WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 12: A Washington Nationals hat and glove sit in the dugout during the Nationals and Cincinnati Reds opening day game at Nationals Park on April 12, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
The Washington Nationals minor league affiliates begin their 2018 campaigns this week. Take a look at each club, and some prospects to keep an eye on.
The Washington Nationals 2018 season is well and truly underway. But over this weekend, most of the club’s minor league affiliates will start off their campaigns.
You will be able to catch the games for the Syracuse Chiefs (Triple A) and Harrisburg Senators (Double A) on MiLB TV throughout the season. While the Potomac Nationals and Hagerstown Suns have radio broadcasts you can listen to, in order to keep up to date with their games.
Here at District on Deck, we’ll aim to bring you regular updates on how each of the minor league teams performs throughout the season. This will include the performance of some of the top prospects within the organization.
Developing players throughout the minor leagues is crucial to any major league club’s survival. Some of these players will make it all the way to their parent club. All your favorite home-grown Nationals will have played for these affiliates at some point.
Other players will make enticing trade bait to secure established veterans. As we saw last season with the acquisition of Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson. These players don’t come for free, unfortunately, and the like of Jesus Luzardo and Sheldon Neuse had to be given up.
So let’s take a look at how each of the Washington Nationals’ affiliates are setting up for the season ahead. And we’ll give you a couple key names to keep tabs on throughout 2018.
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Triple A – Syracuse Chiefs
Even by minor league standards, the Syracuse Chiefs are in a pretty bizarre situation. Despite currently being a Washington Nationals affiliate, they’re actually owned by the New York Mets.
This means 2018 will be the last season they’re affiliated with the Nationals. Unfortunately, the Chiefs only playoff appearance in affiliation with the Nats came in 2014.
Since then it’s been 3 straight last-place finishes in the International League. They’ll look to change that this season with a seemingly much better roster.
Main Attraction: Victor Robles
You may have heard of this Victor Robles kid. Ranked the number six prospect in baseball by MLB.com will start the season in Syracuse.
Despite already playing for the major league club, he has yet to even step into the batters box at Triple A. So it makes sense for him to begin the year with the Chiefs.
Although if Michael Taylor struggles in April for the Nats, Robles’ stay in the International League may only be a brief one.
Keep an eye on: Erick Fedde
Another heralded prospect that starts the year with Syracuse is Erick Fedde. He may be in the minors a bit longer than Robles, but he could be set to take a huge leap this year.
We saw Fedde struggle to put hitters away in his brief major league stint last season. He was also flipped to the bullpen and back mid-season which may have contributed to his down-year too.
But with his stuff, if he can work on his strikeout pitch with the Chiefs, it may not be long before we see him with a curly W on his chest again.
After a so-so season in 2017, there’s plenty of reason for optimism in Harrisburg. They have a very promising roster, littered with well-regarded prospects in the Nationals organisation.
With the way the system is set, they may well end up with even more highly-touted players coming up from the levels below. But we’ll get to those names shortly.
Unlike Syracuse, the Chiefs have a much more successful recent history, making the playoffs three times this decade. And they’ll look to make it a fourth in 2018.
Main Attraction: Daniel Johnson
There are plenty of candidates for the main attraction in Harrisburg. Kelvin Gutierrez and Jefry Rodriguez are both on the Nationals 40-man roster, and could make their major league debuts this September.
But reigning Minor League Player of the Year, Daniel Johnson will be a must-see player. He hit .298, with 22 home runs last between Hagerstown and Potomac. And is looking to continue his success as he gets into the upper-reaches of the minor leagues.
He will likely stay with the Senators all season, giving them a promising anchor in the middle of their lineup. And should he keep impressing, he may well be able to work himself into the Nationals long-term outfield plans.
Keep an eye on: Bryan Harper
Although he’s not the most well-renowned Harper within the Nats organization, the elder Harper is making a name for himself. He was on the verge of a major league call-up in 2016 before Tommy John surgery curtailed those plans.
The left-handed reliever made it into major league spring training this pre-season, although he didn’t turn too many heads with a 5.40 ERA.
His stop in Harrisburg could end up being brief if he dominates like he did last time he was with the Senators. And as the Nationals know all too well, bullpens can be volatile environments. So a promotion to the big leagues isn’t out of the question if pitchers get injured or underachieve.
Arguably the most successful Washington Nationals affiliate is the Potomac Nationals. Since 2008, they’ve appeared in the play-offs 6 times. This includes championships in 2008, 2010 and 2014. Pretty impressive.
Yet again, the P-Nats boast a whole host of former high-round picks on their roster to start the year. And with some likely mid-season call-ups from Hagerstown, their roster should only get stronger.
They are also the undisputed kings of the giveaways out of the affiliates. Some of the highlights this year include the Trea Turner Road Runner Bobblehead and Michael A. Tater Potato Statue.
Main Attraction: Carter Kieboom
Possessing one of the best last names in all of baseball, Carter Kieboom is also making a name for himself as one of the best prospects in the Nationals system.
He’s certainly lived up to the hype so far in minor-league ball, after he was drafted in the first round back in 2016. He’s hit .277 with 14 home runs in just 99 games in the Nats system.
His older brother Spencer Kieboom is also in the Nationals organization, with the Syracuse Chiefs. It’s not out of the question that Carter could join him there by the end of the season. However, getting to Double A Harrisburg is probably the goal for the young shortstop this year.
Keep an eye on: Blake Perkins
From one of the best last names to one of the best first names in baseball. Nothing to do with the fact it’s my first name, honest. Thankfully, Blake Perkins has one thing that I lack. Speed, and a lot of it too.
In his first full professional season last year, he swiped 31 bases for Hagerstown. He also showed a reasonable eye at the plate posting a .354 OBP despite only hitting .254 last season.
Perkins’ strongest tool has always been his glove in centerfield. But if he can continue to develop his hitting from both side of the plate, he could turn into a serviceable leadoff hitter with the Washington Nationals later on in his career.
Single A, the lowest full-season level of minor league baseball, is where the Hagerstown Suns ply their trade. And yet another team that Washington Nationals have that’s loaded with good young prospects.
Usually regarded as the first big stop on a prospects path to the big leagues, given the gauntlet of a full baseball season from April until August. And they will be hoping some of the star names this year will rise to the occasion.
Rated the second best prospect in the Nationals system, and 29th best in baseball according to mlb.com. Juan Soto is ready to keep ascending through the minors for the Nats.
He’s hit an absurd .357 with a .950 OPS since signing with the Washington Nationals in mid-July 2016. And he’s primed himself for a quick rise through the organization.
However, the one point to make with Soto is that he has yet to have a fully healthy season so far in his career. Hamstring, ankle and hamate injuries have prevented a potentially more impressive stat line from the young Dominican. But if he can put these behind him, the minor leagues need to watch out.
Keep an eye on: Yasel Antuna
In a very similar mold to Juan Soto, Yasel Antuna has shown a great eye at the plate in his first year with the Nationals. Now he looks to transfer the success he had last year to full season baseball.
The young shortstop hit to the tune of a .301 batting average last year. But what stands out is the fact he only struck out four more times than he walked. For his age to have that good a feel for the strike-zone is very impressive.
It’s believed Antuna may well end up at third base later on in his career given his average defense at shortstop. But either way, his excellent approach to hitting looks like it will get him to the major-leagues in the not to distant future.
