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Brian Goodwin DOB: 11/2/90 Ht. 6′ Wt. 205 Bats: L Throws: L Career Stats |
With the departure of Ben Revere, Goodwin has the chance to replace him on the big club as the left-handed bat off the bench. The 2011 1st. Rd. pick (supplemental) was touted as the team’s future CF, only to have Michael Taylor and Trea Turner pass him by. Last summer was arguably his best, posting a .787 OPS for Syracuse in 119G and .747 for Washington in 22G. He does have one option left, which may give him an edge over Taylor (who has two). |
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Rafael Bautista DOB: 3/8/93 Ht. 6’2″ Wt. 165 Bats: R Throws: R Career Stats |
After an injury-shortened 2015, Bautista bounced back in 2016 with a career-high 135 games played and 56 stolen bases. Speed is indeed the name of his game and his geared his game toward leveraging that tool by hitting the ball on the ground and turning line drives in the gaps from singles into doubles. Consequently, he has little-to-no power. He’s flycatcher with an average arm on defense. He’ll begin ’17 in AAA and wait his turn for an opening in DC. |
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Andrew Stevenson DOB: 6/1/94 Ht. 6′ Wt. 185 Bats: L Throws: L Career Stats |
As predicted, Stevenson was indeed challenged with an assignment to High-A, and responded with a strong season that earned a midseason bump to AA and a trip to the AFL. His calling card as a good defender was on display in Woodbridge and the arm was actually serviceable. Stevenson excels at making contact and hits to all fields, but does not have much power. Speed he does have (39SB). Despite the strong showing in the AFL, look for a return to Harrisburg. |
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Victor Robles DOB: 5/19/97 Ht. 6′ Wt. 185 Bats: R Throws: R Career Stats |
With the trade of Lucas Giolito, Robles is the new #1 Nats prospect. Since everyone else is typing with one hand, let’s discuss his weaknesses, which are correctable and/or acceptable. The first is that Robles gets hit by pitches a lot (34 in ’16, 68 in 228G overall), which has already caused wrist injuries. The second is that the arm isn’t as strong as advertised (but still good). Otherwise, he is a special talent who should return to Potomac in ’17 for a few more weeks. |
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Telmito Agustin DOB: 10/9/96 Ht. 5’10″ Wt. 160 Bats: L Throws: L Career Stats |
Agustin has been in Robles’s shadow since 2014, despite production that’s just a notch below (career .808 OPS vs .860). Injuries limited him to just 72 games at Hagerstown, which no doubt affected his production as well. Offensively, scouts describe him as a slap hitter who relies on his speed and the bunt to get on base (just 16BB) but has little power. Despite the plus speed, they tag him as a LF not CF. He’ll probably go back to Low-A to start ’17. |
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Rhett Wiseman DOB: 6/22/1994 Ht. 6′ Wt. 200 Bats: L Throws: R Career Stats |
Invariably, the first thing mentioned about Wiseman is his Vanderbilt connection, where he was a key cog in two CWS finalist teams. He’s regarded as an athletic, all-around player with no one plus tool, except perhaps his power. That has come at a cost of K’s, which coupled with an aggressive approach, scout worry will increase as he moves up the ladder. Defensively, he has average quickness, range, and arm that profiles best in RF. Best bet for ’17: Potomac. |
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Daniel Johnson DOB: 7/11/1995 Ht. 5’10” Wt. 185 Bats: L Throws: L Career Stats |
Unlike Wiseman in ’15, the Nats’ 5th Rd. pick in ’16 is less polished but has more tools, specifically his speed and throwing arm. Scouts say the rest of his game is a work in progress. Johnson mostly split time in Auburn between CF and RF, racking up nine assists but also committing four errors in 57 games. At the plate, his .659 OPS was just a shade better than the .655 NYPL avg., with 7BB and 42K and 13SB. He’ll likely get the call to Hagerstown to start ’17. |
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Blake Perkins DOB: 9/10/1996 Ht. 6’1″ Wt. 165 Bats: S Throws: R Career Stats |
There’s a sizable gap between the praise and the production for the Nats’ 2nd Rd. pick in ’15. That year he had just a .548 OPS and last summer was only marginally better (.599). BUT, he also took up switch-hitting, and the OPS was .677 from his natural (RH) side. Right now, he has zero power but scouts believe that it will come. Defensively, he uses his skills as a plus runner and can play all three OF positions. He’ll return to Hagerstown to start ’17. |
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Juan Soto DOB: 10/25/1998 Ht. 6’1″ Wt. 185 Bats: L Throws: L Career Stats |
The 17-y.o. IFA lived up to his $1.5M signing bonus and then some with an MVP campaign in the GCL .361/.410/.550, which earned him a cup of coffee in the NYPL. Scouts love his hitting skills, makeup, and his lefthanded swing, which should have some serious power once he physically matures. If you’re looking for a “yeah, but” he only has average speed and defensive skills. The big question: Will the Nats push him (Low-A) or be conservative and let him return to SS-A? |
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Armond Upshaw DOB: 6/20/1996 Ht. 6′ Wt. 190 Bats: S Throws: L Career Stats |
Upshaw was drafted in the 11th Rd. last June out of Pensacola State College and hit well (.325/.391/.400) in a tiny sample size (13 games). The 20-year-old JuCo pick stole 33 bases in 49 games during his final collegiate season, and was also a pitcher, though he only made four appearances (0-1, 9.00 ERA). The Nationals spent $400K to woo him away from the Univ. of Missouri, so the guess here is hitter first, pitcher second, and probably back to the GCL. |
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Juan Evangelista DOB: 5/28/1998 Ht. 5’11” Wt. 165 Bats: S Throws: L Career Stats |
Evangelista was one the 2016 DSL guys after a promising debut season in 2015. Last summer, the 18-y.o. was either hurt or simply did not get much playing time in the GCL, but he did play well – a .296/.339/.407 line in 16 games. Whether that’s good enough to get the bump to Auburn or if he’ll have to repeat the level is anybody’s guess. |