Wednesday’s News & Notes

12 Commments

1. Rutledge gave up two very long home runs in the first two innings. In the 2nd inning, Somerset had the bases loaded with two outs. It appeared the Senators had a pickoff play on as the 3rd baseman was moving toward the bag. The batter then hit a ball into the vacated area and all three runners scored. Rutledge shut them down the next four innings.

   1. Somerset nice line up
      Parker’s 9 Ks in 5 interesting .

2. I mean no offense to the guy, but how does Jose Ulloa still have a roster spot with the FNats? He was always a strange addition as a MiLB FA, turning 24 in 10 days, not having pitched professionally since 2021, and, to be frank, being pretty lousy up until then (he had a career ERA nearly 6.00 in his two shortened seasons in the Phillies system after being drafted in the 24th round in 2019).

   To some extent, I understand why the Nats go after guys like Jeter Downs, who have an unfulfilled reputation, or guys like Travis Blankenhorn, who may lack the status, but have had recent success in the minors. I also understand the patience approach for other guys like Jose Atencio and Bryan Sanchez, who are also struggling mightily in Fburg (12.15 and 12.00 ERAs, respectively), because at least they’re age appropriate (21 and 20), they’ve also flashed some good “stuff” (both are striking out batters well above 12/9IP).

   I don’t see any of that in Ulloa. Ulloa now sports a 15.43 ERA, and actually lowered his ERA after giving up 2 runs in only 1.1 IP. He’s pitched 6 games, and given up a run in 5 of them, and 5 or more in 2 of them. He’s striking out less than 7/9IP, and while his walks are low (3 in 9.1 IP), he’s hit 4 batters and thrown 3 wild pitches, so he’s not in control either.

   I don’t mean to hit a guy while he’s down, especially when there’s no shortage of targets at the moment. But this is a bit more symptomatic of a wider emerging trend of prioritizing non-prospects over prospects (see the frequent comments about Casey’s playing time). Basically, right now there’s a traffic jam with pitching at Fburg. A few arms basically skipped Fburg altogether, like Pogue and Zinn, presumably due to the logjam there (and the dearth of players at the higher levels). Meanwhile, we’ve yet to see a bunch of guys who were either very good (Jose Cedeno, Gabriel Agostini, Adrian Ogando) or held their own (Franklin Marquez, Marquis Grissom) (though I admit some of these guys may be injured) last season in the FCL.

   I understand the need to populate MiLB FAs at the highest levels, but there’s nothing to be gained from this at the A ball level. We released guys like Karlo Seijas to replace him with Ulloa, who has proven over several seasons to be worse than Seijas. It’s weird.

   1. Speaking of Jeter Downs…. I just realized he’s STILL in the majors! He’s been there 15 days and hasn’t played a single inning yet. Here I was gobsmacked as everything the Nats did in ST and the first weeks of the season was to give him every chance possible, and now he’s sat on the bench for over two weeks straight. Either Rizzo & co. think he’s a prospect in need of rehabilitation or he’s just roster filler to eat innings. Their actions from March to early April suggested he was the former, but their use of him since promotion suggests the latter. It’s all a bit puzzling. But at least this isn’t an actual prospect, or it’d be a lot more irritating.

      1. Not puzzling at all.

         The Nats promoted Downs because, beyond the starters, they had no one to play SS or 2B with Ildemaro Vargas on the IL, and they didn’t have room to add someone to their 40 man roster. Jeter Downs is essentially Lucious Fox.

         To state the obvious, CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia (both are two years younger than Jeter Downs) are part of the Nats’ future plans, Jeter Downs is not. There is no reason to take away at bats from Nats’ future pieces to give Jeter Downs some work.

         Also, it benefits Jake Alu to play everyday then to have him sit on the Nats bench until Vargas is ready. So, promoting Downs to sit rather than Alu makes sense.

         The Nats took a flyer on Jeter Downs in case he suddenly developed, but the Nats aren’t counting on Downs as part of the future. So, unless Abrams or Garcia pulls a hammy, Downs sits. Shows that the Nats properly prioritize their future. Soon enough Downs, will get ABs in AAA, where he most likely further confirm his non-prospect status.

         There is no world where the Nats are going to sit a healthy CJ or Luis to work in Downs.

   2. Jose Cedeno was released on 4/8. Don’t know why – his numbers looked good.

      1. Wait, really? That makes no sense. The guy had a career WHIP below 1.00! We’ve given actual criminals a longer leash.

         I hope it was Cedeno’s decision… but man, he looked like a genuine prospect in the making. Hope he’s got a bright future post-baseball.

3. LM’s succinctly detailed Rutledge’s night. There is plenty to like about his last four innings and the damage in the first two was mostly bad luck, the home runs not withstanding. he’s throwing his secondary pitches more frequently though still missing badly on occasion. when he got behind he got aggressive and the resulting single walk is a positive. the outing is not a step back in any measure. stay healthy my boy and keep going after ’em.

   Millas gunned out two runners that appeared to have the base stolen and continues to get on base. with his defense he’s my first choice as a backup to Ruiz, assuming he continues his success offensively.

   1. Millas good eye at the plate with 4 walks .
      Pitchers are like used cars .
      Kick a few tires find a few gems under the previous eye sores .
      Not everyday you’re going to find a Jeff Fassero rising Phoenix story .
      Like in the old days of door you dope sales : knock on 12 doors find 1 or 2 home .

4. If asked to name five starting pitchers in the system with “major-league” stuff, most of us would include Adon, Rutledge, and Bennett as three of the five. Obviously there were extenuating circumstances with Bennett since five of the runs were unearned, and we’re hearing that there were with Rutledge as well. But still.

   Of the young hitting prospects, House is off to the best start, I guess followed by Wood. Some of the others have been spinning their wheels more. Green had a hit but also struck out three times in four plate appearances. Good to see hits by Cox (2), White (HR), McKenzie (2B), Lipscomb (2B), and de la Rosa, all of whom have been scuffling a bit. But it’s still early, as it is for the pitchers as well.

   1. Look no further than their (in)ability to hit the ball into play:

      Green: 52.7 K%
      Cox: 42.5%
      White: 28%
      McKenzie: 31.9%
      Lipscomb: 18.5%
      de la Rosa: 48.1%

      Even the greatest player of all time would struggle to hit for average if you’re only able to hit the ball into play (and therefore have the chance to get on base) 50% of the time.

      What Elijah Green and Jeremy de la Rosa are accomplishing right now is insane and comically unsustainable. They’ve both got a 50%+ strikeout rates and a batting averages above the Mendoza line, because their BABIPs are so impossibly high (.632 and .478; the average is around .300….). When luck catches up to them, their stats are going to get ugly.

      On the brightside, whatever the Nats are teaching doesn’t seem to have sunk in with Lipscomb and Wood yet.

      And I’ve got no idea what’s going on with TJ White. He seems to be making really good contact, and added some plate discipline, but it’s not resulting in much. Don’t know what to make of his batting profile…

5. good test for Susana tonight, the Hillcats walk the most and strikeout the least among all teams in the Carolina League.

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