Nationals announce 2021 minor league awards
Nationals announce 2021 minor league awards
Pete Kerzel
Nationals
The Washington Nationals selected the following players as their 2021 Minor League Award winners: * Player of the Year - infielder/outfielder Jake Noll * Pitcher of the Year - right-hander Cade Cavalli * Defensive Player of the Year - outfielder Donovan Casey * Baserunner of the Year - infielder Jordy Barley * "Nationals Way" Award - infielder/outfielder Jack Dunn Noll, 27, led Washington's Minor League system in batting average (.300), doubles (28), RBI (69), slugging percentage (.494), OPS...
After big '21 season, Kyle Stowers heads to AFL
After big '21 season, Kyle Stowers heads to AFL
Steve Melewski
Orioles
"Stowers Power" was indeed a thing on the Orioles farm in 2021. Lefty-hitting Kyle Stowers led all O's minor league players in homers and RBIs, and was third among full-season players in OPS. It was a breakout year for the corner outfielder who turns 24 in January. Tomorrow, he will join seven other O's players on the Mesa Solar Sox when the Arizona Fall League season begins. Stowers and Adley Rutschman were co-winners of the Brooks Robinson Award as the Orioles' Minor League Player of the...
García showed promise, now needs to show consistency
García showed promise, now needs to show consistency
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
PLAYER REVIEW: LUIS GARCÍA Age on opening day 2022: 21 How acquired: Signed as international free agent, July 2016 MLB service time: 1 year, 37 days 2021 salary: $570,500 Contract status: Under team control, arbitration-eligible in 2024, free agent in 2027 2021 stats: 70 G, 247 PA, 236 AB, 29 R, 57 H, 18 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 22 RBI, 0 SB, 2 CS, 11 BB, 43 SO, .242 AVG, .275 OBP, .411 SLG, .686 OPS, 86 OPS+, 1 DRS (at 2B), minus-3 DRS (at SS), minus-0.2 fWAR, 0.3 bWAR Quotable: "He's made...
Another look at arbitration-eligible Orioles
Another look at arbitration-eligible Orioles
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles must tender contracts to their arbitration-eligible players by Dec. 2, assuming they can conduct business on that date. The collective bargaining agreement expires the previous day. I yearn for the days when CBA made me think "Continental Basketball Association." Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias has decisions pending on eight players - Trey Mancini, Anthony Santander, John Means, Jorge López, Pedro Severino, Pat Valaika, Paul Fry and Tanner Scott....
Long leaving Nationals to become Phillies hitting coach
Long leaving Nationals to become Phillies hitting coach
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
The Nationals have another opening on their coaching staff to fill after learning hitting coach Kevin Long is leaving to take a position with the Phillies. Long, the club's hitting coach since 2018, was invited to return in 2022 but was free to seek other employment because his contract was expiring. He chose to join Joe Girardi's staff in Philadelphia, where he'll be reunited with slugger Bryce Harper, a source familiar with the decision confirmed. Long's departure, which was first...
After abysmal start, Bell proved to be hitter Nats expected
After abysmal start, Bell proved to be hitter Nats expected
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
PLAYER REVIEW: JOSH BELL Age on opening day 2022: 29 How acquired: Traded from Pirates for RHP Wil Crowe and RHP Eddy Yean, December 2020 MLB service time: 5 years, 53 days 2021 salary: $6.35 million Contract status: Arbitration-eligible in 2022, free agent in 2023 2021 stats: 144 G, 568 PA, 498 AB, 75 R, 130 H, 24 2B, 1 3B, 27 HR, 88 RBI, 0 SB, 0 CS, 65 BB, 101 SO, .261 AVG, .347 OBP, .476 SLG, .823 OPS, 124 OPS+, minus-1 DRS (at 1B), 2 DRS (at LF), 1.4 fWAR, 3.1 bWAR Quotable: "This is a guy...
The rise and fall of Valdez and Plutko
The rise and fall of Valdez and Plutko
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles already made a few decisions on their minor league free agents, bringing back outfielder Cristopher Céspedes and pitchers Ofelky Peralta and Nick Vespi. Other moves will be sprinkled into their offseason, with some bigger names in the industry likely to compete for jobs on minor league deals with invitations to spring training. Like the past winter when the Orioles signed starters Félix Hernández, Matt Harvey and Wade LeBlanc. Relievers Adam Plutko and César Valdez...
Austin Hays stated his case in 2021
Austin Hays stated his case in 2021
Steve Melewski
Orioles
When the Orioles and their fans think about some of the young hitters in their lineup producing in the future, as they did in 2021, Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle immediately come to mind. But outfielder Austin Hays should be in that mix, too. And long-term, he might prove to be the best player of this group. He is certainly toolsy, as a scout might say. He's got plenty of ways to beat you. With his bat and power. With his glove, arm and speed. Yep, plenty of tools. O's fans first got a...
Henley, Knorr won't return to MLB staff, will remain with Nats
Henley, Knorr won't return to MLB staff, will remain with Nats
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
Longtime Nationals coaches Bob Henley and Randy Knorr will not return to the major league staff next season, though both will remain in the organization in player development roles, a source familiar with the changes confirmed. Henley, the club's third base coach for seven of the last eight seasons, and Knorr, the club's first base coach this season after previous stints as bench coach and bullpen coach, are the only members of manager Davey Martinez's staff who weren't invited to return to...
Revisiting our 2021 season predictions
Revisiting our 2021 season predictions
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
Predicting how a baseball season is going to play out is no easy task. We've been trying to do it around here for years, and though we sometimes get a few things right, we're usually wrong with much more frequency. And never have we been more wrong than we were this season. Not that my colleagues on the Nationals beat were alone in that regard. Seriously, how many of you out there predicted they'd lose 97 games? (If you just raised your hand, you're lying.) Nobody expected the kind of...