Down on the Farm: Checking in on the Washington Nationals’ top-5 prospects
Jul 12, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; USA pitcher
Lucas Giolitothrows against the World Team in the first inning during the All Star Futures Game at Great American Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
With the first half of the 2015 season in the books, it’s time to check in on the farm system and see how the Washington Nationals’ top-5 prospects have been doing so far in the 2015 season and over the last couple of years.
While most of these players are still a ways away from contributing at the big league level, they are still the future of the ball club’s success and it’s important to monitor their progress as they continue to make their way up the minor league ladder. It’s also interesting to look at this list midway through the season for a couple of reasons. For one, it gives us a chance to see how they have progressed from Spring Training to the All-Star break. Also, since many of these players are at or near the highest level of the Nationals’ farm system, there’s a good chance we’ll see them join the big league club later this season so it’s important to see what they’ve done in the minors this year and whether or not they deserve a late-season call-up.
The cream-of-the-crop of the Nationals’ farm system is in a unique situation midway through the 2015 season. Since the major league roster has been drastically depleted by injuries all season long and because many of the team’s top prospects are talented enough to play at the big league level, the Nationals have already seen two of their top-5 prospects make their MLB debuts this season.
A.J. Cole and Joe Ross—the team’s No. 2 and 5 prospects, respectively—have each pitched in three games for the Nationals this season and both will likely be back with the team at some point before the end of the year. As for the other three players on this list, they have yet to have their moment in the spotlight but are not too far from debuting in the big leagues themselves.
The Nationals are a team that rose from the bottom of the National League to a World Series contender because of their farm system. Nearly all of the Nationals’ core group of players—Ryan Zimmerman, Jordan Zimmermann, Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon, for example—are home-grown products of the Nationals farm system. While those players are the foundation of the big league club today, the players down in the minors are surely the heart and soul of the team’s long-term future.
While most Nationals’ fans are no strangers to a few of the prospects on this list, it’s important to realize that the hierarchy of minor league baseball is constantly changing. Whether it’s because players get called up to the big leagues or traded to another ball club, or because they get injured or struggle to the point that that their value drops in the eyes of the team, the top-5 prospects list we will be looking at today looks very different from how it did the last time we checked in on them.
When we looked at the Nationals’ top prospects on January 1, the list included two players who for various reasons are no longer considered to be in the top-5. So, today’s breakdown will not only serve to refresh what we already know about some of the team’s top prospects, but also to discuss a couple of names which may not be all that familiar.
Regardless of how well known these players are, they make MLB.com’s top-5 Nationals prospects list for a reason. They’re all key parts of the team’s minor league system and important pieces of the puzzle for the Nationals’ 2015 plans and beyond.
With all of this in mind, let’s check in on the top-5 prospects and see where they stand three months into the 2015 season.
Next: No. 5: Joe Ross
Jun 19, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Joe Ross (41) throws to the Pitsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit:
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
No. 5: Joe Ross
We start off our countdown with Joe Ross—the Nationals’ No. 5 overall prospect, according to MLB.com.
While Ross isn’t at the top of our list, he’s definitely one of the most exciting young talents to keep an eye on in the Nationals’ farm system. And unlike most of the prospects on this list, we’ve already seen Ross perform at the big league level this season. Because of injuries to Doug Fister and Stephen Strasburg, the Nationals called up Ross earlier than anyone expected. And despite the fact that Ross had never pitched above Triple-A, he proved that he’s more than capable of succeeding at the highest level the game has to offer.
In three starts for the Nationals this season, Ross is 2-1 with a 2.66 ERA and 23 strikeouts. He boasts a WHIP of 1.03 in 20 1/3 innings of work this season and has been as dominant as anyone in his brief time with the big league rotation.
When he hasn’t been pitching in the big leagues this season, Ross has been even more dominant in the Nationals’ minor league system. The right-hander is 4-3 with a 2.79 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 71 combined innings between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse.
Perhaps one of the things that makes Nationals’ fans feel so good about Ross is the fact that the team sacrificed very little to get him. The Nationals acquired Ross from the Padres as part of last winter’s 11-player, three team trade that sent the team’s former No. 5 prospect, Steven Souza Jr., to the Rays. The focus of that trade for the Nationals was the acquisition of shortstop prospect Trea Turner, but as we’ve seen this season, the fact that they also got Ross in the deal could have a major impact on the team’s future.
For Ross, things have changed significantly since his professional career began with the Padres.
The Padres drafted Ross with the 25th overall pick in the 2011 First-Year Player draft. The right-hander struggled during his first few years in the minors but really made strides in 2014, earning a promotion to Double-A San Antonio.
In 2014—which, up until this season had been the best season of his professional career—Ross went 10-6 with a 3.92 ERA and a career-high 106 strikeouts over 121 2/3 innings with Class A Fort Wayne and San Antonio. While he was certainly good with the Padres, he has stepped his game up to a whole new level this season with the Nationals.
Ross has already made an impact for the Nationals at the big league level this season, and he continues to tear it up in the minor leagues. He’s back in the minors now, but he’ll likely be back with the big league club at some point this season.
If he weren’t shaping out to be such a fast-climber, Ross would probably be near the top of this list next season. But based on how quickly he’s progressed with the Nationals in 2015, there’s a good chance he’ll be in the big leagues for good before he has time to make his way closer to the top of the Nationals’ minor league hierarchy.
Feb 24, 2014; Viera, FL, USA; Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo watches the spring training action at space Coast Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports
No. 4: Reynaldo Lopez
Reynaldo Lopez is one of those prospects who may not be all that familiar to the Nationals and their fans. Nevertheless, he’s one of the team’s most promising young pitching talents and their No. 4 prospect.
The Nationals signed Lopez out of the Dominican Republic in 2012. At the time, the right-hander was a little known 18-year-old without any particularly impressive makeup. Since then, however, ope has improved dramatically and has made his presence known in the hierarchy of the Nationals’ minor league system.
At this point, Lopez’s best pitch is his fastball. The 21-year-old right-hander regularly sits in the mid-90s with his heater and often reaches back and touches 99 mph. Lopez also has a plus curveball and promising, albeit, unfinished changeup.
The right-hander’s raw talent has finally translated to success on the mound over the last couple of years with the Nationals.
After missing the 2013 season with an injury, 2014 was a breakout year for Lopez. The right-hander dominated last season, going 7-3 with a 1.08 ERA and a 0.816 WHIP in 16 combined starts between Low-A Auburn and Class-A Hagerstown. Lopez has struggled a bit this season after making the jump to High-A Potomac, going 5-5 with a 4.30 ERA in 13 starts.
Despite his recent struggles, Lopez is still one of the most exciting prospects on the Nationals and definitely a name to keep an eye on in the future. He still has a ways to go in his development, but if he can return to his dominant form from last season, we could see him on the mound at Nationals Park in 2017.
Next: No. 3: Trea Turner
Mar 2, 2015; Peoria, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres infielder Trea Turner (89) poses during photo day at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
No. 3: Trea Turner
Shortstop Trea Turner was the player-to-be-named-later and the Nationals’ key acquisition in the trade that also brought Ross to the nation’s capital. And like Ross, Turner is one of the most exciting young players in the Nationals’ farm system and a key part of the team’s future.
The Padres drafted Turner with the 14th overall pick in last year’s First-Year Player Draft after the shortstop dominated at North Carolina State. Turner was widely believed to be one of the best shortstop prospects in the game and played well in his first professional season with the Padres.
While the Nationals technically acquired Turner during the offseason, he wasn’t able to officially join the team until well into the season due to an MLB rule that prevented teams from trading prospects until a year after they were drafted. That rule has since been changed, but Turner and the Nationals still had to wait to make the deal official.
But the unusual circumstances didn’t seem to distract Turner at all and the shortstop dominated in his first two months of the season—while still officially a member of the Padres organization. In 58 games with San Diego’s Double-A team, Turner hit .322 with five home runs, 35 RBIs and and 11 stolen bases.
On June 14, Turner finally joined the Nationals and picked up right where he left off with the Padres. The shortstop began his Nationals’ career with Double-A Harrisburg and immediately began tearing it up with the bat, hitting .359 in 41 plate appearances for the Senators. After it became clear that Double-A was no match for Turner, the Nationals promoted him to Triple-A Syracuse. But playing at the highest minor league level hasn’t slowed him down too much, as the shortstop is hitting .276 in 16 games for the Chiefs.
Turner’s success this season earned him an invitation to the annual MLB Futures Game, and he didn’t disappoint. Turner put on a show in the game—which features some of the game’s best prospects—going 2-for-2 with a double and a triple.
What Turner has accomplished this season and his dazzling performance at the Futures Game is just a small glimpse of what the future could hold for the Nationals. With Ian Desmond set to hit free agency this offseason, Turner may very well be the team’s shortstop of the future. And based on what we’ve seen from him so far, that future is shaping out to be pretty bright.
Next: No. 2: A.J. Cole
May 23, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher A.J. Cole (69) throws to the Philadelphia Phillies during the game at Nationals Park. The Philadelphia Phillies won 8 – 1. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
No. 2: A.J. Cole
By now, A.J. Cole is a household name for the Washington Nationals and their fans. The right-hander is not only the team’s second best prospect, but he’s also considered one of the best young arms in all of baseball. And like Joe Ross, Cole has also gained some important big league experience this season.
Of course, it hasn’t been an easy or normal ride for him. The Nationals drafted Cole in 2010, only to trade him to the Athletics in 2012. The right-hander struggled mightily with the A’s that season, but he returned to his dominant form once the Nationals re-acquired him in 2013.
Relying on a powerful fastball that often touches 98 mph, Cole went 6-3 with a 4.25 ERA while striking out 102 batters in 97 1/3 innings for High-A Potomac in 2013. The right-hander was even better after being promoted to Double-A Harrisburg later that year, going 4-2 with a 2.18 ERA and 49 strike outs in 45 1/3 innings for the Senators.
While Cole was dominant in 2013, he was even better in last season. The right-hander started the year at Harrisburg, where he went 6-3 with a 2.92 ERA in 14 games with the Senators. After a great start to the season at Double-A, Cole earned a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse, where he went 7-0 with a 3.43 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 11 starts.
After dominating last season, however, Cole has struggled in 2015. The right-hander is 1-4 with a 3.91 ERA in 12 games with the Chiefs this season. Nevertheless, the Nationals have still called on Cole to fill in for injured pitchers at the big league level. The right-hander has thrown 9 1/3innings, allowing six earned runs and striking out nine batters.
Despite his struggles this season, Cole is still one of the most exciting young pitching prospects in the game and should play a big role in the future for the Nationals. For Cole, that future could start as early as 2016. Since Doug Fister and Jordan Zimmermann are both likely to leave via free agency after this season, Cole could earn a spot in the rotation out of Spring Training next year.
Next: No. 1: Lucas Giolito
Jul 12, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; USA pitcher Lucas Giolito throws against the World Team in the first inning during the All Star Futures Game at Great American Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
No. 1: Lucas Giolito
Right-hander Lucas Giolito is the crowning jewel of the Washington Nationals’ farm system. Giolito is not only the team’s No. 1 overall prospect, but he’s also the best pitching prospect in all of baseball.
Giolito, who suffered a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow during his senior year of high school, underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after the Nationals drafted him in the first round and signed him with a $2.925 million signing bonus in 2012. After the surgery, however, Giolito was once again the dominant pitcher who likely would’ve been the top pick in the draft had it not been for the injury.
In his return to the mound in 2013, Giolito split time between the Nationals’ Gulf Coast League team and rookie ball in Auburn, posting a 1.96 ERA and striking out 39 batters in 36 2/3 innings. Not surprisingly, Giolito was even better in 2014. The right-hander spent the entire season at Class-A Hagerstown, going 10-2 with a 2.20 ERA in 20 starts.
In 2015, three years removed from the surgery, Giolito has continued to improve on the mound and appears to be on the fast track to the big leagues. In 58 2/3 innings for High-A Potomac this season, the right-hander is 3-4 with a 2.76 ERA and 76 strikeouts.
The right-hander’s dominance this season earned him his second career invitation to the Futures Game, where he showed the entire baseball world just how talented he is. Giolito pitched two scoreless innings against the best prospects in the game, giving Nationals fans a glimpse of what they might see from him on a big league mound in the not-so-distant future.
Based on Giolito’s success at Potomac, there’s a good chance we’ll see him at Double-A Harrisburg and maybe even Syracuse later this year. Regardless of where he goes next, it’s looking more and more like Giolito’s final destination could be a top-of-the-rotation role with the Nationals. And although he still has to make his way up the Nationals’ farm system, there’s no doubt we’ll be seeing him in a Nationals uniform at some point in the near future.