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Tom Milone DOB: 2/16/87 Ht. 6′ 1″ Wt. 205 Bats: L Career Stats | Disclosure: Milone has been a favorite since ’09. Back-to-back 12-win seasons with nearly the same ERA has put him on the prospect radar, even without a “plus” pitch. Outstanding control (1.3BB/9) has been his hallmark, but his best tool is between his ears. Milone simply has the knack of reading hitters and pounding their weak spots, using a slow, deceptive delivery and expertly mixing his arsenal of fastball, cutter, curve and changeup. Good fielder, holds runners, handles the bat well. |
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Danny Rosenbaum DOB: 10/10/87 Ht. 6′ 1″ Wt. 210 Bats: R Career Stats | Some folks call him Tom Milone II, but BA compares him to John Lannan. Throws an 88-91 cutter that bedevils RHBs and a “heavy” fastball to get groundouts and features a decent curve. Struggled with his breaking pitches late last season, but the Lannan comp makes sense because once he masters the changeup, he’ll be very effective. Though he lacks Milone’s control (most do), Rosenbaum is similar by the way he get outs on pure guile. Likely to start 2011 at Harrisburg. |
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Evan Bronson DOB: 2/13/87 Ht. 6′ 3″ Wt. 195 Bats: L Career Stats | After an outstanding 2009 season in Vermont (3-0, 0.55 in 49⅓ IP) as a reliever, Bronson took a step backwards in 2010 as a starter, splitting the season between Potomac and Hagerstown (4.36 ERA overall). Looking over the scorebooks, it appears his days as a starter may be numbered since he shows the classic pattern of getting hit hard in the middle innings, though he only failed to go five innings four times in 16 starts. His 2011 placement could depend on which role the Nats want him to fill. |
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Jack McGeary DOB: 03/19/89 Ht. 6′ 3″ Wt. 195 Bats: L Career Stats | McGeary is most famous for breaking the 15-year streak of Stanford keeping its HS commitments from signing, one of the few moves that Jim Bowden deserves credit for by luring him away with a record $1.8M bonus and a unique arrangement that saw McGeary go to school full-time. Admittedly, that status is a large part of the reason he’s here as he’s likely to spend most of 2011 in the GCL on rehab from TJ surgey. Prior to his injury, he was compared to Andy Pettitte with a plus curve. |
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Sammy Solis DOB: 8/10/88 Ht. 6′ 5″ Wt. 230 Bats: R Career Stats | Missed ’09 with a herniated disc, but rebounded in ’10 with a 9-2, 3.42 season at San Diego. Signed at the deadline for $1M and pitched in the AFL with a 3.58 ERA over 27⅔ innings. Solis is big-bodied and throws a low-90s fastball with late life, a plus changeup, and a knuckle-curve from a 3/4 arm slot, which some scouts believe is better suited for a slider. Good command, throws strikes, doesn’t get fazed. Likely to start 2011 at Potomac, finish at Harrisburg, arrive in DC by 2012. |
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Chad Jenkins DOB: 3/12/88 Ht. 6′ 4″ Wt. 195 Bats: L Career Stats | A 2009 draft pick, Jenkins makes this list due to his invite to the FIL, not his mediocre results last summer in Vermont. In college, Jenkins was both a starter and a reliever, so it’s more than possible that he could be headed back to the bullpen. Throws both a two- and four-seam fastball to go with a plus changeup and slider. |
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Matthew Grace DOB: 12/14/88 Ht. 6′ 3″ Wt. 190 Bats: L Career Stats | Like Jenkins, Grace makes this list because of his invite to the FIL as well as the bump up to Vermont (i.e. organization sees something). Spent most of his time at UCLA in the bullpen, where he was used as a lefty specialist with success. Scouts believe he simply needs innings to get better and build strength. |
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Robbie Ray DOB: 10/1/91 Ht. 6′ 2″ Wt. 170 Bats: L Career Stats | Similar to A.J. Cole, Robbie Ray lost speed on his fastball in the spring, dropping his stock to the 12th round, despite tossing three no-hitters in his senior h.s. season. A $799K bonus undid his commitment to Arkansas the day before the deadline. Ray’s fastball was in the low-90s in the FIL, which the Nats believe will pick up in speed as he matures. His second pitch is a late- fade changeup while his third pitch is a sloppy slurve that needs work, which he’ll get in XST before heading to Auburn. |
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Chris Manno DOB: 11/4/88 Ht. 6′ 3″ Wt. 170 Bats: L Career Stats | The Nationals drafted Manno in both 2009 (38th Round) and 2010 (26th Round), and after a campaign in the comments — as well as a strong finish in the GCL — I decided to include Manno and am projecting that he’ll return to starting as he did for Duke. Tall, rangy and noted for his “funky” delivery that helps him pile up the strikeouts (24 in 15IP in the GCL; 217 in 186IP for Duke). |
the nationals seem to be in better shape everyday as a pro guy i will tell u stock up on the lefites. I love the leftys from big programs ACC SEC .
Sue The FIL should serve as guys that really need to work on specific things , for example it could be as simple as holding runners, or as complex as pitching mechanics. anyway the nats will recognize the higher pitching talent, but it takes time and guys like spin williams who is very good at what he does will see the cream rise to the top
What happened to Jack McGeary?
TJ surgery