Good, Bad, Interesting… 2018 Season Final

18 Commments

1. Are there any players you list as notable, or top prospect, that had Good or Bad years? Willems and Kieboom were pleasing to see in the Good.

   1. That’s an interesting idea. A GBI of the top prospects.

      Good:
      Juan Soto
      Wil Crowe

      Bad:
      Yasel Antuna
      Seth Romero

      Interesting:
      Daniel Johnson/Luis Garcia (Johnson because he just started to show glimpses of 2017 in August, Garcia because while his numbers aren’t overwhelmingly good, He’s barely 18 years old. In fact, he’s the 2nd youngest player in the Washington Nationals farm system in the United States. Yes, younger than every player on the GCL Nats, Auburn, etc (except Jose Sanchez))
      Erick Fedde/Austin Voth (both had very erratic and inconsistent seasons, but there was just as much very good as there was very bad)

      What has been most impressive this season, aside from Juan Soto, is the rise of a bunch of previously unknown/unheralded players, particularly pitchers.

      1. Not sure I would make the call of putting Crowe in the good category given how he struggled in Harrisburg. I think he belongs in interesting given his improvement there … Kieboom belongs in the good category as as a top prospect. Soto belongs in another new category: transcendent.

         1. There’s not exactly many “good” to choose from in the Nats top prospect lists. This was our top 10 this past winter (and it’s already pretty charitable to call some of these guys “top prospects”):
            Erick Fedde
            Seth Romero
            Will Crowe
            Wander Suero
            Nick Raquet
            Jackson Tetrault
            Austin L. Adams
            Jefry Rodriguez
            Joan Baez
            Alex Troop

            I’d be willing to ignore Crowe’s AA struggles, as he suceeded at the other two levels he pitched at.

            1. Except that he **wasn’t dominant** at High-A. It’s amazing to me that people are still blinded by the pitching win as a stat. Squint and he and Kyle Johnston are nearly the same pitcher: spotty command, unable (or unwilling) to change speeds, and built like a softball catcher (high PSI, thick trunk, a.k.a. sturdy carriage). AA was not an aberration: if you need three pitches to get to two strikes at A+ those 1-2 counts are going to be 2-0 or 3-1 with more disciplined hitters. Hence, why he got stomped on like a narc at a biker rally.

2. Gads, Austen Williams had a nightmare of a game last night. If there was an “ugly” category added to “good” and “bad,” that outing would certainly qualify.

   You young whippersnappers can use IMDB to look up that reference.

   1. Karl. That Austen Texas three gophers reminded me of when McGuire pounded Pavabo in that Roid season for Sosa and Mac .
      Interesting also @ DSL was seeing Sandy experiment with the lefty bats @ 1 b, 2b with Sosa and Diaz the young c/ 1b/ DH.
      Luke you have previously remarked about how Wiseman may not be in the long term plans since according to your views Rhett has hit the proverbial ceiling @ A plus. Plus other guys ahead in the depth.
      Brass has some interesting tweaks to make
      Seth Romero with all his Zeus touched announced heavenly arm with all the ” sticker shock” reminds one of the scenario in high school when you knew you shouldn’t go out with the IT/ wow babe with the bad reputation but you do …lol
      Funny if Fletcher gravitates in time to AAA/AA while Seth drifts off into oblivion .
      Coffee is good this morning , Luke. Mucho gracias for being patience with your NP ” baby ” through the years all the time you have logged in.
      My dog is so patient through the years knowing I might be reading your site as he walks me .. he gives me those cute eyes like saying : are you ready to walk on now , Jeff? Lol
      The most interesting math equation next spring could be how the depth chart plays out with Omar Meregildo , Anderson Franco , Gil Lara and ” the Monestary Man”. I am copyrighting that nickname. Lol
      If this does not spur some chat especially from Grissom then us fans are over this disappointing season.
      The camels did not help this spring , folks. Maybe they just left some large poop heaps in WPB.
      Gracias , Luke !!
      And to fellow Nats fans putting up with me

      1. Jeff, you certainly have a way with words!

         1. It’s the coffee

            1. I think its you channeling your dog … but I could be wrong.

3. Jacob ” Thurston B , lovey” Howell on 60 day Luke . Same scenario as you explained on Tommy Peterson ??

4. Strangely enough I violently agree with the whole thing … maybe Alec Keller is missing? But then there’s the whole age thing mentioned in the premise … but then our now 30 year old Cuban professional makes the list. He didn’t make the cut this season for a roster spot. They only added the desperately needed potential rotation arm of Kyle McGowin. Nice choice in Pineda.

   As for Soto he should be given his own category separate from all the others just for breaking the record for walks for teenagers that goes back to 1900 and to Mel Ott. 95 runs, 30 home runs, 106 RBI, 94 walks against 111 strike outs, 31 doubles, 5 triples, OBP as high as .486 that never went below .400? Across 5 levels including the major leagues … in his very first full professional season and campaign playing in 122 games so far …

   Who does that? Who? Not Ted Williams. Not Bryce Harper. And definitely not Victor Robles, Acuna nor even Toronto’s son of Vlad.

   1. Nice collection of Barrett backstop beaus @ Auburn.

      1. Been nice if one or two had turned out to be transcendent like Soto.

   2. Just doing Juan Soto things … yeah … somewhere, not Dusty, but Teddy Ballgame must be smiling.

      1. I like that comp, Comparing Soto to ‘The Kid’. Second best hitter of all time.

5. Worth both a “Good” and an “Interesting”: Ian Sagdal won the Carolina League batting title. The organization has never really known what to do with him or with Austin Davidson, but they keep hitting, so they feel compelled to keep them around.

   1. Agreed.

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