Thursday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Pitching Probables |
| Rochester | Lost, 5-3; Won, 8-5 |
@ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 4:05pm | Solesky (1-2, 5.19) vs. Messinger (0-2, 6.48) |
| Harrisburg | Won, 9-0 | vs. Richmond, 6:30pm | Luckham (2-1, 2.39) vs. Lonsway (1-1, 3.04) |
| Wilmington | Lost, 12-1 | vs. Hudson Valley, 6:35pm | TBD vs. Hess (1-2, 4.42) |
| Fredericksburg | Won, 4-1 | vs. Lynchburg, 6:35pm | Meckley (1-2, 5.21) vs. Me. Hernandez (2-1, 3.86) |
| FCL Nationals | Lost, 6-5 (10 inn.) |
OFF DAY |
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 5 Rochester 3 – GM. 1
• Shuman 5⅓ IP, 5H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 5K, PO @ 1B
• Weigel (BS, 2; L, 3-2) 1⅓ IP, 3H, 4R, 4ER, 1BB, 1K, 3HR
• Cluff 2-3, R, HR, 3RBI, CS
• House 2-4, 2B
All eight runs scored via the longball, with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre hitting three in the 7th to walk off Rochester, 5-3. The implosion turned Seth Shuman’s start of one run on five and a 1/3 innings into a no-decision. Patrick Weigel gave up four runs on the aforementioned home runs and a two-out walk for the blown-save-loss. Jackson Cluff singled and hit the Earl Weaver Special that gave the Red Wings an early 3-0 lead. Brady House hit the only other extra-base hit (for either team), a one-out double in the 1st.
Rochester 8 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 5 – GM. 2
• Sampson 3IP, 2H, 0R, 1BB, 1K, HBP
• Sinclair (W, 1-1) 1⅓ IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 1K
• C. Romero (SV, 1) 1⅓ IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 2K, 3-0 IR-S
• Lipscomb 3-4, 2R, 2B, 2RBI, SB
• Hassell 3-4, R, 3RBI
• Lile 2-3, R, CI
In the nightcap, the Red Wings scored three in the 1st, three in the 5th, and two in the 7th to hold off the RailRiders, 8-5. Newcomer Adrian Sampson got the spot start and tossed three scoreless innings with two hits, one walk, one Robles, and one whiff. Jack Sinclair was credited for the win despite giving up three runs on three hits and a walk over an inning and a 1/3rd. Carlos Romero stranded three in the 6th and worked around a leadoff single in the 7th to get the save. Trey Lipscomb and Robert Hassell both went 3-for-4 and combined for three runs and five RBI to power the Rochester offense. Roster moves: RHPs Eduardo Salazar, Zach Brzykcy optioned by Washington.
Harrisburg 9 Richmond 0
• Saenz (W, 2-3) 5⅔ IP, 6H, 0R, 2BB, 2K
• Mejia (H, 1) 1IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 1K
• V. Peña 3-4, 2R, 3B, HR, 4RBI, E
• De La Rosa 2-3, 2R, BB, 2B, SB, OF assist @ 2B
• Stubbs 2-3, 3R, BB, 3RBI, E
The Senators administered another paternity test on the Flying Squirrels, shutting them out, 9-0 on eight hits. Dustin Saenz led the quintet of pitchers with five and 2/3rds scoreless on six hits and two walks and two whiffs for his second win (perhaps not coincidentally against Richmond). Viandel Peña scored twice and drove in four but fell a double shy of the cycle to lead Harrisburg’s 11-hit parade, followed by C.J. Stubbs with two singles, three runs scored, and three RBI.
Hudson Valley 12 Wilmington 1
• Sthele (L, 1-2) 4⅔ IP, 10H, 7R, 7ER, 3BB, 5K, WP
• Glavine 1⅓ IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 1K
• Brown 1-2, R, 2B, 2BB
• White 1-3, SF, RBI, 2K
Wilmington took an early 1-0 lead and then took the rest of the game off on offense as Hudson Valley blasted the Blue Rocks, 12-1. Travis “Sunday” Sthele got taken to church for seven runs on 10 hits over a bullpen-saving four and 2/3rds. He walked three and struck out five. Marcus Brown led off thegame with a double, took third on a passed ball, and scored on a T.J. White sacrifice fly. White singled in the 6th for second and final hit as the rest of the lineup went 0-for-25 with two walks and 11 K’s.
Fredericksburg 4 Lynchburg 1
• Polanco (W, 2-2) 6IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 3K
• Bloebaum (SV, 2) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 1K
• Peoples 2-3, R, 2B
• Ross 2-4, 2R, 2HR, 2RBI
Jackson Ross homered twice while the FredNats schooled the Hillcats, 4-1 on Education Day. Bryan Polanco won his second contest and turned in his first quality start with six innings of one-run ball on two hits, no walks, and three K’s. Adam Bloebaum worked around a walk in the 9th to earn the save, his second. Fredericksburg piled up ten hits total with Ross, Nick “Power to the” Peoples (single, double), Cristhian Vaquero (single, triple), and Randal Diaz each having multiple hits.
FCL Marlins 6 FCL Nationals 5 (10 inn.)
• Stuart 1⅔ IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 5K
• Farias 4IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 3BB, 8K
• Otanez (L, 0-1) 1IP, 0H, 2R, 0ER, 1BB, 1K
• E. Soto 1-3, 2BB, 2B, RBI
• Dickerson 1-3, R, BB, RBI, E
The FCL Nationals erased a 3-0 first-inning deficit with a four-run 5th but fell in extras, 6-5 to the FCL Marlins. Rehabbing Tyler Stuart “worked on some stuff” for three runs on three hits and two walks over an inning and 2/3rds. Victor Farias made his first appearance in a year and struck out a career-best eight over four innings. The loss went to Johan Otanez for letting in two unearned runs in the 10th. Elian Soto doubled and walked twice while Luke Dickerson singled and walked twice to lead the F-Nat offense, which struck out 15 times and drew seven walks total. Roster moves: MiLB Rehab – RHP Tyler Stuart assigned from Rochester; OF Teo Banks assigned from Fredericksburg.
Good to see Stuart return. That looked like it might turn into yet another long term injuries. Altogether, assuming Cavalli is back tomorrow, nearly all of our MASH guys are back in rehab now: Sykora, Cavalli, Stuart, Bennett. That’s huge, and couldn’t come at a better time, as AAA and DC are devastated by injuries/underperformances.
Speaking of which, it looks like Salazar or Brzykcy may passed whatever virus is going through the Nats bullpen with them to Rochester, and Weigel, Sinclair, Helvey and even brand newcomer Dunshee have all come down with a case of it.
I noticed that Pinckney and Hassell, hitting next to each other in the lineup are currently sporting identical OPSs of .738. Interesting the different narratives surrounding both players in comparison to their actual performances. Speaking of Rochester OFs, how about Daylen Lile?! He’s now hitting .370/.452/.556 in his first 7 games in AAA. And especially interesting: he started game 2 in CF, when Hassell and Pinckney were in the same lineup.
Lastly, a special shoutout to Elian Soto, who looked like he was only sticking around due to his last name, batting around .180 over his previous two seasons combined. I know it’s only 3 games, but he’s started red hot, hitting .300/.462/.800. Hope he can keep it up!
Credit to natteringnabob for the idea, and apologies for ripping it off, but we’ve previously talked about the lack of power in the Nats org. If I remember right, at some point last season, there was only one prospects with an ISO (SLG-AVG, how to “iso”late power) over .200: Drew Millas, and a couple non-prospects like Blankenhorn and Meneses.
This season, things are going a bit better, you have the following ISO leaderboard (min 30 PA. and I’m being very liberal with who is a “prospect”):
1. Jackson Ross, .325
2. Viandel Pena (!!!), .279
3. Max Romero, .260
4. Murphy Stehly, .259
5. Yohandy Morales, .253
6. Nick Peoples, .211
7. Jorgelys Mota, .194
8. Brady House, .191
9. Daylen Lile, .186
10. Cayden Wallace, .163
There’s a few surprises here, like Pena and Peoples, but otherwise, it’s pretty much exactly who you’d expect, and is basically a list of the Nats’ best hitting prospects.
Not listed due to sample size are Elian Soto (.500), Enmanuel Ramirez (.333), Angel Feliz (.250) and nonprospects Carlos de la Cruz (.218).
Sadly, I was thinking “wouldn’t Elijah Green show up on this list” until I saw that is SLG is .289 (ugh)
People is providing a working model for Green on how to maintain a 49 K% while still hitting dingers.
my mood on the organization has definitely taken an upswing over the last week or so from rehabbers and teenagers appearing in the box scores, prospects starting to hit and pitchers mixing in the occasional gem. also seeing the modest success at the MLB level for Lord, Henry and Rutledge is nice.
Crews is another matter and, while I still think he’ll be solid if not spectacular he undoubtedly needs a reset
Dylan Crews.
From the outset, I never understood why he was such a vaunted prospect. He has no elite tool. He is a right handed hitting corner outfielder (he can play a competent CF) without elite power. There just aren’t many players who fit that profile who turnout to be consisent all-stars.
His comparison player to me has always been Lane Thomas. Crews may have a better hit tool (we have yet to see it) and is a little better defensively, but Crews lacks Thomas’ arm and power. Thomas is a nice, somewhat erratic, MLB player. Realize its early, but have a hard time seeing how Dylan Crews projects to much more than that.
FWIW, feel like the other position players drafted just after Dylan Crews (Wyatt Langford, Walker Jenkins, Jacob Wilson and Brady Clark) have much higher celings than Crews.
Bloebaum and Glavine should be moved to AA.
Previous MLB position player Mejia got his first career hold at 30 years of age! Look out Nats!!!!!
Delino , Sr getting through to Pena
The Nats first round pick in the 2018 MLB draft has quit baseball to play college football at UCF.
https://x.com/masondenaburg_/status/1920555812642054391
While the pick was notably awful. In retrospect, that draft was unbelievably weak. The first round is full of guys that either have yet to make it to the bigs or have only had a cup of coffee. The Rays did pick Shane McClanahan six picks after Denaburg. McClanahan made an MLB all-star game, but he blew out is UCL. Josiah Gray was a 2nd round pick. Jake Irvin was a 4th rounder and Cole Henry was a 37th round pick out of HS, but did not sign.
FWIW, Tarik Skubal was a ninth round pick in that draft