RHPs

	Erick Fedde DOB: 2/25/93 Ht. 6’4″ Wt. 180 Bats: R Career Stats	In my mind, there are two questions that need to be answered with Fedde: (1) Is he healthy? (2) Why did the Nats mess with him as a reliever? Fedde did not pitch after Aug. 27 and threw 30⅔ fewer innings in 2017 than 2016. As of this writing (January 2018), he’s a candidate to make the Opening Day roster in the starting rotation, so we should get the answer to #1 by March. Since Mike Rizzo never admits a mistake, we’ll probably never get an answer to #2.
	Wander Suero DOB: 9/15/91 Ht. 6’3″ Wt. 195 Bats: R Career Stats	The Nats added Wander Suero to the 40-man roster at the deadline to avoid his becoming a free agent. He doesn’t not throw hard (low-90s) but doesn’t nibble, either – just 19 walks in 65⅓ IP between AA and AAA last summer. He also struck out a batter per inning for the first time in six years. If there’s a clue to his success, it’s that he’s become more effective against LHBs than RHBs (.504 OPS vs. .589), which is valuable in his most likely usage of middle and long relief.
	Jefry Rodriguez DOB: 7/26/93 Ht. 6’5″ Wt. 185 Bats: R Career Stats	Rodriguez was in the midst of his best full-season campaign when he was dinged for a PED violation and missed three months last summer. He came back to Potomac rather than the GCL and made two relief appearance and three starts. While he’s allegedly been clocked as high as 98, he works more in the 91-93 range and appears to be sacrificing velocity for command. He was protected from the Rule 5 Draft but would seem likely to return to High-A to start 2018.
	Joan Baez DOB: 12/26/94 Ht. 6’3″ Wt. 190 Bats: R Career Stats	Throwing 100 as a pitcher is like being 7′ tall in basketball: no matter how bad your game is otherwise, you’ll get someone to take a chance you. Baez has been clocked that fast but doesn’t hit it consistently because his command is so uneven. He will probably always struggle with walks, but his fastball has life and he seems to throw it effortlessly. Like all hard throwers, his success will hinge upon his being able to develop control and at least one more secondary pitch.
	Sterling Sharp DOB: 5/30/95 Ht. 6’4″ Wt. 170 Bats: R Career Stats	Sharp was a 2017 Watchlist pick based on pitching two levels in 2016 and decent peripherals, then did it again in 2017. It could stated he was socially promoted to Potomac in late July to take the place of the traded McKenzie Mills, but it’s small sample size (6GS) that’s skewed by two bad outings vs. Winston-Salem. Sharp doesn’t throw particularly hard but he’s generally around the plate, either of which may also explain why he’s averaged 10.1 H/9 in 171⅔ IP thus far.
	A.J. Bogucki DOB: 5/2/95 Ht. 6’3″ Wt. 187 Bats: R Career Stats	As usual, it’s not clear what, if any, injury delayed Bogucki’s 2017 debut until Memorial Day Weekend. After a horrific 2016 season in the GCL and the NYPL, the former Tar Heel was nevertheless sent to Hagerstown where he went 4-2 with a 3.56/3.78/1.29 line in 20 appearances on a pitching-starved Suns team. Five of those were as a starter and he was knocked around (.942 OPS) but as reliever, he was much more effective (.545) in his 15 relief appearances.
	Wil Crowe DOB: 9/9/94 Ht. 6’2″ Wt. 240 Bats: R Career Stats	Crowe came down with Nationals elbow in 2015 but returned to action for South Carolina in 2017 to become Washington’s 2nd Rd. pick. He was carefully managed in the GCL and the NYPL, pitching no more than three innings per start and exceeding 50 pitches just once. The 23-y.o. features the classic arsenal (FB/SL/CV/CH) with no pitch worse than average and a FB velo of 91-95. He’ll probably be still kept on a pitch count, but could still begin 2018 in High-A.
	Gabe Klobosits DOB: 5/16/95 Ht. 6’7″ Wt. 270 Bats: L Career Stats	The #18 prospect per MLB, and #31 per BA, Klobosits is easily the sleeper pick of the 2017 Draft. The 36th Rd. Draft pick out of LSU (and a JuCo transfer) pitched at three levels (GCL/NYPL/SAL) and averaged 10K per 9IP. He features a mid-90s FB with an above-average slider and an occasional splitter. In college, control was an issue—typical of someone who has to duck doorways—but the prevailing wisdom is that he could pitch multiple levels in 2018, too.
	Jackson Tetreault DOB: 6/3/96 Ht. 6’5″ Wt. 170 Bats: R Career Stats	Despite transferring from a Div. II University to a JuCo, Tetrault was drafted in the 7th Rd. no doubt in part because he was noticed while teams were scouting the Cubs’ 1st Rd. pick Brendon Little. The rail-thin 21-y.o. features a mid-90s fastball along with a curveball and a changeup. Control, however, is an issue as he issued more than 4.5 walks per 9IP in college and 3.79 last summer. Scouts believe that with more work (and more weight) he can improve on his shortcomings and perhaps even work as a starter.
	Tomas Alastre DOB: 6/11/98 Ht. 6’4″ Wt. 170 Bats: R Career Stats	A converted shortstop, Alastre was signed as an IFA in 2014 as a 16-y.o. out of Venezuela. He moved up from the DSL to the GCL to the NYPL from 2015 to 2017 but pitched most of 2017 in the GCL, where he went 3-1 with a 2.55/3.38/1.02 in a team-leading 42⅓ IP. Given his age and lack of experience, he’ll probably go back to the NYPL in 2018.
	Angel Guillen DOB: 1/24/97 Ht. 6’2″ Wt. 150 Bats: R Career Stats	A 2017 “DSL Arm,” Guillen also started in the NYPL and dropped down. But unlike Alastre, he was returned to upstate NY and made three more appearances. At 21, he’s past the “Billy Rowell” defense (but he’s still young) and will have to finish 2018 in Hagerstown and pitch well to return to this space in 2019.