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Pedro Severino Born: 7/20/93 Ht. 6’2″ Wt. 200 Bats: R Throws: R Career Stats |
Severino’s reputation as a defensive standout remains intact, with some folks attributing it to the Nationals decision to place him on the 40-man well before the Rule 5 deadline. The bat? Well, as you might have guessed, it’s still well behind the glove. His slugging percentage dipped from 2014 to 215 (.399 to .331), and his average remains in the .245 range. He neither walks nor strikes out much, so the hope is that he’ll develop both patience and power in 2016. |
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Spencer Kieboom DOB: 3/16/91 Ht. 6’1″ Wt. 230 Bats: R Throws: R Career Stats |
With Wilson Ramos in his walk year, the Nats opted to put Kieboom on the 40-man roster in 2015 despite having not played above High-A. Like Severino, his defensive skills are ahead of his offensive skills and he’s also been given praise for his ability to work with pitchers. While he doesn’t he strike out much, and walks a fair amount, the power disappeared in 2015, which is very concerning given that he’s well past any reasonable attribution to his 2013 TJ surgery. |
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Raudy Read Born: 10/29/93 Ht. 6’0″ Wt. 170 Bats: R Throws: R Career Stats |
The power sapped from ’14 to ’15 (.462 SLG% to .377) and the sloppy ball-handling returned (22PB, which is significant con- sidering how minors’ scorekeepers tend to dole out WPs instead) in his first full-season campaign. He’s likely to start 2016 in Potomac, where he finished 2015 and in a short stint, did little to dispel the inference that he’s a hitter in search of a position. |
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Jorge Tillero Born: 12/21/93 Ht. 5’11” Wt. 160 Bats: R Throws: R Career Stats |
It’s been five years since Tillero was among the large group of IFAs trumpeted in the post-Smiley era, so it may seem like the Venezuelan is older than just-turned-22. It’s a leitmotif, but the Nats are short on age-appropriate-to-the-level catchers, which is why he makes the list despite below-average offense (.212 GPA). He did however have just nine passed balls while throwing out 52% of runners attempting to steal on him and his pitchers. |