Two Nats Make the BA Top 100
Yesterday, the boys in Durham released their annual SEO for the Prospect Handbook, and as you might’ve already guessed, it was the usual suspects – Carter Kieboom and Luis Garcia.
Coming in at #15, Carter Kieboom. With the departure of Anthony Rendon via free agency, Kieboom has been tabbed by the Nats beat writers and manager Dave Martinez to take over third base, despite having played just 10 games there (and made four errors). Scouts feel he is better suited to second base, but given the Nats’ propensity to choose offense over defense (see: Ramos, Wilson; Murphy, Daniel), if he hits, he’ll stick.
Tumbling 12 spots, from #79 last year to #91 this year, is Luis Garcia. The biggest question for 2020 for the #2 Nationals prospect is whether he’ll repeat the Eastern League or get sent to the Pacific League. Either is certainly possible, given that Kieboom was pushed up to AAA last year after just 62 games at AA. Garcia has played 129 games for Harrisburg thus far, though as I’m sure someone will remark, as a teenager who turned 19 in May vs. a 20-y.o. turning 21 in September.
I don’t understand why you don’t shift Starlin Castro to third and play Carter Kieboom at 2nd base where he does seem better suited. Maybe he could be a good third baseman, but I think overall you get your best configs there.
That’s my thought too. Castro has already said he’s ready to be the 3rd baseman. The good news is we have 2 months of spring training to figure it out.
Garcia still is very young. I’d start him in AA, then move him to AAA mid-season. Kieboom should be tried at 2B and 3B in ST to see where his defense is better–and whether his bat is at the MLB level in either position. With Castro, Cabrera, and Kendrick the Nats have guys who can cover either base–and hit well.
I’d also keep Garcia at AA, which is more of a learning/teaching level than AAA. The other question with him is the same one with Kieboom — which position? I guess a fair amount of that discussion will have to do with whether Kieboom ends up at 3B or 2B. In the meantime, Garcia probably will stay primarily at SS.
Unless and until Garcia shows more power, it’s hard to see him making it at 3B. Some of this thinking may be figuring into the push to have Kieboom play 3B instead of 2B, but I don’t know. It’s not like you can’t come up at 2B then move over to 3B. I seem to vaguely recall some guy named Rendon . . .
…or Gregg Jeffries
Harrisburg. Lara, Garcia, Freeman, KW Williams..eventually Geraldo later in season???
Garcia didn’t show much power last year but he WAS the youngest player in the league. He doesn’t even turn 20 until May.
Agree with KW on him learning more at AA. Does make me wonder if they’re going to use the steroid ball I AAA this year.
Kieboom #21, Garcia #97 on the MLB.com rankings. Hopefully Rutledge breaks through to the top 100 this year. Looking forward to the system-by-system rankings.
If the scouting reports are to be believed, Rutledge has the stuff to zoom up to the top 20 of the rankings by this time next year, if not the top 10. We’ll see.
Otherwise, there aren’t a lot of Nat prospects on the horizon who might register as top 100 types. Cronin could, but he’d have to continue to be uber-dominant across a couple of levels for a reliever to get notice on a prospect list. We’ve always been told that Seth Romero has this kind of talent as well but are still waiting to see it. I guess Cate might slip into the bottom of the list with a strong AA year, but a “crafty lefty” usually doesn’t get the prospect rankers excited. Maybe Mendoza gets some spring launch-angle tutoring from Kevin Long and tops 30 bombs?
Beyond those guys, I think we’ll be down to hoping that a couple of the young Latinos are lottery tickets who hit.
Which Nats minor leaguers make their major league debuts in 2020?
I’m going to guess: Kyle Finnegan, Ben Braymer, Wil Crowe, Jacob Condra-Bogan, and Luis Garcia.