MLB Pipeline Releases its 2022 Top 30 for Washington

For the third straight year, MLB released its Top 30 list for the Washington Nationals in the midst of spring training.

Unlike years past, there are some stark differences between MLB’s and BA’s Top 30’s, though some of it is because MLB uses the rookie standard for… wait for it… MLB while BA ignores service time in favor of simplicity.

Consequently, Cade Cavalli remains atop the MLB Top 30 for 2022 while Keibert Ruiz is the top dog for BA. Brady House is the next-best for both lists (#2/#3).

But there are several other notable differences, which may reflect who’s to talking to whom or perhaps (*cough* fantasy baseball *cough* gambling *cough*) something else:

• RHP Jackson Rutledge (#4 v. #9)
• RHP Cole Henry (#3 vs. #6)
• OF Yasel Antuna (#12 vs. #4)
• OF Daylen Lile (#10 vs. #18)
• UT Lucius Fox (#23 vs. NR)
• LHP Dustin Saenz (#24 vs. #39)
• OF Ricardo Méndez (#26 vs. #38)
• SS Yoander Rivero (#29 vs. NR)
• LHP Tim Cate (NR vs. #19)
• LHP Seth Romero (NR vs. #27)

The accompanying writeup focuses on the Rizzo rebuild and how it led to so many of the “new faces” (five) but also how it might not be enough at the MLB level.

As alluded to yesterday, it appears to me that the influx of former Nats may be more about PR than production (in fairness, I can’t level the charge of pulling a Snyder until the 40-man is set). But it’s also consistent with what appears to be The Plan: Buy time until the H.S. kids^* and IFA’s develop.
^{* 2021 saw the most HS batters signed (3/4) since 2009 when the Nats went hog-wild and drafted 13 of them, signing four}