P-Nats confirm Pfitzner lease until 2020, continue new stadium search

P-Nats confirm Pfitzner lease until 2020, continue new stadium search
The Single-A Potomac Nationals confirmed at their Hot Stove Banquet on Sunday that the club has extended its lease to play at Pfitzner Stadium until the 2020 season. They also have the option to end the lease early if they are able to find the opportunity to move into a new stadium elsewhere. Owner Art Silber, who continues to spearhead the new stadium campaign, could not provide specifics, but confirmed the location would be at least within a "30-mile radius" from their present location in...

Nats announce minor league staff, Knorr to manage Syracuse

Nats announce minor league staff, Knorr to manage Syracuse
The Nationals have announced their minor league staff for 2018, highlighted by the return of Randy Knorr to the dugout as manager of the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, a post he last held in 2011. The past two seasons Knorr was the senior advisor to Mike Rizzo. Matt LeCroy remains as Double-A Harrisburg manager and Tripp Keister continues as skipper for high Single-A Potomac. Patrick Anderson holds down the fort again as manager of the low Single-A Hagerstown Suns. Former Syracuse manager Billy...

Johnson, Suero and Read appreciative of organizational honors

Johnson, Suero and Read appreciative of organizational honors
The Nationals honored their minor league players of the year before Sunday's regular season finale against the Pirates. Daniel Johnson and Wander Suero took home honors as the organizational player and pitcher of the year, respectively. Raudy Read was the Bob Boone Award recipient for the 2017 season. Center fielder Johnson, 22, was a fifth-round selection in the 2016 draft out of New Mexico State. He spent 88 games at low Single-A Hagerstown and 42 games at high Single-A Potomac, hitting a...

Soto with big day, AFL roster set for Nats prospects

Soto with big day, AFL roster set for Nats prospects
Outfielder Juan Soto continued his rehab from hamate bone surgery with an outstanding performance with the Gulf Coast Nationals. Soto is a Top 100 prospect, and has put together his first professional five-hit performance by going 5-for-5 with a double, a triple, three RBIs and two runs scored in a game on September 2. Soto hit second and played right field in the GCL Nationals' 13-9 loss to GCL Cardinals. Soto is now considered the No. 2 overall prospect for the Nationals. Even with the loss,...

Luke Erickson: Stadium woes for Nats' Single-A teams

Luke Erickson: Stadium woes for Nats' Single-A teams
For most of this century, the Nationals' full-season Single-A teams have been seeking new stadiums. Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown was built in 1930 and has been hosting professional ball for 61 of its 87 years. G. Richard Pfitzner stadium in Woodbridge was built in 1984 and has been home to the current Potomac franchise since its inception. There is an axiom in engineering: fast, cheap or good - pick two. Well, both stadiums were built quickly and economically. However, at the time they were...

Win a signed P-Nats' Dan Kolko bobblehead with MASN's caption contest!

Win a signed P-Nats' Dan Kolko bobblehead with MASN's caption contest!
Earlier in the year, the Nationals' Single-A affiliate, the Potomac Nationals, held a month-long fans' choice contest for the next big bobblehead idea. The winner, of course, was none other than the dual Jayson Werth and MASN's Dan Kolko bobblehead highlighting one of their most memorable postgame interviews together. MASN is giving you the chance to win one with its caption contest on Facebook! Simply provide your best caption for this side-by-side photo on the MASN Nationals' Facebook...

Taylor "looks good, he feels good" as he rehabs with P-Nats (updated)

Taylor "looks good, he feels good" as he rehabs with P-Nats (updated)
Nationals center fielder Michael A. Taylor (oblique) continues his rehab tonight with the high Single-A Potomac Nationals at Winston-Salem. He is expected to start in center field. He took Thursday off. Taylor has hit in three games for the P-Nats, going 2-for-7 (.286) with two intentional walks, two strikeouts, two runs and a stolen base. Potomac manager Tripp Keister says there is a back story to the pair of intentional walks, which relates to the rivalry between Lynchburg and his club. The...

Taylor begins rehab assignment with Potomac (Nats win 1-0)

Taylor begins rehab assignment with Potomac (Nats win 1-0)
MIAMI - Michael A. Taylor began a rehab assignment with Single-A Potomac this evening, the first of several much-anticipated steps for the Nationals as they try to get their starting lineup healthy again. Taylor, who has been out since July 7 with a strained right oblique muscle, led off and served as designated hitter for the Potomac Nationals in his first game action in nearly four weeks. Taylor had just recently been cleared to resume full baseball activities after being limited to light...

Luke Erickson: The season-ticket holder experience in the minors

Luke Erickson: The season-ticket holder experience in the minors
For the past several years of writing online about the Nationals minor leaguers, I've had to make the disclosure that I'm a season-ticket holder to Washington's high Single-A affiliate in Potomac. Well, maybe not "had to," but I've felt the need to as a matter of integrity and my experience as a newspaperman (I'm old enough to have actually cut and paste with an X-acto knife and a wax machine). It's also because the inference that I might be a "homer" because I root for many of these...

P-Nats owner's letter to fans not encouraging for Prince William County return

P-Nats owner's letter to fans not encouraging for Prince William County return
For many years, the Single-A Potomac Nationals and owner Art Silber have worked and hoped to build a new stadium to replace the aging and outdated Pfitzner Stadium in Prince William County. Yesterday, Silber released a statement which said he is considering moving the team to a location outside of the county after a potential stadium deal at the Potomac Town Center could not be finalized. The owner of the Potomac Nationals released a statement stating the team is pursuing opportunities to...

Luke Erickson: A look at the Potomac Nationals at the half

Luke Erickson: A look at the Potomac Nationals at the half
While Bill Parcells is wildly overrated as a coach, his maxim of "You are what your record says you are," is spot-on, and applies to the Potomac Nationals this year. The P-Nats almost finished .500 in the first half, falling two games short at 33-37, and haven't been above the break-even mark since May 13. Simply put, they're not quite good enough to win consistently. This is not to say there haven't been bright spots. Victor Robles is the Nationals' No. 1 prospect in the organization and...

Weisman on Robles' defense: "Close to big league caliber"

Weisman on Robles' defense: "Close to big league caliber"
Nationals top prospect outfielder Victor Robles is hitting well for the High Single-A Potomac Nationals. Robles is hitting .280 through 43 games. He has nine doubles, three triples, six homers, 10 stolen bases, 25 runs scored and 18 RBIs. P-Nats play-by-play announcer Mike Weisman said on Nats Insider on 106.7 The Fan Sunday that Robles is a high-end prospect for a reason. Robles has played in 40-plus games so far this season, which is helping him gain valuable pro experience. "He's a special...

Minor league pitcher Jefrey Rodriguez suspended 80 games for PED violation

Minor league pitcher Jefrey Rodriguez suspended 80 games for PED violation
Major League Baseball announced that high Single-A Potomac right-hander Jefry Rodriguez has received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for a metabolite of Clomiphene, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Rodriguez was off to an outstanding start with the P-Nats. The 23-year-old was recently honored as the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for May 1-7. He has a 3-2 record with a 3.51 ERA in seven...

Luke Erickson: The arc of a minor league season

Luke Erickson: The arc of a minor league season
Greetings from the "New Kid on the Block" at MASNsports.com! Well, except I'm not new, I'm not a kid, and my wife is the one from South Boston. What I am is a minor celebrity in the "Natmosphere," as I've been covering the Nationals' farm system for eight seasons at NationalsProspects.com, with the help of some volunteers and some gratuitous use of bulldogs. Tomorrow is opening day for Washington's four full-season affiliates - low Single-A Hagerstown, high Single-A Potomac, Double-A...

Kolko/Werth bobblehead gets nod in P-Nats fan vote

Kolko/Werth bobblehead gets nod in P-Nats fan vote
Well, the people have spoken. The Single-A Potomac Nationals announced at their Hot Stove Banquet last weekend that the winner of the Loyal Hygiene Solutions Fans' Choice Bobblehead is the duo of MASN on-field reporter Dan Kolko and Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth. The winning entry was submitted by Chris Jackson. The dual bobblehead will be handed out to the first 1,250 fans through the turnstiles at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Va., on Saturday, Aug. 26 before the P-Nats host the...

Nats' entire minor league coaching staff returns for 2017

Nats' entire minor league coaching staff returns for 2017
The Nationals announced there were no major adjustments to their minor league coaching staff for 2017, with each level retaining the same coaches as they had in 2016. The exception was strength and conditioning, where a number of coaches were promoted or assigned more responsibility. Mike Warren was named strength and conditioning coach at Triple-A Syracuse. Brett Henry was promoted from Syracuse to the major league strength and conditioning staff. Tony Rogowski was promoted from Double-A...

Bobblehead featuring MASN's Kolko, Werth among P-Nats' Fans' Choice finalists

Bobblehead featuring MASN's Kolko, Werth among P-Nats' Fans' Choice finalists
The Single-A Potomac Nationals always put out one of the most impressive slates of giveaway items each baseball season, and we've got our eye on a possible 2017 bobblehead with a MASN connection. For a second consecutive season, the P-Nats are planning a bobblehead giveaway based on a fan vote, sponsored by Loyal Hygiene Solutions. Best of all, you don't even have to attend a game in Woodbridge, Va. (actually, the voting will be completed by the time the new season opens at Pfitzner Stadium)...

Jonathan Papelbon to begin rehab Monday at Potomac

Jonathan Papelbon to begin rehab Monday at Potomac
Jonathan Papelbon's return to the Nationals bullpen may only be a handful of days away. Papelbon will begin a rehab assignment with high Single-A Potomac on Monday night, the minor league affiliate announced, suggesting the injured closer is nearly ready to come back from a strained ribcage muscle. Out since June 13 with what officially is considered a strained right intercostal muscle, Papelbon traveled with the Nationals throughout their just-completed road trip and had been playing catch...

Erick Fedde strikes out nine in third start of season for P-Nats

Erick Fedde strikes out nine in third start of season for P-Nats
WOODBRIDGE - Right-hander Erick Fedde, starting his first full season in the Nationals organization following Tommy John surgery almost two years ago, allowed three homers in his last start for Single-A Potomac versus Wilmington on April 15. One of the three homers against the Blue Rocks was of the inside-the-park variety, but last season he had allowed only two homers over the entire campaign. In his third start this season, the 2014 first-rounder again surrendered a longball when designated...

Fedde is ready to start: "I feel better than I've ever felt"

Fedde is ready to start: "I feel better than I've ever felt"
Right-hander Erick Fedde will get a chance to pitch more innings and deeper into games as he moves up a level this season to high Single-A Potomac. The Nationals' top selection from the 2014 draft will make his debut today in Wilmington, Del., as the P-Nats face the Blue Rocks. "I was pretty excited to find out I was coming to high-A," Fedde said this week. "It is something I expected and hoped for, but the Nationals always know what's best. I don't have too much experience in pro ball...