AFL Update: Nov. 18, 2016
Alas, the Desert Dogs’ three-game win streak—capped by a 3-1 win over the Javelinas—to close out the 2016 AFL campaign wasn’t enough to get them to the title game, but did secure a winning record at 17-15.
Five Nationals appeared in the season finale: two of the three position players and all three relievers.
Andrew Stevenson (pictured) led off and played CF yet again. He reached base twice with a single and a walk while going 1-for-3 with a strikeout. Defensively, he collected five putouts and fielded eight balls total.
Drew Ward followed Stevenson in the lineup and matched his boxscore line (1-for-3, BB, K). In the field, he had four assists while playing 3B.
Jake Johansen stranded two baserunners in the 6th with a strikeout to end the inning then put on two runners in the 7th before getting two out. His line – 1IP, 1H, 0R, BB, K
Nick Lee kept ’em on by inducing a flyout to finish the 7th, then got the leadoff man in the 8th for a line of ⅔IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 0K
Ryan Brinley completed the Nats reliever sequence with a flyout and strikeout to finish the 8th and a ⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, BB, K line.
It was the fourth, third, and first holds respectively for Johansen, Lee, and Brinley.
# # #
With the completion of the AFL schedule, the 2016 minor-league season (the seventh this site has covered) is in the books. A shoutout to Lee Magenheim, our photographer in Arizona, who’s provided the AFL pictures for the past FIVE seasons.
A very successful AFL for the Nats prospects, everyone excelled with the exception of Abreu, who was not expected to.
Pick your favorite, they all showed great progress.
A shoutout indeed to NP’s ace photographer, who made all of this so much more enjoyable. I fancy myself a photographer but I would have been hard pressed to do any better than Lee.
Thank you very much for the kind words Mark L.
My favorite player this season was Drew Ward because of the tremendous progress he showed since last Fall Lg season, hitting .309 and playing steady defense at both third and first base (his 1st time there in 6 years). Plus, he’s just a really nice young man.
The best Nat’s player there was Stevenson who had many long time Fall Lg scouts and fans waiting for his next at bat or the next opportunity to run down a ball headed for extra bases in the gaps.
It’s possible that he and Trea Turner batting 1st and 2nd will be one of the great speed combinations of all time.
Lee, thanks for the photos and the good scouting report. It’s good to hear that the scouts were paying so much attention to Stevenson. At least I guess that’s good, unless they’re adding him to their trade-for-this-guy lists!
Luke, head to the Caribbean to rest up after your surgery. Then you can report back in the Winter Leagues. Because, what are WE supposed to do now?
if not, then thanks for a great year of posts with results
Here’s a link to the Desert Dog final stats:
http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ibp&sid=l119&cid=454
To me, Stevenson is the big story. He excelled against quality competition, making himself a Trea-like offensive weapon. Both he and Ward did well for themselves after struggling after promotion to AA.
Yes, thank to Luke for the reporting and Lee M. for the pics. I hope Luke will be able to continue the late-fall tradition of crowd-sourcing the Nat arms and bats prospect lists. I think Stevenson just moved up a few ticks on mine.
Today is the day that the all teams must set their 40 man roster for 2017, creating decisions on who the Nats will leave exposed to the Rule V draft in two weeks.
Among the players that the Nats must add to the 40 man or leave exposed are: Austin Voth, Matt Skole, Rafael Bautista, Isaac Ballou, Orange Marmolejos, Jake Johannsen and Bryan Harper. Currently, the Nats have room for all of them, but the Nats will add other players to the roster. Think that Voth, Bautista, Orange are locks to be added. Skole and Harper will likely be added; don’t see either Ballou or Johannsen being added.
Remember, a team taking a playing in Rule 5 has to keep him on their 25-man roster for all of 2017 or return him. Voth is the only vulnerable Nat who would be a good bet to stick. I could see decent cases for Orange, Skole, and Bautista to be protected, but I don’t know that any of them would be in great danger of being picked if they aren’t. (Skole might also be eligible for minor-league free agency; I’m not sure.) Bryan Harper had surgery and very likely won’t be added to the 40-man.
There’s also a flip side to adding marginal guys, as they have to pass through waivers if they get DFA’d, and then other teams don’t have to keep them on their 25-man. That’s what happened to Bostick. They added him to the 40-man when he wasn’t a threat to be lost in Rule 5, then they lost him when they DFA’d him for his 40-man spot.
Voth, Bautista, Orange, Skole and Raudy Read added to the 40 man.
I’m really surprised they added so many. According to Luke, Read’s best defensive attribute is his ability to pick up the ball once it stops rolling at the backstop, or something to that effect.
Matt Skole added to the 40-man, huh?
Go figure.
Sixteen guys on the 40-man are younger than Skole. Better late than never, I guess!
The Nats have open roster spots right now; so, rather than potentially expose a player with some value to be claimed for $50k; the Nats added 5 guys to the roster, and they still have 3 open spots, and may have more in the next week or so (Revere could be non-tendered). When the Nats start adding players on the roster Skole (and others) could be cut loose.
Luke, go play with the dogs in warm weather!! megga dittos on your yearly work.
I like Abreau, who just needs that short porch in Harrisburg.
org shopuld be adding some minor league FAs since names like Sanchez, Lombardozzi and Lozada seem to have evaporated.
exactly , friends, where is the GPS local for MD. winter meetings??
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.
where are you, Gil Grissom?
The Phils added ELEVEN players to their 40-man, including old friend Nick Pivetta.