Washington Nationals: Six players who could break out in 2019

Koda Glover

When Koda Glover first came up to the big leagues in 2016, he instantly looked like a closer of the future. However, injuries have derailed his career with the Washington Nationals, but he could be set to finally break out next season.

Overall, Glover has struggled in his big league career, possessing a 4.55 ERA in 63 appearances over the last two seasons. But he has a tantalizing combination of raw stuff and the mentality of a closer than has management still excited about his future.

In the majors, his fastball has averaged 96.8mph to go with a devastating slider at 92.2mph and changeup that averages 87.3mph. For a reliever, he also has excellent command too as not only his career 3.4 BB/9 workable, he could even improve, as his minor league career number is 1.8 BB/9.

That arsenal and command should easily allow him to strike out batters at a much better clip than the 6.8 K/9 that he’s currently sporting in his career. He’s built to be a late-inning reliever and if he gets the chance, he has the sky-high potential to thrive in that role, assuming he stays healthy.

Currently, new additions Kyle Barraclough and Trevor Rosenthal are pegged as the primary seventh and eighth inning options respectively. But should either falter, then Glover could be the next man up to step into the late innings to bridge the gap to Sean Doolittle and truly prove himself.