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Offseason Update: Oct. 14, 2024

Season Review: The 2024 DSL Nationals

After a trainwreck in 2023, it’s hard not to describe 2024 as anything but an improvement for the DSL Nationals. The ’24 D-Nats bats were below-average on offense—like most Nationals affiliates, natch—but they weren’t the worst in the DSL as they were in 2023.

The ’24 arms weren’t as close to the norm as the ’23 hurlers (+0.63 Lg. Avg. vs. +0.43) but were much younger (18.1 vs. 18.7), which is unusual for the Nationals, who like to sign older pitchers to begin with and reclaim guys that other orgs signed young and gave up on. The gloves behind them were also much better than a year ago, as the team improved from .942 FA to .957 and the backstops were better than average at throwing out runners (4th best at 35% vs. 25% Lg. Avg.)

The $64,000 question will be how many of these guys make it stateside in ’25. Presuming the FCL starts in May again, there are more than a dozen ’24 picks who never got into a regular-season game versus the handful that was the norm prior to 2024. That will make it harder than in years past for DSL guys.

And with that, let’s go to the obligatory Top 5’s


TOP 5 BATS TOP 5 ARMS
1. 18-y.o. Dashyll Tejeda, CF
.308 GPA, 46SB, 31R		 1. 18-y.o. Jose Feliz, RHSP
1-3, 0SV; 2.96/2.97/0.94, 2.2 BB/9IP, 10.6 K/9IP in 45⅔ IP (10GS)
2. 17-y.o. Angel Feliz, SS
.289 GPA, 27SB, 42R		 2. 18-y.o. Darrel Lunar, RHRP
2-1, 0 SV; 4.00/3.48/1.22, 10.3 K/9IP in 36IP (15G, 4GS)
3. 18-y.o. Manuel Cabrera, 1B/3B
.279 GPA in 40G		 3. 18-y.o. Jose Sanchez, RHRP
4-1, 3 SV; 2.91/4.39/1.29, 11.6 K/9IP, 5.0 BB/9IP in 21⅔ IP (15G, 12GF)
4. 18-y.o. Hector Liriano, RF
.248 GPA, 25BB, 24R in 52G		 4. 17-y.o. Jean Robles, RHRP
3.95/4.56/1.35, 4.6 BB/9IP, 7HBP in 27⅓ IP (14G, 4GF)
5. 17-y.o. Angel Requena, 1B/2B
.244 GPA, 16K in 27G		 5. 18-y.o. Jeffrey Familia, LHRP
3.77/4.69/1.32, 4WP in 31IP (15G, 8GF)

Tejeda would seem to be a lock to go to the FCL, given that he was repeating the level and is now getting some helium from the Boys in Durham. Cabrera, Liriano, and Familia were also repeating but seem less certain. As always, folks interested in seein the full team statistics can find them here.

8 Commments

  1. Good summary! The only place to go from the 2023 team indeed was up! And with both Tejeda and Feliz, I can’t even remember the last time we had an actual prospect in the DSL, who performed well (most of our best IFAs, like Robles and Soto, ended up skipping the DSL)

    I must say the most interesting storyline came once the season ended. The Nats announced they were not bringing back Fausto Severino, their head of international scouting, who assumed the role vacated by DiPuglia’s departure last season.

    I, for one, welcome the long overdue shakeup of the farm system. But it would be nice to get a bit of insight into the direction/strategy of the franchise. Ciolek and Haas are for sure charting a new course in scouting, and will likely complete the scouting overhaul by bringing in their own guy to lead international scouting operations, as Severino was more of DiPuglia/Kline’s guy, having been with the team for 15 years.

    But where there’s a lot less clarity is on the player development side. The team promoted Eddie Longosz internally last winter, another long term employee in the scouting department, to take over as head of development, and I’m not aware of any key recent outsider hires in the development side of the set up, an interesting contrast to scouting. Most senior guys there seem to also be internal hires. I wonder how much of 2024’s developments can be attributed to his new organization? Because the pitching development was impressive, but the hitting pretty disastrous.

    1. Thanks for that info Will – I wasn’t aware they let Severino go. Were there any more comments / insights on that decision ?

      1. The org was characteristically tight lipped about it: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/09/25/fausto-severino-nationals-international-scouting/

        Reading between the lines, it doesn’t sound like Severino was too happy about it: “All I have to say is that I am grateful to the Lerner Family and Mike Rizzo for taking a chance on me 15 years ago and being a part of a championship team,” Severino said in a text message. “I will continue to pursue a career in professional baseball, and try to impact another organization positively the way we have the Nats over our tenure.”

    2. Should be interesting how Max Romero Jr launches into his 2025 season in spring camp
      Rizzo has a need for a salty vet to park @ 1b with a lefty swing being a plus.
      I recall Jim Fanning trading for Al Oliver in the early 80s to join 30-10-29 in the Expo lineup ( for those fans who didn’t follow the expos – Rock , Hawk and Eli ) lol
      Anyone want to venture on some kids who will surprise in 2025 like Brad Lord did in 2024 ???

      1. PS : looking forward to who Haas and BC hire to spice up the intl scouting to make it more “ Birdland “ like Camden Yards fans are now

  2. There has been more drama in the intl scouting department dating back to Rijo and Leatherpants
    Right ? lol

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