The Potomac Nationals unveiled its 2013 Opening Day this afternoon, which as expected, will feature quite a few familiar faces. Without further ado, here’s the rundown (watchlist players in bold, notables in italics:
| PITCHERS | INFIELDERS | OUTFIELDERS | CATCHERS |
| Colin Bates | Cutter Dykstra | Billy Burns | Cole Leonida |
| A.J. Cole | Blake Kelso | Randolph Oduber | Adrian Nieto |
| Matt Grace | Kevin Keyes | Caleb Ramsey | |
| Ben Hawkins | Jason Martinson | Michael Taylor | |
| Tyler Herron | Adrian Sanchez | ||
| Taylor Hill | Francisco Soriano | ||
| Taylor Jordan | |||
| Christian Meza | |||
| Richard Mirowski | |||
| Robbie Ray | |||
| Derek Self | DISABLED LIST | ||
| Kylin Turnbull | Paul Applebee | Rob Gilliam | Josh Smoker |
Perhaps not as many high-level prospects or high-profile guys as Harrisburg, but with 10 watchlist players and seven notables (which includes the M*A*S*H unit), it’s certainly an interesting roster. For better or worse, you’re going to read about these guys the most because (full disclosure) Potomac is home base for me as a season-ticket holder.
The early drama is who’s going to the ‘pen? Ray, Grace, and Hill finished the year in the P-Nat rotation but Cole, Jordan, and Turnbull were all Low-A starters last year. Unless there’s a six-man rotation, there’s an odd man out.
The outfield will be one of the fastest and most athletic in recent memory, with three CFs among the four outfielders. Taylor is still likely to the one the one that sees the most time in center, but it wouldn’t hurt to have that arm in right, either.
Keyes is expected to start at first and Martinson at short, but beyond that, I have a feeling we’re going to see a lot of mixing and matching at second and third with the rest of the infielders (except Soriano) having spent time shuffling between 2B, SS, and 3B.
Finally, Nieto and Leonida will be a catching tandem and teammates for the third straight year. Neither has caught more than 70 games in a season, but the edge probably goes to Nieto as the more accomplished hitter in his limited appearances due to injury and suspension.