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Offseason Update: Sept. 29, 2018

The quest for win #82 was denied last night for the big club, which finishes in Colorado this weekend. The bigger question is whether Max Scherzer will pitch tomorrow if the Rockies clinch tonight – for which some folks are rooting for other reasons.

But there are plenty of other places to discuss that, though with the local NFL team not 0-3 or 1-2 there won’t be as many…

KIEBOOM, GARCIA #2 and #3 on BA CAROLINA LEAGUE TOP 20
As predicted, BA took the lazy way out and named Carter Kieboom to a second Top 20 list and Luis Garcia to his first of what will undoubtedly be two lists. Unlike last year, nary a word was spoken about either Nats prospect in the Fantasy Owner Q&A Top 20 Chat for the league.

MLB PIPELINE PUFF PIECE
If you’re interested in the company line on Kyle Johnston, Nick Raquet, and Jackson Tetreault, MLB Pipeline has you covered. About all we can glean from this article is the semi-confirmation that Mason Denaburg did not have surgery.

TRANSACTION UPDATE
It may be early in the offseason for us, but it’s too late for these guys (released):
• C’s Jeyner Baez, Joey Harris
• OF Nick Choruby
• IF Paul Panaccione (retired)
• RHPs Carlos Pena, David Smith
• LHP Yonathan Ramirez

THE 2018 GCL NATIONALS
After a two-year run of contending in the GCL East, the G-Nats returned to the cellar in 2018 for their sixth losing season in the 2010s. The reason why is pretty simple: They were dead last in the GCL in pitching at 5.68 R/G despite facing just one (1) of the league’s top offenses (the G-Cards, who were the league’s best at 6.2 R/G).

Another “despite” – the G-Nats were the second-oldest team in the league, which wasn’t a factor of rehabs: almost 28% (579 of 2099) of the PA’s were taken by players 21-23 years old. Almost 45% (210 of 472⅔) of the IP were thrown by pitchers 20 or younger, which on its face may explain why the pitching was so poor, but last year’s cohort of 20-or-younger threw more innings (287⅓) and a higher percentage (60.8%).

With the obligatory reminder about small sample sizes and the high “unlikelihood” of these prospects to make it to High-A…

TOP 5 BATS TOP 5 ARMS
1. Blake Chisholm, 1B
.312 GPA, .427 OBP		 1. Alfonso Hernandez, RHRP
2.14/2.71/1.10, 0HR in 33⅔ IP
2. Onix Vega, C
.258 GPA, .991 FA		 2. Ryan Williamson, LHSP
2.53/3.28/1.03, 1.69 BB/9
3. Wilmer Perez, C
.255 GPA, 17% CS		 3. Joan Adon, RHRP
2.29/3.61/1.68, 13.27 K/9IP
4. Eric Senior, LF
.235 GPA		 4. Leif Strom, RHSP
4.83/3.95/1.51, 2.2 BB/9IP
5. Leandro Emiliani, 1B/RF
.231 GPA, 3HR		 5. Niomar Gomez, RHSP
8.24/3.82/1.13, 2.27 BB/9

Picking the pitchers was especially tough. As aforementioned, this group was the worst in the league. Just two pitchers started more than five games, which almost qualified them in and of itself, but both of them (Strom and Gomez) had quite a gap between their ERAs and FIPs while well below the league averages for walks issued. Another pitcher was in his very first season at the age of 23 after missing two seasons. But Ryan Williamson is lefthanded and the organization is hurting for southpaws who can throw strikes.

It’s only marginally better for the batters, where Nos. 4 and 5 were below the league-average .240 GPA and one of them (Senior) was repeating the level. If you’re interested to see the entire team’s stats, you can find them here.

26 Commments

  1. I noticed that Jerry Rodriguez has pitched enough innings to “graduate” from prospect status. Israel Pineda has popped up at #21 to take his place. I was wondering when Pineda would finally get some prospect love–it isn’t every day an 18-year-old catcher who.can hit above the GCL comes along. Hopefully, he can stick at the position and continue to hit as he moves up.

    1. Thanks. I was thinking there was no one on the cusp of graduation. Jeffrey sure looks ahead of a lot of the other young starters at this point.

        1. It was one of those days that whoever was pitching was going to get hit. I was surprised they brought in McGowin considering he had a blister issue last outing and he is really a starter not a reliever. Also, the last two guys brought in were the ones with the least experience. I guess the other relievers other than Collins were unavailable (or done for the year).

          1. I could not understand the decision to punish McGowin for a nice start last week by making him pitch with a blister in junk time. I get that somebody has to do it, but he was unrecognizable as the same pitcher we had seen a few times previously.

    1. Kudos dittos on autumn leaves dog photo
      Nostalgia is the bummer on the mind but Y Ramirez was an interesting two seasons in an hourglass. Promising then receeding ..
      GCL was truly late season NCAA Guys who may or may not look better in 2019 sprinkled with possible Sandy Guys from DSL. GSL19 should have a handful of everyday DSL18 kids intermixed.
      Some here love Brailian Fernandez. Some may love the Tristan Hancock while others the versatile Danny Hernandez ..

        1. Chisholm had to be the prospect who replaced Royal guy Ryan OHearn @ Sam Houston State
          Time will tell if Brailian Fernandez has the halo over his head coming up the chain ala Victor Robles.

    1. Luke I have been so busy including not looking @ MLB standings that in a very disappointing Nats season finishinge ahead of the Phillies is a small cherry on top. They loaded up at trade deadline and pulled a fade that rivaled gene mauchs summer de bummer

  4. 2018 GCL was extremely uninspiring. Not because our 2018 draft was poor, but rather because the Nats have finally begun using it as they should: a springboard to NYPL and above. In the past, the Nats were content to let draftees spend a full season in the GCL (see Justin Connell, Connor Zwetsch and Jackson Stoeckinger just to name a few examples from 2017). This year, there were many fewer players who spent their entire season in GCL. Only those who struggled were held there, and as a result, there’s very few players of note, since those that did perform well, quickly got bumped to Auburn (see Schaller, Irvin, Day, Teel, etc. and Cropley and O’Connor with the bat).

    I guess it’s a good thing there’s very little to highlight in the GCL as it shows it’s working as it should.

  5. My GCL disappointment was Eric Senior. He was a JUCO All-American with great power/speed numbers for his one JUCO season, although said to be very raw. Senior did do more at the plate than Connell, but Connell got promoted. Meanwhile, several of the 2018 OF draftees did well and presumably have filled up a lot of the full-season OF slots at Hags for 2019, including Canning (who may be pushed on to Potomac), Rhinesmith, Wilson, and O’Connor.

    1. Indeed, Senior is a strange one… but then again there’s always a few hitters that seemingly fall between the cracks in the Nats system. Davidson, Sagdal, Wiseman at the higher levels, but also Juan Evangelista a couple years ago (inexplicably repeated GCL then got released shortly after). Looks like Senior and Chisholm are the newest unlucky hitters to get passed over.

      1. Nats have always had the worst luck with right handed hitting outfielders coming up to crack the A ceilings .

        1. Nats have the number 17 in draft June 19. 17 is a number meaning victory. For what it’s worth .

    2. Senior. Just another name in list of many kids in the trail of disappointments in following baseball. Antonio Sucre had a great tool set for Expos but he was a bust.
      Sad to say so many ceiling out before A minus level

  6. Would somebody explain the change in draft pick compensation in lieu of the possible exit stage left ( west ) of Harper ??

      1. The pick around #75 is if they stayed under the luxury tax this year. By nearly all accounts, they didn’t, even after the fire sale. Therefore, it’s very likely to be after the 4th round. For frame of reference, the first pick in the 5th round in 2018 was #135. Yep, that’s all they’d get for Harper. The new compensation system really sucks.

          1. Ty y”all.
            You could not write this any better. Harper walk Year sees the Winter meetings in his home town , state.
            Bob Miller good with the books let go just as Harper exits stage west.
            Poetic

      2. Would that be a historic bookend if the Angels cherry picked Vlad off free agency from his Expo exit then years later cherry picked Harper the Winter after LaSordas mentor exits the Angels ??

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