Young catchers at Nats' lower levels growing up fast

Young catchers at Nats' lower levels growing up fast
Current short-season Single-A Auburn manager Patrick Anderson says the Nationals need a lot of catchers at their lower levels so they can build stamina at that spot in the lineup. Catching is a position that can administer wear and tear on bodies over the course of a season, especially for teenagers just getting their first taste of playing pro ball. "That position beats them up," Anderson said. "They are not used to 140 games at the low Single-A level. Those guys can get hurt sometimes....

Nats instructional league wrap-up: catchers and an outfielder

Nats instructional league wrap-up: catchers and an outfielder
Here is a list of the catchers who attended Nats instructional league: Adalberto Carrillo, Tyler Cropley, Geraldi Diaz, Alex Dunlap, Alejandro Flores, Israel Pineda, Wilmer Perez, Jakson Reetz and Onix Vega. Reetz played 69 games for high Single-A Potomac this past season, hitting .224 with a .324 on-base percentage. He smacked eight doubles and five homers with 27 RBIs. Cropley, an eighth-round selection out of Iowa, split time between the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and short-season...