Checking In…
Can’t really call this an update, as there’s no real news peg. The AFL starts up tomorrow, which means it’s another two days until there is one for sure.
I think most of us are simply hoping that the games will show that the guys who’ve been hurt are getting healthy again. This probably applies the most to Jackson Rutledge, who I hope is eager to put down the beer he’s been holding for Jake Johansen and give it back to Mason Denaburg as the biggest top-pick miss of the past 10 years or so. Expectations are probably low enough that just making 4-5 starts of three or four innings without getting blasted would count as a success.
At the big-league level, much has been made about the departure of Kevin Long and the “demotions” of Randy Knorr and Bobby Send..er, Henley. I can’t speak to Long, though I struggle to think of any hitter who went from marginal to acceptable (i.e. the primary measuring stick). Knorr and Sendley are holdovers from when the franchise was in Montreal.
I put demotions in quotes because it’s never made sense to me why the Nats insist on “promoting” managers and coaches by the classification. The focus should be on finding teachers at the lower levels and motivators at higher levels. Mario Lisson, for example, has a different set of challenges at Low-A (e.g., acclimating players to full-season ball) than Matt LeCroy has (e.g., keeping veteran players motivated) at AAA.
Instead, they move them up like players regardless of their strengths. Taking a quick peek at other organizations, there does seem to be a lot more coaches at the lower levels, even in organizations as dysfunctional as the Mets.
Something to complain think about.
Speaking of Denaburg, Keith Law has been saying for a long time that the numbers are very clear that drafting a high school pitcher in the 1st round is just dumb.
The soonest Denaburg will throw a pitch is next summer (his t.j. was April) and he hasnt done anything at all since being drafted in 2018.
Player development may be more important to the Nats than the MLB coaching staff. Henley and Knorr have experience there. The Nats should open up the money bags and hire the best people they can find in other organizations known for the excellence of their scouting and player development. Identify and use the best technology to help the minor leaguers improve their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. Basically, it’s “this is what it takes to succeed at the MLB level, and this how you must improve to reach that level”.
Giants have a nice mix of old names long forgotten ( Treblehorn ) and of course good ole Tim Leiper as oF/ base running coach
They sure have a good mix
I know a AA player in another organization who had an App and could watch all his at bats from the last game. It was a great teaching tool. Maybe the Nats will use something like this in the future for their young hitters.