Wednesday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Pitching Probables |
| Rochester | Lost, 5-3 | @ Norfolk, 6:35 p.m. | Adon (0-1, 5.28) vs. Watkins (2-0, 2.70) |
| Harrisburg | Lost, 7-6 | @ Akron, 6:35 p.m. | Rutledge (1-0, 3.72) vs. Nikhazy (0-0, 0.00) |
| Wilmington | Won, 4-3 | @ Brooklyn, 7 p.m. | Alvarez (1-0, 5.14) vs. Suarez (0-1, 27.00) |
| Fredericksburg | Lost, 11-6 | vs. Delmarva, 12:05 p.m. | Bennett (0-1, 3.52) vs. Nunez (0-0, 6.75) |
Norfolk 5 Rochester 3
• T. Romero (L, 0-2) 3⅔ IP, 7H, 5R, 4ER, 1BB, 4K, HR, HBP
• Ferrer 1⅓ IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 0K, 1-0 IR-S
• Mazara 2-4, RBI, E
• Barreto 2-4, 2B
Rochester briefly led this one 2-1, before Norfolk got two in both the 3rd and 4th innings to pants the Red Wings, 5-3. Tommy Romero dropped his second decision with all five runs allowed (four earned) on seven hits (one HR) over three and 2/3rds. He walked one and struck out four. Jose Ferrer led a quartet of relievers who rolled back the Tides the rest of the game. Nomar Mazara and Franklyn Barreto went 2-for-4 while Kevin Blankenhorn homered and drew the solitary Red Wings walk to lead the Rochester offense. Roster moves: OF Derek Hill activated from 7-Day I.L.; OF Yadiel Hernández released.
Akron 7 Harrisburg 6
• Cuevas 5IP, 8H, 5R, 5ER, 2BB, 5K, HR, WP
• Alston (L, 0-1) 1IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 0K
• Frizzell 2-5, R
• Millas 1-3, R, HR, 3RBI
• Arruda 0-3, 2BB, 2SB
The Senators rallied for six in the 7th to tie it at 6-6 but couldn’t capitalize on an error that put a runner on third with two out in the 8th. Instead, the RubberDucks bunted twice in the bottom of the 8th to get a runner into scoring position and pushed across the gamewinner on a one-out double for a 7-6 win. Michael Cuevas gave up another five runs but pitched five full to lower his ERA to 10.13. The 21-y.o. allowed eight hits (one HR), walked two, and fanned five. The loss went to Garvin Alston on three hits in the 8th. Will Frizzell led the Harrisburg hit column with two singles while Drew Millas capped off the 7th with a three-run homer. The Sens took advantage of three errors and seven walks to score six times on just eight hits.
Wilmington 4 Brooklyn 3
• Theophile 4IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 3BB, 4K, HBP, WP
• Pogue (W, 1-0) 3IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 3K
• Sinclair (SV, 3) 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Barley 2-2, 2R, 2BB, HR, 2RBI, 3SB, E(4)
• J. Young 1-4, R, BB, RBI
Jordy Barley had a career night with a single, two walks, and a game-winning HR in the 7th to lead Wilmington past Brooklyn, 4-3. The 23-y.o. also swiped three bases and committed his fourth error. Rodney Theophile continues to struggle at High-A, giving up three runs on four hits and three walks over four innings. Nick Pogue (3IP) and Jack Sinclair (2IP) no-hit the Cyclones for the last five innings, allowing one walk and each striking out three to get the win and save, respectively.
Delmarva 11 Fredericksburg 6
• Cornelio (L, 0-2) 3⅔ IP, 7H, 7R, 7ER, 3BB, 3K, HR
• González 2IP, 0H, 0R, 2BB, 2K
• Lile 2-4, R, BB, SB
• Infante 2-3, BB, 2B, 2RBI
• Cruz 1-3, 2R, 2B, 2BB, 2RBI
The ShoreBirds trailed for just a half-inning (2-1 after two) as they dominated the FredNats, 11-6. Riley Cornelio took the brunt of the beating with seven runs let in on seven hits (one HR) and three walks over three and 2/3rds innings. He fanned three. Pedro González was the sole reliever to hold off Delmarva, tossing two scoreless innings. Daylen Lile and Sammy Infante both reached base three times while Infante and Armando Cruz both drove in two. Fredericksburg managed just two hits in 16 RISP opportunities as they left on 14 baserunners and were unable to make Delmarva fully pay for issuing 15 walks (four drawn by Donovan Casey). Roster moves: OF Donovan Casey reassigned from Wilmington for MiLB rehab.
Farewell, Yadi. He joined the org at exactly the wrong time, as Soto’s unexpected emergence blocked his path to a corner OF spot, and then a subsequent stubbornness to prefer “veterans” for back up roles, though Yadi’s lack of positional versatility hurt his usefulness in this regard.
He was a good player, but unfortunately he defected so late in his career, and lost his prime to that and getting back up to speed after 2 years away from the game.
I think he’s still probably a better baseball player than Alex Call or maybe Corey Dickerson, but at age 35 there’s no value in seeing that out. He also seems to have lost the desire to stick it out in AAA, understandably. I think he should find another org willing to use him as a competent AAAA player.
Trivia query: does Yadi hold the Nat minor-league season HR record? He had 33 at Fresno in 2019 (which probably requires an asterisk!). I remember Tyler Moore having back-to-back 31-HR years in 2010 and 2011. Has any other Nat farm hand topped 30? Zach Walters had 29 at Syracuse in 2013, giving us some false hope about him. Those are the big seasons I remember off the top of my head.
And farewell Yadi. Certainly was a folk hero on this site. He struggled for about his first half season at Harrisburg (already almost 30 at the time) but then hit-hit-hit in the minors.
Andy Tracy hit 37 homers in 1999 for the Senators.
Andy Tracy was under the Expo years
Can we talk about Harrisburg’s strange lineup construction?
Without fail, the lineup each day is: Arruda (S), Valera (R), Antuna (S), Meregildo (R), Frizzell (L), Sanchez (R), Millas (S), Harris (R) and Cluff (L). In that exact order. Sometimes a guy gets a day off, but it doesn’t change.
How long will it take for DeShields to give Millas (.385/.448/.654) and Harris (.375/.423/.583) more at bats ahead of, for example, Valera (.118/.184/.235) and Antuna (.179/.368/.321)? A lead off hitter will get approximately 20% more ABs than a 8th or 9th hitter, and Millas is a genuine, actual prospect, unlike the other 3 names. Shouldn’t he be prioritized? Also unlike Antuna and Valera, Millas is basically a perfect #2 prototype. He sports a .361 career OBP due to a very good eye, to go with decent, still developing, power. He’s exactly the kind of “table setter” you want towards the top of the line up.
On a positive note, I do like DeShields’ aggressive use of Arruda, who has risen the occasion, but Millas and Harris have simply been too good so bar to be buried at the end of a lineup card.
It’s certainly not helping Antuna having him in the heart of the top of the order.
Millas wasn’t good last year, .225/.340/.350 combined across three levels. He found something in the Arizona Fall League and has continued to his this spring. Figures crossed. Catching depth is always welcome.
The not-so-great Cornelio.
Beyond the game results, Green continuing to strike out at an incredibly high rate is alarming, and while Valera’s slow start doesn’t put us in real jeopardy, we have no real depth at shortstop right now without him.
If I am to draw a silver lining from Green’s terrifying plate (in)discipline, it’s that he has up until now an equally uncanny ability to strikeout as he does hit balls into play. We thought his strikeouts were bad last year (40%), well it’s 49% this season. But his BABIP last year was an insane .524. This year it’s .643(!!!). The guy can’t make contract, but when he does…. watch out.
Still I fear the Nats have something of a reverse Midas touch. Every talented player they touch turns into a mess.
Speaking of which, I know it’s still early but Hassell is concerning. I know it takes time for the power to return after a hamate bone injury. However, I’m starting to get worried about James Wood. He sported a BB% near 15% in his first two seasons (with a pretty steep drop to 10% in his short stint in Fburg). But his BB% this season sits at 2.5% this season. Normally, I’d write a lot of this off to small sample sizes. However, it was a trend that immediately started in Fburg last season and has precipitously continued through in Wilmington this season. But most worryingly, it is a trend across the Nationals farm system. We are bloated with free-swinging bats with little to no plate discipline. The fact that Wood has quickly begun looking a lot like this type of player after displaying elite ability to take walks has me worried its a coaching. We haven’t drafted and developed a hitter into a major leaguer in over a decade, and the Nats’ flawed developmental approach is basically the reason for that.
I hope the stink doesn’t rub off on Wood so soon.
Valera will come around
Out of morbid curiosity, I looked up the career stats of those in charge of shaping our young hitters, three of whom are new to the organization this year (so change may take some time.
Mike Rizzo — As a minor leaguer, Riz had a career 14.7 K% (good) but only a 7.7 BB% (bad), leading one to suspect that he really doesn’t value walks that much. His career OBP was a lowly .312.
Joe Dillion, org hitting coordinator — 19.1 K%, 8.9 BB% in the majors, .344 OBP. He had some lower K numbers in the minors, but again, here’s another guy who didn’t show a lot of plate discipline when he played.
Brian Daubach, AAA hitting coach — 23.5 K%, 10.2 BB%, .341 OBP as a major leaguer.
Micah Franklin, AA hitting coach — mostly played in the minors and overseas. Had four pro seasons with 125+ Ks. Did take walks, resulting in .375 career MiLB OBP.
Tim Doherty, A+ hitting coach — didn’t even play minor-league ball, so no pro stats.
Delwyn Young, A hitting coach — 23.4 K%, 7.4 BB%, .317 OBP as a major leaguer. Didn’t value walks, struck out a lot. Not exactly the guy to teach plate discipline to kids.
(For all the stuff about how “old school” Dusty was, he hated strikeouts, proudly noted that he never topped 100 Ks in a season in his career, career K% of 11.5. He didn’t walk enough [9.5%], but he valued putting the ball in play.)