Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reported Tuesday that the Washington Nationals first overall draft pick, Bryce Harper, was named the 2010 Golden Spikes Award Winner, an award given annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country.

Harper hit .443 with 31 home runs and 98 RBI in 228 at-bats as a 17-year-old freshman for the College of Southern Nevada this season. His impressive power, as well as his 1.513 OPS made him a lock for the award in which he trumped the competition by receiving 28 votes.

Harper became only the fourth-ever player to be selected as a Golden Spikes finalist from anything other than a division 1 collegiate program. The College of Southern Nevada is a junior college which Harper attended after testing out of high school early. The would-be high-school senior also became only the second non division 1 athlete to win the award.

It has been reported that the Nationals have yet to speak with Harper or agent Scott Boras about inking a deal to land the phenom talent, however this news comes as a surprise to few who remember the handling of Stephen Strasburg's (another Golden Spikes Winner) contract just one year ago.

The Nationals have until August 15 to sign Harper.

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The Washington Nationals announced that starter Luis Atilano will be optioned down to Triple-A Syracuse in order to get the rookie starter game action during the All-Star break.

MLB.com Nationals beat writer Greg Rosenstein quoted Atilano as saying, "It's to keep me sharp so I don't have too many days of rest. I'm going back home for the break, so I'm probably not going to do much around there, so they want to keep me here in shape so I can be successful."

Atilano is expected to re-join the Nationals rotation in time for their series with the Cincinnati Reds after the break.

In his last two starts, Atilano has lost both decisions while failing to keep his team in the game. Against the Mets on July 2^nd, Atilano lasted 3.2 innings, surrendering five earned runs on four hits while striking out four and walking two. In his most recent outing against the Padres, his struggles continued, lasting 5.1 innings, giving up four earned runs on eight hits.

For the year, Atilano has tallied 81.2 innings in 15 starts, pitching to a 6-6 record, 4.85 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and maintains a K/BB ratio of 39/29. He also has given up 10 home runs to opposing hitters.

ANALYSIS:

I understand the move completely. The Nationals need better results from Atilano as he continues to fill in for the likes of Ross Detwiler, Jordan Zimmerman and Jason Marquis. This short stint in Syracuse isn't so much to keep him sharp as it is to get him back on track.

It's a smart move by the Nats front office. This start should hopefully relax Atilano, for he has quite the task of facing the Reds when he comes back from break.

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What would you think if I told you the following: there is a player in the midst of his sixth minor league season - with his second organization - who has played at every level from rookie ball to Triple-A. This player, a left-handed starting pitcher drafted in 2005, has never won more than half of the games he has started in a full season at any of his myriad professional stops and has a career win-loss record of 25-45. He has only once posted an ERA below 3.50 (3.37 in 2007 in High-A ball) and has a lifetime ERA of 4.22 and 1.48 WHIP. His K/BB ratio is just 2.25:1 and in five seasons opponents have hit .310, .270, .266, .323, and .265 against him.

Fast forward to 2010. After being acquired by his second professional organization in a straight-up swap for arguably the team's most attractive trade chip, he began the season and made 11 starts in Double-A. In those appearances he was 2-8 with a 6.87 ERA, a 1.69 WHIP, and opposing teams batted .336 against him. Yet in his lone start in Triple-A earlier in the season, this player recorded a win, lasting five innings and allowing just one run on five hits; however, he soon returned to Double-A.

The player? Washington Nationals' minor leaguer and current Harrisburg Senator Aaron Thompson.

Questions abound with regard to Thompson's career. Why has a player with such unspectacular lifetime numbers continually advanced throughout the minor leagues (though he has yet to make a major league appearance)? Why were the Nationals content with a trade that returned Thompson in exchange for on-base machine Nick Johnson? Why did he make only one Triple-A start when he seemed to perform well?

In his first stop in the Gulf Coast League in 2005, Thompson was 2-4 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP in eight starts, after which he was promoted to the Marlins' low-A squad. There, while going just 1-2 in five starts, he lowered his ERA to 3.10, though his K/BB ratio decreased by nearly 2.5. The 2006-2007 seasons progressed more logically, when a .500 record and 3.63 ERA in A-ball led to a promotion to High-A where Thompson logged a 4-6 record and 3.37 ERA all while lowering his WHIP over 0.3. Beginning the 2008 season in Double-A, Thompson struggled for the next two seasons. From 2008-2009 (all of which was spent in AA, albeit between the Marlins and Nationals organizations), the lefthander was 7-17 with a 4.54 ERA.

Not surprisingly, Thompson began the 2010 in Harrisburg with the Nationals' Double-A club. After struggling in his first start, Thompson had two superb outings in which he allowed a combined seven hits and four walks while recording eleven strikeouts and holding opponents scoreless over twelve innings. This earned him a promotion to Syracuse where he was fine in one start but quickly returned to Harrisburg. His one start, while impressive compared with his Double-A statistics, is far too little data on which to base a substantive evaluation; however, Thompson's situation remains a very interesting one to monitor for Nats fans and baseball enthusiasts alike. He is scheduled to start Harrisburg's game tonight against Bowie. no comments

Every month we will update our Federal Reserve Prospects Big Board. These updates will serve as a power ranking system for Nationals prospects, based onoverall play and potential. This edition includes games through June 8 and should give a more representative sample than the early season rankings released after the month of April.

 

1. Stephen Strasburg, RHP – Wow. What more can you say? The 21 year-old righty made his major league debut last night, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates. Strasburg surrendered just four hits and two runs in seven innings, striking out 14 and walking none. After one game, Strasburg has a 1-0 record, 2.57 ERA, and 0.57 WHIP. His phenomenal start was not an anomaly but merely a continuation of the tremendous performance he displayed in 11 starts between Harrisburg and Syracuse, in which he posted a 7-2 record with a 1.30 ERA and 0.795 WHIP. Believe the hype ladies and gentlemen – Strasburg is here to stay.

 

2. Drew Storen, RHP – Flying under the radar relative to his more ballyhooed counterpart from the 2009 draft, Storen has been similarly impressive in his first 10 major league appearances since his promotion to the big club on May 16. After yielding just two earned runs in 16.2 innings between Harrisburg and Syracuse, Storen is 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in Washington. Opponents have hit just .188 against him and have yet to homer in his 9.1 innings pitched. With a glimpse of Strasburg last night, Nationals fans hope they have seen their new ace and (soon to be) closer tandem for years to come.

 

3. Derek Norris, C – Norris has endured a very difficult season to date. After finally returning from surgery to repair a fractured hamate bone in his left wrist, Norris was hit in the head by a pitch, causing him to miss more time. Injuries aside, Norris seems to be slowly rounding into form. The Nationals’ top position playing prospect is batting .250 with a .413 on base percentage, but his power has yet to resurface (one home run in 72 at bats). We will certainly give him the benefit of the doubt though, as injuries can easily disrupt a player’s rhythm and confidence. At this point, Norris still appears to be the future behind the plate in Washington, as first overall pick Bryce Harper was introduced as an outfielder and seems destined to remain there in order to most quickly reach the majors. no comments

In case you missed it, the above video is the incident which very well may have ended Bryce Harper's collegiate career.

Harper, 17, is expected to go first overall in this months MLB draft to the Washington Nationals, but he may have done his team a disservice by getting ejected following the above incident. The College of Southern Nevada lost the game following Harpers ejection, and their season came to an end during his one game suspension, which was assigned as a result of the above incident.

So what's it all mean? Was the ejection/suspension just? Is this a bad indicator for his character and is he not a "team player?

The bottom line is that Bryce Harper got rung up on a really, really, bad call. He was upset and let the umpire know about it, and through his actions he was justly ejected. It may have been a hot-headed move, but it's one that you'll see even in high school, when an ump makes that terrible of a call, sometimes you just have to let him know about it.

The real question lies in what was Harpers motivation for the gesture. There have been questions raised about his character, accusations of arrogance, and claims that he may be a ticking time bomb.

Did Harper draw the line in the sand to say, "How dare you make that terrible call, that was a foot outside (which it was)." Or was it to say, "How dare you make that call. Don't you know who I am? I'm Bryce Harper.

The truth is we'll never know. However his gesture, while deserving of an ejection, was nothing over the top. High schoolers, college players, major leaguers, and coaches, get ejected. Sometimes it's just part of the game.

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Syracuse (30-21, 2nd place, 0.5 GB) Potomac (23-29, t-2nd place, 6 GB) Higley has yet to show up on many peoples radars when it comes to top prospects in the Nationals' farm system, but he has always been a guy that has quietly been doing big things in the shadows of anonymity.  A 9th round pick in the 2008 draft, Higley is what one could consider a "max effort" type of player.  This past week Higley was 9 for 29 (.310) with two doubles, two home runs, five RBIs, and seven runs scored.  He has a propensity to strike out quite a bit, which he showed even this week, taking the walk of shame to the dugout 11 times without drawing a walk once and the power he displayed this week was not atypical for him.  He plays great defense in CF and RF, though, and fits the Rizzo mold of high character, never give up type of player.  Higley is most certainly at the bottom of the pecking order when it comes to outfielders on the Hagerstown roster, but more weeks like this could go a long way in changing that.
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Batter of the Week - Chris Marrero, 1B, Harrisburg

For quite some time, Chris Marrero has been considered one of the best prospects in the Nationals farm system.  Marrero struggled to begin the AA season, though, and it led many people to believe that he was turning into former GM Jim Bowden's latest failed endeavor.  Minor league baseball is a fickle sport and it is hard to judge a player based solely on such a short period of time.  Chris Marrero proved this last week why a single month should not be enough evidence to write off any prospect, especially one with the skills he possesses.  In 8 games last week, Marrero was 12 for 28 (.429 AVG) with a double, four home runs, and seven RBIs.  Before his leg injury two seasons ago, Marrero was well known across single A for his ability to come up with the clutch hit.  Last Tuesday versus Reading, Marrero once again delivered with the game winning single in the seventh inning.  For the season Marrero is batting .259/.308/.437, but those numbers look to be trending upwards.  While his bat is what will one day carry him to the big leagues, the plate patience remains a problem as he sports an 11 BB:35 SO ratio.  Additionally, the question that has plagued him since early in his career of "where will he play in the field?" continues to persist.  Once an outfielder and now a first baseman, Marrero has failed to distinguish him as a reliable defender at either position.  His frequent miscues at one of the least demanding field positions in the game have many folks wondering if he might be nothing more than a designated hitter in the big leagues. no comments

Nationals top hitting prospect, Derek Norris, was sent to the hospital last night after being struck in the head with a fastball. According to reports, Norris laid motionless for nearly 10 minutes after the beaning.

Nationals.com writer Bill Ladson tweeted today that Norris is doing okay now, but will miss five-to-seven days in recovery.

Luckily Norris was wearing the new S100 helmet, designed to protect hitters from fastballs up to speeds of 100 MPH:

Norris was wearing an S100 helmet, which became mandatory for all Minor Leaguers this season following a spate of beanings in the Majors last year. Manufactured by Rawlings Sporting Goods, the helmets feature enhanced protection from a composite insert and an expanded liner made of Polypropylene, a hard, supportive material that is also used in some industrial and bicycle helmets. According to Mike Thompson, Rawlings senior vice president for sports marketing and business development, the helmet can withstand a pitch up to 100 mph.

Analysis:

Poor Norris. The kid can flat out hit, but he can't seem to stay healthy this year. He has produced well the last three seasons in the lower-level minor leagues. Turning 21 this season, this was supposed to be the year that Norris rocketed himself through Single-A, past Double-A, and hopefully earn himself a cup of coffee in Syracuse.

Things have not gone the catchers way so far this spring, however. An array of injuries has kept the super-talented hitting catcher to only 13 games on the field. The inconsistency of his playing time (due to said injuries) had led to poor results initially on the field. He was finally starting to put it together as he was batting .317/.472/.439 in Potomac before the beaning.

Now he will have to wait another week before he gets on the field again, and then, he has to battle the mental demons that can hurt a hitter after such a vicious beaning. One has to look no further than David Wright to see what a fastball to the head can do to even the most talented hitters.

For Norris, it's an uphill battle, but it's one that the 21-year-old future star must overcome if he wants to make it in a Nationals uniform.

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Drew Storen will be promoted to the major leagues tomorrow and join the team in St. Louis. The news was first tweeted by Ken Rosenthal, and later confirmed by the Washington Nationals own Bill Ladson.

Through 12 minor league appearances this season, the 22-year-old former first round draft pick has recorded four saves, posted a 1.12 ERA, and has picked up 15 strikeouts in 16 innings pitched. The righty has only allowed three walks. In 2009 he pitched in 28 games, recording 11 saves while posting a 1.95 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 37 innings pitched.

The Nationals had originally seemed hell-bent on keeping both Strasburg and Storen in the minors until the date had passed where their Super-Two status would be delayed a year, but it seems after last nights bullpen performance they felt they could wait no longer. The result? Storen becomes arbitration eligible a year earlier than if they had waited a few weeks.

Analysis:

Clearly Storen is, and has been, ready. In 40 minor league appearances the Nationals closer-of-the-future has been dominant at all levels of the minors. His high strikeout rates are a good indicator that he will be able to get major league batters out, and his low walk rate shows that he will be reliable on the mound. no comments

Batter of the Week - Steven Souza, 3B, Hagerstown

When the Nationals drafted Souza with their third round pick in 2007, they probably didn't think he would be hitting .222/.317/.328 over his first three professional seasons. But like a lot of high school picks, the selection was made based on potential. Souza's skillset and size (6'4, 195 pounds) led many to believe that he would eventually turn into a middle of the lineup type of hitter. Souza is finally living up to some of that potential this season.

At 21 years old and in his second season at Hagerstown, Souza is hitting .287/.368/.530. He has eight doubles, four triples, and four home runs and is finally starting to show some of that power that those who drafted him believed he would develop. In seven games last week (one as a pinch hitter), he had four multi-hit games, finishing the week 9 for 23 (.391).

In Sunday's game against Augusta, he came up to the plate as a pinch hitter with runners on third and second and the game tied. He came through with a deep fly ball to center field, that scored the winning run and in a way demonstrated his improvements this season. For his career with RISP we had been a .232 hitter, but this season he is hitting .353 in the same situations. He leads Hagerstown in triples, home runs, total bases, slugging%, and OPS. He has been batting third for the Suns for most of the season and has been thriving in the role. Two issues still remain in his game though. First, his patience at the plate is still a work in progress. He has 35 strikeouts to only 12 walks, but has still managed to maintain a .368 OBP.

The other issue is where he fits in on the field in the long term. Formerly a shortstop, Souza was moved to 3B because of his size and the amount of errors that he has racked up. In the previous two seasons he has had at least 30 errors and already has 9 for this season. It seems likely that a move to first base or the outfield may eventually be in his future, especially given the fact that the "hot corner" is already locked up for the long term on the MLB team. With his bat, though, he would be able to fit in a role as a 1B or corner outfielder. no comments