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Five Nats Make 2018 Baseball Prospectus Top 101

How bad is this offseason? We're past the Super Bowl and *still* talking about lists

The 2018 Baseball America Prospect Book still hasn’t arrived – and I always pay extra for rush shipping, even if I’m just one state away – so in an effort to keep the lights on…

Yesterday, Baseball Prospectus released its Top 101 Prospect List which includes the following Nationals prospects:

● #2 Victor Robles
● #22 Juan (not Jesus) Soto
● #71 Carter Kieboom
● #76 Seth Romero
● #87 Erick Fedde

This is up from three in 2017 (Robles, #7; Soto, #57; Fedde, #62) and four in 2016 (Lucas Giolito, #3; Trea Turner, #13; Robles, #29; Reynaldo Lopez, #75).

What does this tell us? Honestly, not much beyond as noted in the comments: The boys at BP are high on Romero (*ahem*) and Kieboom and haven’t given up on Fedde.

We now return you to your February loathing.

10 Commments

  2. Since I am an old expo fan,I want to revamp Juan Soto. Not Juan ( Jesus Alou) Soto.
    Interesting about Hunter Jones. His best season for SBs was 31 out of 34.
    Good wheels

    1. We cannot walk our dogs enough .
      Goforth , Smith, Mendez , Darnell , Milone , Martinson, Almanzacar, F- mayor, Hunter Jones, JEFF Ames,
      Sierra , NRI. And farm depth. Did I miss anybody ??

  3. Thanks, Will & KW(yesterday) on FanGraphs, I’m a fan of theirs but missed the recent posting. If you have 4, or 5, in the Top 100 you are doing well indeed.

    Luke, I appreciate you lightening up my loathing! 🙂

    Reports out yesterday have the Marlins insisting on either Robles or Soto to get Realmuto.
    Fingers crossed that was a big no by Rizzo.

    2. If we’re so desperate for a new catcher, why not sign Jonathan Lucroy?

      With guys like Frazier signing for pennies, you’d have to think Lucroy will take a bargain for some guaranteed playing time, and the Nats surely have that.

      Predictions have ranged from 1 year/$12m, to 3/$33m. Realmuto just lost his arb bid, and will make $2.9m this seasons, which assuming Realmuto continues to perform well will increase to something like $5.5m then $10m. While a bargain, he will cost $15-20m over those 3 seasons, while ALSO costing at least one top prospect (Kieboom?).

      Meanwhile, Lucroy will cost a bit more, but won’t cost a top 50 prospect.

      Furthermore, Lucroy and Realmuto have been extremely similar players over the past 2 seasons: http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2017&month=0&season1=2016&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=7870,11739

      Why not just pick up Lucroy on a 1-3 year deal, since free agents have suddenly become cheaper than anticipated.

      1. I was lobbying for Avila but wouldn’t mind Lucroy. My logic is the same as yours: why give up top prospects?

  4. I think it’s fair to say that Robles, Soto, Kieboom, Fedde, and Romero are among the top 150 prospects based on talent level, maybe among the top 100, although Romero has barely played. Soto and Kieboom have yet to play a full season . . . and Fedde is about to turn 25 . . . and Romero is a knucklehead. Kieboom is ranked as high as #40 by FanGraphs but not at all on a number of the lists. I’m a Soto fan, but I’m shocked at how high he is on several of these lists, based on a grand total of 83 professional games.

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