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Jacob Young Born: 7/27/99 Ht. 5’11” Wt. 180 Bats: R Throws: R Career Stats |
Young dramatically improved his BA (.262 to .305) while collecting more XBH (32 vs. 20) while splitting time between High-A and AA. He appeared to be ticketed towards closing out ’23 in AAA but instead got the unexpected callup to DC, where he acquitted himself with a .252/.322/.336 line in 33G. The CW is he’s a placeholder until ↓these guys↓ are ready, but that’s more or less what this space read a year ago. | |
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Robert Hassell Born: 8/15/01 Ht. 6’1″ Wt. 195 Bats: L Throws: L Career Stats |
Hassell repeated AA in ’23 with only minimal improvement (.608 to .640 OPS). While he fared well in the AFL (.714) that’s SSS vs. subpar pitching. Perhaps more disturbing, Hassell was second in whiffs (152) to Wood without the longballs (9). He did, however, draw 68 walks and played solid defense at all three OF positions, but without power that’s 4th OF material. | |
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James Wood Born: 9/17/02 Ht. 6’6″ Wt. 240 Bats: L Throws: R Career Stats |
Wood led the Nats minors in HRs (26) and strikeouts (173). It’s the latter that needs to be addressed, as scouts have changed their minds about his pitch-recognition skills. He has the speed to play CF and swipe a base or 18 (in 21 attempts) but there are other candidates (*cough* Crews *cough*) and Wood has the arm to play RF. | |
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Dylan Crews Born: 2/26/02 Ht. 6′ Wt. 205 Bats: R Throws: R Career Stats |
College World Series champion. Golden Spikes Award winner. The Nats #1 pick (#2 overall). It was quite a year for the 21-y.o., who has supplanted Cade Cavalli as The Coming Thing for Washington. Crews has above-average skills in every facet of the game. If he does have a flaw, scouts say it’s a “slightly elevated in-zone miss,” which may explain the tepid finish at AA. He’s expected to adjust and will probably spend more time in the minors than the Lt. Dan’s would prefer. | |
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Andrew Pinckney Born: 7/23/00 Ht. 6’3″ Wt. 215 Bats: R Throws: R Career Stats |
Arguably the most under-the-radar guy from the ’23 Draft, Pinckney joined Crews and Morales in rising from Low-A to AA. He also had the same performance – crushing it for the “A” teams before struggling on City Isle. Scouts say he struggles against secondary pitches but otherwise is a solid defender with plus speed who can… wait for it… easily play centerfield. | |
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Daylen Lile Born: 11/30/02 Ht. 5’11” Wt. 195 Bats: L Throws: R Career Stats |
After missing all of 2022 with Nats elbow, that Lile posted an All-Star campaign at Low-A and held his own at High-A (factoring in that he was more than two years younger than the Sally Lg. avg.). Scouts like his ability to during an at-bat, though he took far fewer walks at High-A and the power disappeared. Given his age and the group ahead of him, he should be back in Wilmington to start ’24. | |
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Elijah Green Born: 12/04/03 Ht. 6’3″ Wt. 225 Bats: R Throws: R Career Stats |
The tools are there, the skills are not. No one doubts he has potential or that time is on his side, but the fact remains: Green hasn’t learned which pitches to swing at, a.k.a. how to hit. The good news is that he can (and does) take a walk (13.9%) but not nearly enough to offset a coach’s-kid K rate of 47%. Look for him to return to Fredericksburg again in 2024. | |
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Elijah Nunez Born: 12/06/01 Ht. 5’10” Wt. 180 Bats: R Throws: R Career Stats |
Nunez acquitted himself well in a short stint with the FredNats, though he’ll probably return. He’s got speed and can hit it to the gaps and will take a walk as often as he strikes out (both ~18%). But he has little power and struggles to hit breaking pitches. Defensively, he’s solid which, unfortunately, isn’t a requisite in this organization. | |
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Christhian Vaquero Born: 9/13/04 Ht. 6’3″ Wt. 180 Bats: S Throws: R Career Stats |
Vaquero made it north of Florida before turning 20—which might assuage the 2019ers and/or the Lt. Dans—though he struggled in the small sample of 20 games. Thus far, it appears he’s been able to maintain his swing on both sides of the plate, though he’s a natural LHB. He’s got plenty of speed and plenty of arm, which is why he played a fair amount in RF. Power? Not so much. But it often comes last in P.D. |