out their site) no comments

In order to free up space on the 40-man roster the Washington Nationals announced yesterday that they designated left-handed starting pitcher Matt Chico for assignment.

Chico, 27, spent most of the 2010 season at Class AAA Syracuse and had a decently successful season. He went 7-9 with a 3.62 and managed a strikeout to walk ratio of 2:1.

Chico has spent two years in the majors, both with the Nationals. In 2007 he went 7-9 with a 4.63 ERA in 167 innings pitched in 31 games started. His 2007 performance landed him the number two spot in the starting rotation in 2008. However, Chico struggled, going 0-6 in 11 games, 8 starts, and posted a very elevated ERA of 6.19 to start the campaign.

Chico's season was then cut short when it was discovered that he had a tear in his elbow, and that meant the thing no young pitcher ever wants to hear: Tommy John surgery. After surgery, Chico sat out all of 2009 and tried to come back in 2010, and had the successful year in AAA that was previously mentioned.

He did make one spot start for the Nationals last year, going 5 innings and allowing two runs. Chico will most likely be a non-factor for the Nationals this year, however, if he continues his success at AAA, don't be surprised to see him back in Washington if there is a lack of production or an injury.
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Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus briefly reviewed some of the picks from the Rule 5 Draft earlier  this week. He had some positive things to say about the Nationals two picks:

Elvin Ramirez, RHP (from Mets): One of the talks of the Dominican Winter League with 26 strikeouts and just four walks in 20.2 innings for Cibao; Plus-plus velocity, but no previous history of throwing strikes consistently.

Brian Broderick, RHP (from Cardinals): Six-foot-six righty combines sink with nearly super-natural command; but that's the sum of his abilities as secondary pitches lag behind.

These were two interesting picks for the Nationals. The club was clearly trying to add a player or two to their pitching staff and it seems like these two players actually may have a chance to stick. Ramirez, 23, reportedly has top-of-the-line stuff but poor command. Reports out of the Dominican Winter League however say that he has been able to maintain his 100 MPH fastball while drastically reducing walks:

"The Nationals sent three scouts to watch Ramirez this winter in the Dominican, where he played for Gigantes and pitching coach Franklin Bravo, who served as pitching coach for Class A Vermont last season. In 20 2/3 innings, Ramirez walked just four batters while striking out 26, compiling a 2.18 ERA."

If he is able to continue to harness his great stuff, this may have end up being the steal of the draft. According to the glowing reports from Mike Rizzo, it sounds like he can make an immediate impact if he doesn't give batters free passes. To me he sounds like an Armando Benitez in the making.

Broderick, 24, is probably less likely to make the club, but don't count him out yet. While he posted a strong 2.77 ERA in 15 starts at AA last year, he is still relatively inexperienced for his age and doesn't have the variety of pitches to make up for his high 80's fastball. At least not now. His large frame and strong control actually makes him sound like a young Brandon Webb, but that sinker wont fool too many without an at least marginal fastball.  no comments

The Scottsdale Scorpions season is slowly coming to a close in the Arizona Fall League and with it the AFL debut's of several Nationals players are coming to an end. Let's take a look to see how they did.

Bryce Harper - Harper, 18, boasted a line of .323/.400/.613 in his first try against professional pitching. Despite a small sample size, Harper impressed everyone who saw him play and proved to everyone that he could hold his own in the outfield. It will be interesting to see what effect his performance in Arizona will have on his placement next season, and if we will get to see him take a few at bats with the big league club in spring training. Final Line: .323/.400/.613 1 HR, 10 K, 6 RBI.

Derek Norris - Norris, 21, was the top position player prospect in the Nationals system entering 2010. Sadly, he had a season where just about everything that could go wrong did, resulting in what many believe will be a put-up or shut-up 2011 for the young slugger. Norris was able to bounce back to a degree in Arizona this fall. With a fresh start the catcher put up an impressive .260/.397/.640 line while smacking four homers and driving in 19 runs. He showed the plate patience and power that had made him a blue chip prospect going into the season, and hopefully pressed the reset button on what was a terrible 2010. Final Line: .260/.397/.640, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 17 K.

Steve Lombardozzi - Lombardozzi improved on what was a great 2010 campaign with an even better Fall League performance. In 20 games he batted 308/.402/.462. while showing solid defense in the infield. Unfortunately for Lombardozzi, he is stuck behind the more talented Danny Espinosa for a shot at Washington. If Lombardozzi wishes to move up the latter he will need to continue hitting for a high average while learning to play each infield position with effectiveness. If the Nats are lucky, they could have their utility player of the future in waiting. Final Line: 308/.402/.462, 0 HR, 4 RBI, and 2 steals.

Michael Burgess - Sadly the Nationals have watched the incredibly talented Michael Burgess take the same path as fellow power hitting prospect Chris Marrero as both bats have stalled in the low levels of the minor leagues. Like Marrero, Burgess has massive raw power that has seemed to diminish as he has been working on his plate patience. Not surprisingly, Burgess put up a line of .246/.286/.477 with 2 homers, proving that he still is as confused at the plate as he was as a 19-year-old two years ago. Final Line .246/.286/.477 2 HR, 12 RBI, 20 K's. Stay tuned for the pitchers tomorrow...

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The Scottsdale Scorpions, led by the bats of Nationals prospects Bryce Harper and Derek Norris, toppled the Phoenix Desert Dogs 6-1 tonight in Arizona Fall League action.

Harper went two for four with two singles in his second appearance in professional action. The first overall pick for the Washington Nationals this summer batted eighth and played designated hitter in the victory.  With his two hits Harper is now batting .375 in two games in Arizona.

Norris, the Nationals other top hitting prospect continued to rip up the fall league today as he hit a two run homer in the fifth inning. Through six games in the Arizona Fall League, the 21-year-old Norris is batting .316/.480/.500 with two home runs and four runs. He is currently ranked third in the league in OPS (on base % plus slugging%)

For Norris, a strong Arizona showing is a welcomed change from a 2010 season that saw him struggle through injuries. The top-prospect catcher saw both his batting average and his slugging percentage plummet as his .286/.413/.513 line from 2009 fell to .235/.419/.419 in 2010. Nevertheless, scouts and executives are still very high on his talent which combines serious raw power with a natural plate patience that could make him a star. At this point he needs to work on his glove (or hope for a position change), his contact percentage, and his strikeout rate.

It could very well be an interesting race to see who makes it to Washington first, Harper or Norris.

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Bill Ladson of MLB.Com reports that Washington Nationals catching prospect Bryce Harper will now play in the Arizona Fall League:

"The Nationals have decided that outfielder Bryce Harper, the No 1 overall pick in the 2010 First-Year Draft,  will play for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League, effective immediately, according to general manager Mike Rizzo. Harper will be on the Taxi squad, which means that he will play twice a week.

The news comes after Harper hit .319 with a 407 on-base percentage for the Nationals in the Instructional League. He also led the team in several offensive categories including, hits, homers, RBIs and walks."

Initially Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo had wanted the 17-year-old (18 next week) Harper to go home and rest after a strong showing in the Instructional League. While Harper does have one year of community college under his belt, he commuted from home during his time at the College of Southern Nevada, meaning that his stint in Florida was his first real time away from home.

The club appears to have had a change of heart however, deciding that it will be better for Harper's development if he does not become dormant over the next several months. While the Arizona Fall League provides a big leap in competition level for Harper, the Nationals have decided it would be better to see what he can do against top professional talent than to let him train on his own for the next few months.

Harper continues to be a unique developmental case. He re-wrote the rules when he dropped out of high school before his Junior year to attend community college. Most young prospects spend their first year of professional ball adjusting to the use of a wood bat, however Harper is ahead of the game here, he used a wood bat all last season at Southern Nevada. As much as Rizzo wants to be conservative in his approach with the young star, the only things he needs to adjust to are a new position (right field) and the speed of a top level game. Perhaps throwing him in the Arizona Fall League may just be the best way for Harper to make those adjustments.

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John Sickels of Minor League Ball recently released a review of his pre-season ranking of the top 50 hitting and pitching prospects. Not surprisingly, it contained the Nats three biggest prospects entering the season, Stephen Strasburg, Drew Storen, and Derek Norris. This is what he had to say about them:

"Pitching:

1) Stephen Strasburg, RHP, Nationals: 2.91 ERA in the majors, 92/17 K/BB in 68 innings, 56 hits. Outstanding before his elbow blew out.

15) Drew Storen, RHP, Nationals: 3.58 ERA with 52/22 K/BB in 55 major league innings, 48 hits. Should have a very good career going forward.

Hitting:

22) Derek Norris, C, Nationals: Hit .235/.419/.419 in High-A Carolina League. Some injury issues, but drew 89 walks, and I still think he can remain at catcher."

It's good to see others still optimistic about Norris despite his troubling 2010 season. 2011 will be incredibly important in his development as he will need to prove that this season was just a road bump, not a indicator of future failure. Strasburg and Storen were cant miss prospects and they both performed tremendously in 2010.

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