Nationals value graduates of their Dominican academy

Nationals value graduates of their Dominican academy
The Nationals continue to do a very good job of fortifying their roster with quality prospects who started out at their Dominican baseball academy. It is one main reason why MLBPipeline.com has ranked the Nationals' international prospects in their top 10 in Major League Baseball. In a recent ranking, the Nats overall system was rated No. 5 in the top 10 of the 2010's. Being in the right place at the right time for Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg had a lot to do with that, but so did the...

Rizzo: Kieboom working on hitting and defense during coronavirus delay

Rizzo: Kieboom working on hitting and defense during coronavirus delay
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said Carter Kieboom is like any other player sidelined by the baseball shutdown, but acknowledged the third baseman is getting extra infield and hitting instruction during the downtime brought on by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The replacement for All-Star Anthony Rendon at third base was the biggest spring training story as players descended on South Florida in mid-February. The 22-year-old top Nationals prospect slashed .233/.395/.300 in 14 exhibition...

Nats prospect watch: Romero ready to pitch in 2020

Nats prospect watch: Romero ready to pitch in 2020
Here is an update on left-hander Seth Romero (Twitter: @sethromero21), who missed all of 2019 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. The 23-year-old was a 2017 first-round selection out of the University of Houston. MLB Pipeline ranks Romero as the No. 9 Nationals prospect in their top 30. No. 9 Seth Romero "He was another one who came to the instructional league and minicamp and early arrival to spring," said Nationals minor league pitching coordinator Brad Holman. "Just a super talented...

Nats prospect watch: Cate working on fastball command

Nats prospect watch: Cate working on fastball command
Good update here on left-hander Tim Cate and his progression prior to the shutdown. Nationals minor league pitching coordinator Brad Holman said Cate was making nice strides at camp and focusing on a few mechanical adjustments prior to the season beginning. Holman said they got started early this year with Cate in West Palm Beach. Cate, 6-foot and 185 lbs., is listed at No. 8 in the latest MLBPipeline.com top 30 roundup of Nats prospects. No. 8 Tim Cate "Tim was down in instructional league as...

Nats prospect watch: Denaburg building strength back in shoulder

Nats prospect watch: Denaburg building strength back in shoulder
A promising future awaits right-hander Mason Denaburg, who is looking to get back to full health and get back to baseball once the season (hopefully) gets back on track. The 20-year-old Denaburg was a first-round 2018 selection for the Nationals, but has been recovering from shoulder issues this offseason and had most recently started throwing again in spring training. MLB Pipeline has Denaburg at No. 7 in their Nats Top 10 list. No. 7 Mason Denaburg "I see him a lot, but I have not seen him...

Rizzo: Club focused on ensuring well-being of all its players

Rizzo: Club focused on ensuring well-being of all its players
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said the organization was ready to step up to pay their minor league players if Major League Baseball did not move swiftly enough. During a morning teleconference, Rizzo said that, as a former minor league baseball player himself, he knows how difficult it is to make ends meet even without the threat of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic canceling games. "Very, very glad to see that Major League Baseball is beginning to take care of minor league players,"...

Nats prospect watch: Crowe gaining valuable experience at every level

Nats prospect watch: Crowe gaining valuable experience at every level
My continuing conversation with Nationals minor league pitching coordinator Brad Holman got to the point where I asked him if the coaching staff had used the World Series success by Nats starters when working with their future prospects. Holman said they did. Back in January he brought the pitchers together and showed them strategies and pitch selections that Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin, Max Scherzer and others had implemented all the way to a title in 2019. After all, when you have the...

Barrett touched by Sánchez's gesture during return to Nats Park

Barrett touched by Sánchez's gesture during return to Nats Park
The Nationals' 5-3 exhibition win Monday night over the Yankees featured a special moment for right-handed reliever Aaron Barrett, who came in to pitch at Nationals Park for the first time since 2015. It was a long road back for Barrett, who suffered not one, but two major injuries before returning to baseball. In 2016, while rehabilitating from Tommy John surgery, Barrett suffered a fractured elbow. But he continued to rehab, continued to strengthen and rebuild his arm. Year after year. The...

Doolittle earns save, speaks on switch to jersey No. 63

Doolittle earns save, speaks on switch to jersey No. 63
Nationals closer Sean Doolittle made it official Monday that he was changing his jersey No. from 62 to No. 63 for family reasons. He did not want to get specifics as to why, citing privacy. "(Fans) spend their hard-earned money on a shirt or jersey with my name and number on it. I think that's really cool," Doolittle said. "I definitely had to factor that into my decision. But at the end of the day it was just something I felt was really important to me and was something I could do for my...

Sánchez goes past 80 pitches in prep for week off before first start

Sánchez goes past 80 pitches in prep for week off before first start
Nationals right-hander Aníbal Sánchez wrapped up spring training with a strong 5 1/3 innings, allowing only two runs on two hits in a 5-3 win over the Yankees at Nats Park. Sánchez allowed a solo homer to Troy Tulowitzki in the third. The Yankees mounted another rally in the sixth that resulted in another run, courtesy of a Greg Bird RBI double off of Aaron Barrett. He walked four and struck out four, including Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. He threw 86 pitches, 47 for...

Eaton loves potential of Robles; Corbin throwing more fastballs

Eaton loves potential of Robles; Corbin throwing more fastballs
Right fielder Adam Eaton has watched Victor Robles get his reps in center field this spring and believes the 21-year-old is ready to take the next step as the season commences Thursday. The one thing Eaton has appreciated the most about Robles is that the youngster is not afraid to learn from his miscues in the outfield. Eaton likes the upside ability Robles has. And that ability will shine through once Robles gets dozens of big league games under his belt, the veteran believes. Robles has made...

Rendon blast begins scoring early (Nats win 5-3)

Rendon blast begins scoring early (Nats win 5-3)
The Nats got on the board in the bottom of the first in their spring training finale at Nats Park. Trea Turner's one-out infield single started the rally against Yankees southpaw Stephen Tarpley With two away, Anthony Rendon blasted a 2-1 offering over the left field wall. Giancarlo Stanton barely moved. Rendon's fifth of the spring made it 2-0 Nats. Aníbal Sánchez allowed a double to Brett Gardner to lead off the game but recorded two strikeouts in the first to get out unscathed. After...

Tim Cate excited to get full season started after fruitful spring

Tim Cate excited to get full season started after fruitful spring
Left-hander Tim Cate enjoyed spring training but is also excited and ready to begin the regular season. Cate is ranked the Nationals No. 8 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline heading into 2019. "I'm excited," Cate said last week from West Palm Beach, Fla. "Spring training has been a ball but I'm excited to actually start playing real games and be in a squad. It feels like you don't know where you're at yet just because there are so many players in spring training. But I'm...

Noll's bat and defense provide Nats with valuable depth

Noll's bat and defense provide Nats with valuable depth
Infielder Jake Noll is battling for a spot on the Nationals' 25-man roster. But even if he doesn't begin the season with the big club, he certainly has demonstrated in spring training that he can hit at this level and does a nice job of fielding any position they put him at on the field. He starts at first base today as spring training wraps up. Noll says he works at every infield spot in pregame drills and can also play in the outfield. "When I first got drafted, I didn't know where I was...

Ross sharp in his longest outing of spring as Nats win 6-5 over Mets

Ross sharp in his longest outing of spring as Nats win 6-5 over Mets
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Right-hander Joe Ross looked comfortable and his pitches were sharp in his first start of spring since returning from Tommy John surgery. Ross allowed a two-run shot to Michael Conforto, but finished three innings looking strong, mixing four pitches and hitting mid-90s with his fastball. Ross fired 61 pitches, 44 for strikes, scattering four hits, allowing two runs with no walks and striking out three. It was his longest outing of spring training in his sixth overall...

Martinez looking to stretch out Ross as season approaches (Nats win 6-5)

Martinez looking to stretch out Ross as season approaches (Nats win 6-5)
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Nationals manager Davey Martinez's goal for right-hander Joe Ross is to get through three innings today in his first spring training start, a split-squad affair against the Mets on the road. Ross has appeared in five games in a relief role from February 23 to March 12. He has gone 7 2/3 total innings and has a 1.17 ERA. He has seven strikeouts and walked three. "We want to stretch him out a little bit," Martinez said. "See if we can get him three up and downs. We...

With more playing time, Stevenson putting hits together

With more playing time, Stevenson putting hits together
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Andrew Stevenson has had a base hit in his last four Nationals spring training games. It comes at a good time for the former LSU star, who is now in play for the fourth outfield spot again come opening day with the injury to Michael A. Taylor. Stevenson has now had a base hit in five of his last seven appearances. His double at the end of Saturday's game against the Cardinals wrapped around to a single and run scored to begin Sunday's game against the Mets. "He could...

After a few missteps, Romero focused solely on Tommy John recovery

After a few missteps, Romero focused solely on Tommy John recovery
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Left-hander Seth Romero is on schedule and progressing well as he recovers from Tommy John surgery seven months ago, hoping to write a positive next chapter after a few off-the-field missteps. "It's going really good," Romero said. "They have a bunch of guys who have been through the same process, so I'm just doing what they tell me. So far, so good. "The rehab guys, we work out six days a week and we throw three days out of the week. We do shoulder care every day....

With help from Gomes, Scherzer slows down Cards

With help from Gomes, Scherzer slows down Cards
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Despite allowing an early run, Nationals ace Max Scherzer was his regular season self Saturday as the club gets closer and closer to opening day. Scherzer threw 87 pitches, 63 for strikes over six innings, allowing only a first-inning run to the Cardinals. The Nats built a 5-1 lead, but the Cards came back late to post an 8-5 win. Scherzer struck out nine, walked none and at one point retired 14 batters in a row, getting into a nice rhythm with his new backstop, veteran...

2019 Nationals minor league spring training roster

2019 Nationals minor league spring training roster
MASNsports.com has obtained a copy of the 2019 Washington Nationals minor league roster for spring training: Right-handed pitchers 64 Carlos Acevedo 37 Joan Adon 54 Tomas Alastre 26 Elvis Alvarado 29 Dakota Bacus 61 Joan Baez 57 Frankie Bartow 53 A.J. Bogucki 47 Jared Brasher 49 Ryan Brinley 55 Jacob Condra-Bogan 56 Jake Cousins 41 Carlos Cuello 56 Weston Davis 35 Chandler Day 60 Jose De Los Santos 51 Mason Denaburg 34 Brady Dragmire 60 Tanner Driskill 38 Paolo Espino 41 Steven Fuentes 34...