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Despite tying for last in the National League East at the end of last year s truncated season, the Nationals are still only one campaign removed from capturing the organization s first World Series title. Entering 2021, they still have the relatively depleted farm system that comes with that territory. The ceiling of the group took a few more hits in 2020 (though for good reasons) when former Top-100 talents Carter Kieboom and Luis Garcia both graduated from prospect status. Among those that remain, there are still some defining characteristics to be found among the collection.
The Nationals have one Top-100 prospect entering 2021 in No. 99 Cade Cavalli, but he forms just one part of what Washington front-office members call the Big Three, alongside Jackson Rutledge and Cole Henry. The use of big there is quite literal. All three right-handers stand at 6-foot-4 or above and feature plus to plus-plus fastballs. Considering Cavalli, Rutledge and Henry were first
Nationals biggest spring training roster questions are all on the margins
Jesse Dougherty, The Washington Post
Feb. 17, 2021
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This week, Dave Martinez begins his fourth spring training leading the Washington Nationals.Washington Post photo by Jonathan Newton
Spring training is here at last, but baseball can t yet shake its uncertainties. In that way, the sport is just like the rest of the world. There s uncertainty about whether a fresh set of health and safety protocols will work. There s uncertainty about the coming season. Then there s uncertainty about what, exactly, to be uncertain about.
But in West Palm Beach, Fla., at the Washington Nationals facility, roster uncertainty - a blip amid MLB s second attempt to play through the coronavirus pandemic - only touches the fringes of a ready-made club. That s not to say there aren t pressing on-field questions heading into camp. There certainly are. It s important, though, to distinguish between roster que
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This is the second in a six-part Toolshed series that uses FanGraphs Steamer600 projections to look at how prospects would fare over a full Major League season in 2021. The system bases its forecast on 600 plate appearances for position players, 450 plate appearances for catchers, 200 innings for starting
This is the second in a six-part Toolshed series that uses FanGraphs Steamer600 projections to look at how prospects would fare over a full Major League season in 2021. The system bases its forecast on 600 plate appearances for position players, 450 plate appearances for catchers, 200 innings for starting pitchers and 65 innings for relievers taking into account age, past performance and previous Minor League levels, among other factors. Because of the canceled Minor League season in 2020, all players included in the team tables below are ranked prospects who either played at Class A Advanced or above in 2019, sit on their organization s 40-man roster or are placed a
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Identifying players who seem primed for future success is a point of pride for our MLB Pipeline team, much like it is for every Major League organization.
Looking at last year’s list, nine of the 30 players we identified as breakout candidates now rank among MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects, and there are four players from last year’s group who already have reached the Major Leagues.
And while the nature of the 2020 season has made our annual exercise more challenging this time around, there still are countless prospects who possess helium heading into the 2021 season after strong performances in the Major Leagues, at alternate training site and/or during fall instructional league.