Offseason Update: Oct. 17, 2015
With yesterday’s game between Salt River and Peoria rained out, we turn to the weekly post to fill the time…
TRANSACTION UPDATE
Again, still quiet on this front — just the election by Emmanuel Burris for free agency, a move that will only shock the MASN Commenters of the Natmosphere.
BA TOP PROSPECT LISTS
Trea Turner, who was the #4 guy in the Texas League after 58 games, was also #4 in the International League despite having played just 48 games there. Turner is obviously an unusual case and will be expected to take over the starting SS duties from Ian Desmond in 2016. As we saw this year, the Nats aren’t afraid to go with rookies who have graduated AA. It should prove to be interesting, however, should Turner struggle in the spring while incumbent infielders do well.
THE HAGERSTOWN SUNS
The four-year run of winning baseball and three-year streak of making the playoffs ended with a sub-.500 campaign of 68-70 — 35-33 in the first half, 33-37 in the second. The Suns’ status as the worst draw in the Sally League continued, though the claimed attendance improved nearly 10% [insert joke about extra Thirsty Thursday here] from 979 to 1,073 per date. The next-worst team averaged 1,962. SSDY.
The offense was slightly better than the league average (4.49 R/G vs. 4.39) but the pitching was worse: 4.70 vs. 4.39. The team was fourth in defense on the basis of fewest errors and fielding percentage, while the catchers were tops in the league at CS% at 38% – 3% better than the second-best team. Like many of the teams reviewed thus far, the contingent from the D.R. helped to offset the older players, but as a team they were older than the league average for both bats (22.5 vs. 21.5) and arms (22.4 v. 22.0).
Now, for the comment fodd..er, Top 5’s:
| TOP 5 BATS | TOP 5 ARMS |
| 1. Jose Marmolejos-Diaz, 1B, .285 GPA, 11HR, 87RBI | 1. Austen Williams, RHP, 2.10/2.81/1.10, 4.5 K:BB ratio |
| 2. Bryan Mejia, 2B, .305 GPA, .924OPS | 2. Andrew Lee, RHP, 2.15/2.19/0.92, 10.43K/9IP |
| 3. Osvlado Abreu, SS/2B, .264 GPA, 30SB, 30E | 3. Koda Glover, RHP, 2.25/2.19/0.92, 10.13K/9IP |
| 4. Andrew Stevenson, CF, .239 GPA, 16K in 35G | 4. Philip Valdez, RHP, 1.47/4.08/0.93, .189 OBA |
| 5. Alec Keller, RF/CF, .255 GPA, .995FA overall | 5. Connor Bach, LHP, 3.85/4.08/1.49, 5.65 BB/9IP |
Honorable mention to Andrew Stevenson, who put up a .242GPA in 35 games as a 21-year-old in his first pro season. For the pitchers, there just wasn’t one who had both good production and was closer to 22 than 26. For those who’d like to see the full team stats, click here.
Thanks, Luke,
I knew the attendance numbers @ Hagerstown were bad, but I didn’t know they were so disgraceful compared to the rest of the league.
You wish the Nats front office had the sense to just buy the team and put them in Fredericksburg, where the population is growing, not shrinking.
I remember to Hagerstown 30+ years ago multiple times when it was a AA franchise. Now, they probably can’t even support a short season A team. Sad.
Butchered that last sentence. Used to take my kids there back in the day. It seemed fine then, but time has passed it by.