Washington Nationals: 2017 Auburn Doubledays update
This week, the Washington Nationals Short-Season affiliate in Auburn was on their All-Star break. We talked with broadcaster Evan Stockton about some of the key players
The Washington Nationals minor league affiliates are wrapping up their respective seasons, but one of them just finished their All-Star break. The Auburn Doubledays in the New-York Penn League are about 75% done with their season and most of the 2017 MLB Draft picks are in upstate New York.
On Tuesday, three players played for the North division in the New-York Penn League All-Star Game. Those players were first baseman Jake Scudder, reliever Max Englebrekt, and second baseman Brandon Boggetto.
While the Doubledays are 21-33, they did get three All-Stars into the game and their broadcaster, Evan Stockton, told me eariier this week that the record isn’t as much of an indicator as to how much talent Auburn has. You will find the full interview at the bottom of the story:
“They are by no means a bad baseball team. There are flashes of good pitching, flashes of good hitting. They’ve just had a tough time closing some of these games out. 39 of their games this year have been decided by three runs or fewer. The record may not be there, but for the most part, they are playing really good baseball.”
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As for Boggetto, he has been one of the players in the league this month. In 11 games, he is hitting .422 with a home run and four RBI’s and he’s hitting .313 for the season. Here is what Stockton said about him:
“He really hits the ball well with contact and he has steadily made improvements and adjustments throughout the year. I have been very impressed with Brandon on and off the field,” said Stockton.
One of the main storylines surrounding the Doubledays this season is that they have most of the pitchers that the Washington Nationals drafted in the first ten rounds last June. Some of those names include Seth Romero, Wil Crowe, and Nick Raquet. I asked Stockton about how the pitchers have been handled by the coaching staff:
“They’ve been treated very carefully. The Nationals really invested in their pitching and it has helped the Doubledays this year for sure,” replied Stockton.”
Also, the Doubledays have had pitchers Ben Braymer and Brigham Hill join the Hagerstown Suns rotation during the season. Despite the talent the Doubledays have on the staff, they do have the second fewest strikeouts in the least. However, Stockton told me it’s nothing to be concerned about:
“In the New York Penn-League, you are trying to work on some stuff,” said Stockton. “They just got off their college season and Tim Redding (pitching coach) and the whole staff are having them work so when they go to full season, they can implement those things. It’s still a developmental league and they’re still adjusting to a new franchise.”
This season, Auburn’s manager is Jerad Head, who is in his second season with the organization. When I asked about his managerial style, Stockton said that “he’s a player’s coach, very laid back, and lets them adjust to pro ball. He doesn’t treat them like college kids and lets them figure it out.”
Throughout this video, you will hear Stockton talk about his favorite part about calling New York-Penn League games, what he likes about Falcon Park, and also his thoughts on Carter Kieboom, who just finished a rehab assignment with the Doubledays.
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We thank Evan Stockton for taking the time to talk about the Doubledays season and be sure to head up to upstate New York to watch the final few weeks of the Auburn season.