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Drew Millas Born: 1/15/98 Ht. 6’2″ Wt. 205 Bats: S Throws: L Career Stats |
While Millas had a strong showing in the AFL, it wasn’t enough to get put on the Nats’ 40-man roster. That may also be because Millas struggled everywhere else, including (and especially) at AA (.576 OPS). Scouts still like his defense and athleticism, but his throwing accuracy was poor (11% at AA in 45G), which is unacceptable for a glove-first backstop. | |
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Israel Pineda Born: 4/3/00 Ht. 5’11” Wt. 190 Bats: R Throws: R Career Stats |
This is the fourth appearance on the watchlist in six pro seasons for the turning-23-y.o. Venezuelan, who also made his MLB debut in 2022 though it was for a 107-loss team in September. Pineda made huge strides on both offense (.649 to .749 OPS from ’21 to ’22) and defense (just 4E and a a 38% CS rate). With just 32G at AA and AAA, it seems likely that he’ll spend 2023 allaying concerns he’s too aggressive at the plate. | |
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Onix Vega Born: 9/07/98 Ht. 5’10” Wt. 200 Bats: S Throws: R Career Stats |
After a strong showing in short-season ball in 2018 and 2019, Vega struggled offensively in his first full season in 2021. He was nevertheless bumped to High-A in 2022 where the bat came back to life as he posted a .265/.376/.377 while backing up Pineda. With the Nats fairly deep in C’s, he may be stuck in Wilmington in 2023. | |
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Geraldi Diaz Born: 7/8/00 Ht. 6′ Wt. 206 Bats: L Throws: R Career Stats |
As predicted in this space a year ago, Diaz repeated the level and was the primary catcher for the FredNats. He caught (and played) a career-high 72 (74) games and improved offensively from a .679 OPS to .751, which was a touch more than the Lg. Avg. (.704), and defensively from .973 FA to .986. Alas, if he gets the bump to High-A he may be splitting time again with Onix Vega. |