Washington Nationals News: Trea Turner’s tools make him Nats’ prospect to watch
By Pablo Roa
Today’s District Daily features stories on Washington Nationals prospect Trea Turner and how Bryce Harper can be even better in 2016.
Good morning DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily. Get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
In today’s Daily, MLB.com’s Bill Ladson discusses Nationals’ prospect Trea Turner. As Ladson notes, Turner’s many tools make him one of the most elite prospects in the game and one of the most exciting young players in the organization.
According to Ladson, Turner’s work ethic and speed set him apart from other players, and the latter is what has impressed manager Dusty Baker the most this spring. While Turner will start the 2016 season with Triple-A Syracuse, it’s only a matter of time before we see him in the big league lineup on a regular basis.
Here’s what Baker had to say about his expectations for Turner going forward, via Ladson’s article:
"“He’s a young player. He’s still learning how to play,” Baker said. “One thing that [bench coach] Chris Speier and I told him, we want him to be more assertive, more of a leader, more energy on the field. … A shortstop [must] have energy. [It] gives everybody else energy. Between the catcher and the shortstop, those are the leaders on the field.”"
Also in today’s Daily, the Washington Post’s Neil Greenberg writes about how Bryce Harper could be in for an even better year in 2016.
Harper, of course, is coming off a historic, NL MVP season, making it difficult for him to do much better this year. But, as Greenberg notes, Harper can improve this season if he remains patient at the plate and continues to excel in all aspects of the game, particularly base stealing and defense.
At 23 years old, Harper is entering his prime and should continue to get better and better. Hopefully for the Nationals, his incredible 2015 season was only the beginning.
Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to today’s District Daily for all your Washington Nationals needs.
Turner’s tools make him Nats’ prospect to watch
VIERA, Fla. — Nationals shortstop Trea Turner was summoned into manager Dusty Baker’s office on Monday afternoon. Turner, who is considered the second-best prospect in the Nationals’ organization according to MLB Pipeline, was informed that he was going to start the season with Triple-A Syracuse.
Turner, 22, was competing against Danny Espinosa for the starting shortstop job, but Baker felt Turner needed to improve his defense and wanted him to be more vocal on the field. To the skipper, shortstop is one of the most important positions on the diamond. Read full article here.
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Bryce Harper has chance to go from freak to super freak
(Neil Greenberg, Washington Post)
Let’s start with the obvious: Bryce Harper had a monster season in 2015.
He hit .330 while tying for the National League lead in home runs (42), and led in runs scored (118), on-base percentage (.460), slugging percentage (.649) and wins above replacement (9.5), making him the seventh — and youngest — unanimous MVP in baseball history. He joined Hall of Famers Mel Ott and Eddie Mathews as the only players to hit 40 homers and walk 100 times in the same year before turning 23 years old.
If he can do it again, Harper goes from baseball freak to super freaky baseball god. Read full article here.