Washington Nationals: Spencer Kieboom flashes promising all-round game

In our next 2018 Report Card, we profile Spencer Kieboom. The young catcher has made a serious case to have a role next year with the Washington Nationals.

Our 2018 Reports Cards of the Washington Nationals players are still moving along at District on Deck. This time, we look at catcher Spencer Kieboom, who was able to take his opportunity late in the season and impressed overall.

The Nats struggled with inconsistency behind the plate, with Matt Wieters injured as well as Pedro Severino and Miguel Montero underperforming. Kieboom got the call in mid-May after Wieters tried to return too early and ended up injuring his hamstring and never looked back.

He finished the year hitting just .232 with an OPS of only .642 and two home runs. However, he was able to finish the year strong with a slash line of .333/.429/.500 and the fifth highest fWAR on the team in September.

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The Positives for Kieboom

Obviously, that slash line he put up in September has to be considered a huge positive for Kieboom in 2018. As a prospect who was not so highly regarded with his bat, he at least showed he could be serviceable. Arguably the most impressive part of his hot finish was the six walks to six strikeouts, showcasing excellent plate discipline in the process.

But not only was he impressive in the batter’s box, but he was also able to make a great impression with the glove as well. Manager Davey Martinez told Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports that “He’s controlled the running game really well. He’s been calling some good games, and he’s really learned a lot”. The stats back that up as he finished 17th among catchers in the NL in FanGraphs Defensive rating, despite playing fewer innings than everybody above him. He also finished sixth in the NL in Stolen Base runs saved as he dazzled with his arm behind the plate.

Areas for Improvement

Currently, with his bat, he just needs to works on bringing it along more consistently. Before his breakout September, he was slashing a putrid .191/.277./.247 with only five extra-base hits in 89 ABs. Perhaps having a fixed role with the team as a backup catcher with consistent ABs may help him find his consistency, as early on, the team was determined to give Severino playing time.

The lack of power for Kieboom is also somewhat of a concern. His 2018 Triple-A slash line of .250/.337/.333 paints a picture of a slap hitter that doesn’t have a great deal of power, but reasonable on-base skills. He’s only had a slugging percentage above .382 once in his minor league career and never had double-digit home runs in a season. While that’s far from a dealbreaker for a potential backup catcher, it would be nice if he could show the home run power he displayed in September.

The Final Grade

Spencer Kieboom has probably put himself right at the top of the current catching depth chart for the Nationals. He profiles best as a backup, so hopefully, by the time Spring Training rolls around, he’ll be a perfectly good second stringer.

His glove is what is going to keep him around in the major leagues, as the Nats pitcher got more and more comfortable with him. Although his bat started slowly, as he got accustomed to the major leagues, he appeared to become much more adept, and finishes with a strong grade. B+

Remember to keep an eye out for more Washington Nationals 2018 Report Cards during the upcoming weeks here at District on Deck.