NationalsProspects.com

Tuesday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Matchup
Fresno Won, 14-3 @ Sacramento, 9:35 p.m. McGowin (2-2, 5.10) vs. Quiala (0-1, 6.48)
Harrisburg OFF DAY vs. Binghamton, 6:30 p.m. Sharp (3-2, 4.88) vs. Kay (2-2, 1.52)
Potomac OFF DAY @ Frederick, 7:00 p.m. Raquet (1-4, 8.72) vs. Hanifee (2-2, 6.65)
Hagerstown Won, 7-6 OFF DAY N/A

Fresno 14 Las Vegas 3
• Voth (W, 3-2) 7IP, 8H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 6K
• Self 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Dominguez 5-6, 2R, 2B, HR, 5RBI
• J. Wilson 3-5, R, 2-2B, BB, 4RBI
• Hernandez 1-3, 2R, 3BB, HR(10), 2RBI

Turnabout was fair play but the Grizzlies waited until the 2nd inning to tear the Aviators’ pitchers a new one when they got six runs en route to a 14-3 win in the finale and 3-1 series win. Austin Voth went seven innings for the first time this season as he gave up all three Vegas runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out six for his third win. Chris Dominguez racked up nine total bases while going 5-for-6 with a HR and five RBI while Yadiel Hernandez reached base four times with three walks and his 10th HR to lead the Fresno offense.

Harrisburg – OFF DAY
Harrisburg resumes its eight-day homestand with three against Binghamton, which will be sans the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner as he is terrorizing Int’l Lg. pitchers with a .362 OPS and 32 strikeouts in 23 games.

Potomac – OFF DAY
The P-Nats make the first of 16 commutes to Frederick this season with three games this week against the Keys.

Hagerstown 7 Augusta 6
• Alastre 5IP, 3H, 0R, BB, 4K, WP
• Day (BS, 1) 1⅓ IP, 3H, R, ER, 0BB, 2K, 2-2 IR-S
• German (W, 1-1) 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Meregildo 2-3, R, 2B, HR, 4RBI, 2BB
• Vickers 2-3, 2B
• C. Wilson 2-3, R, 2RBI, SB(14), E(2)

After blowing an early 4-0 lead with a five-run, three-run 6th, Hagerstown rallied with two in the 8th and one in the 9th to edge Augusta, 7-6 in regulation and win the series, 3-1. Tomas Alastre had his first scoreless outing of 2019 as he tossed five innings without allowing a run on three hits and one while fanning four. Chandler Day earned his first blown save as he let in two runs in the aforementioned five-run 6th (all unearned, all charged to Ryan Williamson) and one of his own in the 7th. Jhonatan German picked up the win, his first, with goose eggs in the 8th and 9th. Omar Meregildo walked twice, doubled, homered, and drove in four while lineup bookends Cody Wilson and Trey Vickers both went 2-for-3 to power the Suns offense.

26 Commments

  1. Free Yadiel Hernandez

    Wish I didn’t have to keep posting this. I just can’t fathom how Adrian Sanchez is a preferable 5th OF option over Hernandez. I’ve never entertained the idea of firing Mike Rizzo, but this season might put me over the edge.

  2. At least Adrian Sanchez can play SS, which Carter Kieboom certainly can’t.
    Does anyone in the Nats f.o. pay attention to Fresno? It doesn’t seem so.

    1. Not only that, but Yadiel looked awful in the field during ST. He’s both smallish and slow–bad combination. These PCL video game numbers are not to be trusted–I’d give Wiseman a shot before Yadiel.

      1. You don’t have to believe his PCL numbers. Just look at his Eastern/International League numbers from last year: .286/.369/.457.

        I’m not proclaiming him the savior of this crappy team, but he’s most certainly a better option than Adrian Sanchez or Andrew Stevenson, especially when we already have two defense-first CFs on the team.

  3. If Stevenson joins Taylor as somewhat injured, they’ve *got* to add Hernandez (now with 10 homers) to the 40-man and bring him up, right? It makes no sense not to. If they activate Rendon today, then Difo can go back to utility, and they’ve got little need for Sanchez. There are several players they can DFA. If they could clear a 40-man spot so quickly for a mediocrity like Dan Jennings, they can do it for some others who are actually playing well.

    1. The way the injury bug and stiff bodies from a Delta airline ” dropped ball” … maybe YH and Wiseman could surface
      This season.
      That Voth outing last night and MCGowin ‘s matinee outing with 9 Ks top QS for Fresno in the Coors Lite/ PCL….
      Meregildo has those HR/ 2b games once in awhile to keep him revelent.

    2. The Nats may have a bigger need at first base as it appears that Zimmerman and Adams will be out longer than Soto. The team seems confident that Soto will be back before the end of the road tip. If they have to add a player to the 40 man roster, it could be Brandon Snyder, who has also hit well and can play 1st, 2nd and the OF.

      Yadiel Hernandez can hit, but he is such a liability defensively as he can only play corner OF, and he does that poorly. Seems destined for the AL.

  4. Karl was posting at the same time. I believe Luke was quite disparaging of Wiseman’s defense several times last season as well. Can’t anybody here play this game?!

  5. Unfortunately, I’m not a Rhett Wiseman fan. Lack of hustle in the outfield. I’ve seen him miss some easy plays because he didn’t take 1 or 2 extra steps to make the catch.
    You need more than a bat to make it to the top! I think we’re all finding that out watching the struggles of Carter Kieboom. Hoping the Nationals can get this injury curse exorcised before it’s too late! In the meantime, I’ll continue watching my Harrisburg Senators play winning baseball!!!

    1. Well the Greek chorus will need to await Arias and B. Fernandez to arrive to be pleased with all around games

    3. Unfortunately, I’m not a Rhett Wiseman fan. Lack of hustle in the outfield. I’ve seen him miss some easy plays because he didn’t take 1 or 2 extra steps to make the catch.

      Same things I saw last year.

  6. Ever since struggling the first half of 2017 adjusting to a new country, Yadiel Hernandez has hit in AA and AAA. Showing a good approach and power. The hit tool is the most important. If you can hit they will find a spot for you. His defense may be below average and that’s not good. But nobody is professes that Hernandez is a everyday quality player but he could be valuable as a left handed bench bat and a spot start. Plus he is 31 and deserves a shot in the bigs.

  7. Also Adrian Sanchez, Jake Noll, and Andrew Stevenson have not put those type of numbers up in AA or AAA, so that tells you at worst he is a better hitter than those 3. Now defensively they are much better and Noll and Sanchez play the infield, but I would argue that Noll is a below average defensive infielder. Sanchez, Difo, and Kieboom can all play SS so take one of Sanchez or Noll off team and promote Hernandez. It’s not like they play enough anyway to act like their defense matters. This team needs lumber off the bench.

  8. And after a good spring training Jacob Wilson has gotta be closing the gap between him and Noll (similar profiles). PCL or not the hitting and power cannot be denied.

  9. I’m still trying to figure out why the Nationals put Jake Noll on the opening day roster. Yes, he had a great spring training but how many times have we seen that before? I think they made a huge error and now he claims a roster spot that should have been given to Jacob Wilson. I don’t think Noll is the golden boy the Nats front office thinks he is. I also agree that Yadiel Hernandez deserves a shot. Sometimes you have to wonder what else do some of these players need to do to make it in the Nats organization.

    1. I’ll never understand the alternate career trajectories of Noll and Davidson.

      They found themselves both in Hagerstown in 2016. Noll batted a respectable but unimpressive .259/.310/.388, Davidson batted a much more noteworthy .285/.365/.473.
      Flash forward to 2018, they both found themselves repeating the season Potomac. Noll batted an impressive .302/.353/.460 the best stint of his career, but paling in comparison to Davidson’s .319/.415/.478. They both played the same positions: primarily 2B and 3B, with Noll getting increasingly shifted to 1B and Davidson to the OF.

      And despite Austin Davidson outperforming Noll at every level, we find Noll in the majors and Davidson repeating AA. Mike Rizzo and Bob Boone certainly work in mysterious ways…

  10. Fedde back up to the Nats. Sipp to the DL.

    Kieboom back down to AAA. Rendon activated.

  11. Well said Will! I give the Nats until late summer til they realize they need that spot and DFA Noll. Davidson rocks but the Nats brain trust will never figure that out!

  12. Yes the Jake Noll conundrum is crazy. Noll has been a solid but unspectacular player throughout his minor league career. Didn’t show enough to be a big leaguer this soon and I wondered if he would ever be a big leaguer. I’m happy for the kid, he seems great. But I think the Nationals fell in love with the whole he looks and acts like Zim routine plus he put together a good Spring training which is worth something but those numbers can be taken with grain.
    You gotta think that they are seeing something different in their evaluation. Davidson must be a really bad defender because he has outperformed Noll offensively at every level. But it seems brass has always been higher on Noll.
    Jacob Wilson I could argue against until this season when he has slaughtered the baseball. Maybe PCL factor. But Davidson, Wilson, Hernandez seem to be pretty low on the Nationals inner depth charts.

    In the same vain, though he has not performed yet, but havingTelmito Agustin who performed well in winter ball and moved up prospect lists repeat high-A after a solid year was baffling. Especially when the AA outfielders aren’t all exactly studs or future big leaguers. They clearly have different evaluating factors than most.

    1. Re: defence. I unfortunately can’t watch them in person, but with what extremely limited defensive metrics we have for the minors, Davidson is a better 3B than Noll.

      FPCT: Davidson (.941) vs Noll (.924)
      Range factor/9inning: Davidson (2.81) vs Noll (2.40)

      But either way, none of this really matters, because they’re using Noll as a 1B. Basically anyone can play there, so it’s not defense they’re valuing in this equation.

      1. I have and Davidson is not a very good fielder. Noll is marginally better, but as you noted, the Nats are more than willing to tolerate subpar defense (Wilson Ramos, “Rainbow” Murphy, Brian Dozier, Juan Soto, etc.) in pursuit of offense.

  13. interesting sighting in Fresno line-up. Dominguez played 1b while Orange played LF. sshhhh. Orange could be a guy to go up later this summer…

  14. I’d like to see Marmeljos get a shot. Pure LH bat that can play first and LF.

Comments are closed.