I hope folks enjoyed this little exercise this week — picking which pitchers will begin where in 2013 — as it finishes today with Low-A Hagerstown.
The lowest full-season roster is an estimation as to who did well enough the previous summer in the New York-Penn League to get promoted and who either didn’t do well enough, won’t win the numbers game, or needs more time from last year’s Suns. Jumps from the GCL do happen, but they are rare.
Here’s how I guessed it last February:
| STARTERS | SWINGMEN | RELIEVERS |
| Bobby Hansen | Chris McKenzie | Greg Holt |
| Wirkin Estevez | Taylor Hill | Blake Monar |
| Christian Meza | Colin Bates | Ben Hawkins |
| Nathan Karns | Kylin Turnbull | Aaron Barrett |
| Matt Purke | Tyler Hanks | |
| Luis Chirinos | ||
| Jack McGeary |
Like Potomac, I was only completely wrong on a handful, getting 12 of 17 right if you’re willing to look the other way on Hawkins and Purke (in purple), who began in Hagerstown, albeit in late April and late May respectively. Where I wasn’t so good was picking who’d be starting and who’d be relieving, but such is the nature with the small sample sizes of short-season ball (e.g. Meza, who relieved in 9 of 11 appearances in 2010, but started in 10 of 13 in 2011).
So as we finish up, here’s my take on who will pitch for Hagerstown to begin this year:
| STARTERS | SWINGMEN | RELIEVERS | D.L. |
| Blake Schwartz | Dixon Anderson | Leonard Hollins | Wirkin Estevez |
| Brian Rauh | David Fischer | Cody Davis | |
| Nick Lee | Derek Self | ||
| Blake Monar | Robert Benincasa | ||
| Pedro Encarnacion | Michael Boyden | ||
| Brett Mooneyham |
If you’re inclined to ask “What about________?” after seeing all four parts, remember that getting information about players’ injuries and health is very difficult. It doesn’t help that the Nats aren’t very forthcoming in this department (though hardly a shock, given how tone-deaf the PR folks can be sometimes).
I will joke about this during the season, so if you’re new here… understand I’m not being callous so much as I’m mocking the farce of being so secretive (this isn’t hockey or football) while simultaneously playing roster games (e.g. that pitcher on the DL warming up the right fielder between innings).
Now, we return to the wait-and-see mode until the Spring Training games begin.