Here is an update of Nationals players' progress in the Dominican winter league, which has played nine games: OF Victor Robles Robles is the second-leading hitter for Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican winter league. Robles is batting .480 (12-for-25) in six games with two doubles and 14 RBIs. He has walked one time, struck out three times and stolen one base. His OPS is 1.060 and he has not committed an error in the field. He went 3-for-4 on Oct. 16 and has gone 2-for-4 in each of his last two...

It is winter league time of year, even as the World Series heads toward Game 3. Winter league ball has always been a very important part of a baseball player's continued evolution and a valued experience that can sometimes be that step a player needs to complete his game. Several Nationals prospects are hoping this experience now will help secure spots for 2018. Michael A. Taylor talked about how important his winter league play was to helping him see, time and hit breaking pitches as he...

With the minor league season winding down - Labor Day is the last day - thoughts start to turn to the Arizona Fall League. In theory, the AFL, which runs from Oct. 10-Nov. 18 this season, is a finishing school for the top prospects. In practice, it's not quite that. That's not to say that top prospects don't appear; they do, but not exclusively. Pitchers, for example, have a tendency to fit into one of three categories: injured, Rule 5 draft-eligible, marginal. Consequently, the offensive...

The Nationals announced they have released right-handers Jake Johansen and Mark Blackmar. The club has assigned right-hander Taylor Hill to Double-A Harrisburg from Triple-A Syracuse. Also, catcher Nick Rickles and right-handers Andrew Robinson and Derek Eitel have been assigned to Harrisburg from extended spring training. Johansen is the biggest name of those released today as a 2013 second-round selection. Early on, some in baseball circles envisioned a one-two punch of the 6-foot-6 Johansen...

Bullpen depth is a commodity the Nationals want to shore up in 2017. The good news is that the organization is soon going to bear the fruit of its top talent from the Dominican Republic. The Nats also have some outstanding Dominican starting pitchers building from the lower levels on the farm. Here is a list of some of the up-and-coming hurlers in the Nationals pipeline that could make a major step forward in 2017: RHP Jefry Rodriguez 23 6-foot-5, 185 lbs. Haina, D.R. Rodriguez logged 123 1/3...

It turned into a pretty big year for Matt Skole, as he put together consistency with Triple-A Syracuse to the tune of 140 games, 24 homers and 78 RBIs. Skole, 27, was rewarded by his promotion to the Nationals' 40-man roster for the first time in his career. Skole wrapped up his season by playing for over a month in the Mexican Pacific Winter League. In the second part of our look at the winter leagues, we focus on Skole. We also take a look at why winter leagues are so important to the...

Right-hander Phillips Valdez was on the radar among starters who are building innings in the Nationals organization. The Dominican product moved from the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2013. Valdez has a solid frame at 6-foot-2 and 160 lbs., and offers a mid-90s fastball with a changeup and a slurvy breaking pitch. In 2014, he split time between short-season Single-A Auburn and low Single-A Hagerstown. In 2015, he went from Hagerstown to high...

I heard a lot of buzz from the Nationals coaching staff about Phillips Valdez during the work up to the regular season. Right now, the right-hander is on a roll and pitching the way he was predicted to be able to during spring training. Valdez has won four of his last five decisions after last night's Double-A Harrisburg's 6-1 win at Binghamton. The 23-year-old Dominican allowed one run on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts. He tossed 100 pitches, 63 for strikes. He left the bases...

Right-hander Phillips Valdez has pitched well in his last two starts for the high Single-A Potomac Nationals. The 24-year-old Valdez has allowed only two earned runs in his last 14 innings, giving up only seven hits and striking out 15. He struck out a career-high 11 batters on April 23 in a 5-2 win at Wilmington. Overall he is 3-1 with a 5.40 ERA. But in three of his starts, he has given up a combined three earned runs in 14 innings. Nationals pitching coordinator Paul Menhart said the...

Anthony Rendon (oblique) played seven innings at second base in Double-A Harrisburg's 3-2 win at Bowie Friday night. He notched a single in four at-bats. Colin Bates pitched six innings, scattering eight hits and allowing two runs. Brian Goodwin smacked a home run, Pedro Severino contributed a RBI single and Tony Renda was hit by pitch with the bases loaded to give the Senators the lead. Next up for Rendon could be back-to-back rehab games to test his core again and see if he is ready to join...

The Nationals will unveil their brand new team store tonight prior to their series opener against the Yankees. The new store is nearly double the size of the previous store and is located behind right-center field under the Lot C garage. You can also access the store from the street during non-game days. The first 25,000 fans to enter the ballpark through all tonight will receive a special 10-year anniversary tote bag presented by MLB Network. The Nationals also open up the Virginia Country...

It is amazing the amount of talent that is building up from rookie-level to low Single-A for the Nationals this season. A good amount of the players that helped guide the Gulf Coast Nationals to a 52-9 record and a league championship now play for the Hagerstown Suns. So far, the success this team had at the GCL level is translating to the South Atlantic League. Sixteen of the players on the current roster played for the GCL Nats, 10 of them pitchers. The Suns are managed by Patrick Anderson....