Baseball America Ranks the Top 10 Nats Prospects
The overlap between our list o’ bats (because bats are always Irish?) and the Baseball America Top 10 is rather strong – with seven position players making the Top 10:
- James Wood, OF (deadline trade)
- Robert Hassell, OF (deadline trade)
- Elijah Green, OF (’22 Draft pick)
- Cade Cavalli, RHP (2)
- Brady House, SS (5)
- Crithian Vaquero (’21 IFA)
- Jarlin Susana, RHP (deadline trade)
- Jeremy De La Rosa, OF
- Jackson Rutledge, RHP (9)
- T.J. White, OF
Perhaps not coincidentally, there are also seven players acquired over the past two Julys, including Los Friars Tres del San Diego™.
No explanation was given for the continued incumbency of Jake Johansen II Jackson Rutledge, despite his languishing in Low-A for all of 2022. This is baffling, given that not one but two younger players with ceilings just as high, if not higher, were dropped (RHP Andry Lara, SS Armando Cruz).
As per usual, the chat questions were asked from the gambl…er, fantasy POV. Unfortunately, there’s still no update on Brady House, unless you’re buying that his coming down with COVID “messed with his power” (having had both, I can assure you the back injury is about 99 44/100ths responsible).
I suppose that in the big picture, if we can only point to one questionable choice out of 10, then perhaps we’ve turned a corner and things are starting to look up from a system that not that long ago was ranked dead last.
Confirming my suspicion that Baseball America’s quality has dropped off is this Twitter thread from one of their senior writers (who is himself a biased Mets fan): https://twitter.com/jaseidler/status/1597720422166171649
In particular, he makes this claim, “I’m not sure they have more than one guy between the farm and the young MLBers that projects to be an above-average regular”, which is a pretty stupid take, as the top 5 on our current list have previously been rated in the top 100 by BA, and at least five players on our current roster were in the top 100 (and a few formerly top 10 prospects). Don’t know how he can rate players so highly while also say they have such little potential.
Sorry, my mistake. The twitter thread comes from a Baseball Prospectus writer not BA. I take back my remark about BA, and direct it to BP. The timing of having seen this thread, then a day later the list got me confused.
Will, yes, rants like that certainly would blow up that guy’s credibility. The dig about lack of player development is warranted, but there’s also quality here. The Nats have at least seven guys who might eventually get into top-100 conversation (some are already): the top seven in the BA list above. It is worth noting that four of the seven are outfielders (and 6 of 10 in the list), so the talent isn’t even, as we’ll see when we get to the top arms.
Todd and the Roman Coliseum stadium fan base : brilliant deductions , Todd , about the real story beneath the numbers with guys like White and Rutledge .
This only proves that the talent hopper has to be continued to be filled to see how much talent rises overcoming obstacles and the usual things which either bless a productive crop or cause the entire PD staff to get canned .
About time Rizzo
Big tuna off 40 man roster
And Josh P
Another Rochester stiff Infielder for Matt Le Croy
Just read that Yasel Antuna was offloaded from the 40 man. He’s already cleared waivers. Overdue.
Yasel Antuna and Josh Palacios have cleared outright waivers. Antuna has been assigned to Triple-A Rochester and Palacios to Double-A Harrisburg.
The Nats did Antuna no favors with his way-too-early elevation to the 40-man. Opposing teams single those guys out. He likely would have struggled anyway, but having that target didn’t help, nor did his outlandish ranking on prospect lists.
I’m not predicting great things for Antuna, but it’s also worth noting that 2023 will only be his age-23 season. He still has time to find himself . . . if there’s something to be found.
Interesting that Nats signed Tito Polo who has not played stateside Donne 2019 or any ball perhaps since then .We should see him added to Sens roster .
Ronald Herrera rewarded for being a workhorse @ AA with his 131 IP .