Here is our final installment on the young outfield corps for the Nationals, guys that are making some noise at the lower levels. Most of these prospects got to work out and play games during instructional league in West Palm Beach, Fla., back in October. One well regarded outfielder who did not get to participate but is certainly worth notice is 17-year-old Roismar Quintana from Caracas, Venezuela. He had a quad injury and didn't play games this season, but Nationals outfielder/baserunning...

Victor Robles came into the 2020 season bigger and stronger, but did that extra bulk and weight affect his defensive efficiency in center field? The outfield analytical numbers from 2019 were eye-popping. Robles led the major leagues in Outs Above Average with 23. In a shortened 2020 campaign, Robles was tied for 54th with just two Outs Above Average. His success rate on defense was still good at 90 percent. In 2019, he reached a 93 percent success rate on defense. Of course, Robles only played...

A lot of talk this week has centered around the Nationals' outfield defense, with the signing of free agent Kyle Schwarber. When Victor Robles is going well, he is an elite center field defender. But can Schwarber and Juan Soto hold their own on the corners? Nationals outfield/baserunning coordinator Gary Thurman acknowledges that there is a difference between guys like Robles and Michael A. Taylor, who have the ability to turn extra-base hits into outs. But Thurman believes that the best...

Recently, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo provided great insight on Andrew Stevenson as the potential fourth outfielder heading into 2021, taking on the role owned by Michael A. Taylor the past six seasons. Stevenson ended the season on a flurry, hitting .417 over the final 12 games of 2020. The LSU star enjoyed a .488 on-base percentage the final two weeks, making it very difficult for the opposing pitcher to record an out with him at the plate. Nats outfielder/baserunning coordinator...

Here is a list of the young outfielders (and their ages) that were in attendance at Nationals instructional league workouts in October: Andry Arias, 20Gage Canning, 23Justin Connell, 21 Jeremy De La Rosa, 18 Braian Fernandez, 21 Jorge Hurtado, 20 Daniel Marte, 18 Ricardo Mendez, 20 Roismar Quintana, 17 Jake Randa, 22 Cody Wilson, 24 Outfield/baserunning coordinator Gary Thurman worked with these players on the fundamentals the Nats want every outfielder to master as they make their way through...

The Nationals are building outfield talent at the lower levels of their organization. The club boasts a good amount of quality prospects that are a couple of years away from making an impact at the major league level. The highest-rated of these outfielders is Jeremy De La Rosa, who is No. 13 on the list of MLBPipeline.com Nats prospects. The 18-year-old played 26 games with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Nationals in 2019. Former major league outfielder Gary Thurman has been the...

A pair of rising stars in the Nationals system have been selected to participate in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game Sunday, July 15, at Nationals Park. Shortstop Carter Kieboom and infielder Luis Garcia will represent the Nationals, Kieboom for the United States Team, Garcia for the World Team. Kieboom was rated by MLB.com as the Nationals' No. 3 prospect and by Baseball America as the organization's No. 4 prospect. He was selected in the first round (No. 28 overall) of the 2016 First-Year...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Nationals' youngest player, Juan Soto, has demonstrated in his first couple of months in the big leagues that he has a knowledge and maturity for hitting that is certainly beyond his years. At 19 years of age, Soto has hit the ball to the opposite field for power, and has the awareness to take a walk in high leverage situations when a pitcher is struggling to throw strikes. Instead of just swinging away, like most young players might do, Soto has the presence of mind...

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...

Left-hander Taylor Hearn has freakish athleticism that you might usually see in a tall and lanky basketball prospect. I have already told you about his long arms, hands and fingers: the tale of when you shake his hand, his fingers almost touch your elbow. So you can imagine how he can manipulate a baseball to move around the strike zone to befuddle a hitter. Low Single-A Hagerstown Suns manager Patrick Anderson said Hearn reminded him of right-hander Ira Brown, a 6-foot-4, 215-lbs., pitcher...

Continuing our focus on the early camp outfielders, Andrew Stevenson out of LSU and Rhett Wiseman out of Vanderbilt are unique in this group because they come from very good Southeastern Conference baseball programs. Both have played in the College World Series with Vanderbilt winning the title in 2014. "(Stevenson) and Rhett Wiseman both played in college and both played games," said Nationals outfield coordinator Gary Thurman. "So the crowds with those guys is not going to be a...

Building off of what Nationals director of player development Mark Scialabba told me about the early camp outfielders, I reached out to Nationals outfielder coordinator Gary Thurman to get more insight on this group and the progress they have made this spring. The group includes six outfielders, three teenagers and four players who can Hit from the left side. The teenagers are Telmito Agustin, Blake Perkins and Victor Robles. The others include Rafael Bautista, Andrew Stevenson and Rhett...

Left-handed-hitting Brian Goodwin made a big jump last season from low Single-A Hagerstown to Double-A Harrisburg. The 22-year-old continued his baseball education in the Arizona Fall League and was a standout in the Rising Stars game. Goodwin homered, doubled and had two RBIs in the East's 9-4 win over the West. Harrisburg manager Matt Lecroy said the number of reps, at-bats and games Goodwin played last season against good competition were invaluable in the youngster's quest to get to the...

The Nationals have announced Gary Thurman has been named the new minor league outfield/baserunning coordinator. Thurman comes over from the Miami Marlins, where he served as first base coach in 2012. He was also the Marlins' outfield and baserunning coach. Thurman has been a manager, coach or instructor for 14 years in professional baseball. From 2008-2011, Thurman was in the Cleveland Indians' organization as minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator. He previously worked nine...