Washington Nationals: Five Impact Prospects For 2019
Past Washington Nationals teams have been boosted by strong rookie seasons. What Nats prospects will make an impact this season?
The Washington Nationals farm system is ranked in the lower half of the league by almost every publication that does these rankings. This low ranking is likely due to significant trades in previous years in which big prospects have departed the organization. Pitchers like Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, and Dane Dunning went to the Chicago White Sox for Adam Eaton while Jesus Luzardo went to the Oakland A’s in the Sean Doolittle trade.
Last season they traded Top-10 organization prospects in infielder Kelvin Gutierrez and outfielder Blake Perkins for Kelvin Herrera. Even acquiring Yan Gomes this offseason required the Nationals to part with young outfield Daniel Johnson and pitcher Jefry Rodriguez. With general manager Mike Rizzo opting not to sell at the July 31st trade deadline, the Nats were unable to get much in return for Herrera, Gio Gonzalez, Ryan Madson, and Daniel Murphy at the August 31st waiver deadline.
Moreover, with players like Juan Soto and former top pitching prospect Erick Fedde graduating from prospect status, the Nats farm system is thinner than it has been in years. Even so, the team has a strong, veteran clubhouse that should be competitive in the NL East. However, a good season from one of the following rookie prospects would enhance the Nationals’ chances of playing in October.
Victor Robles, OF
This is no time to build suspense, so we’ll start with the obvious. Everyone and their mother knows that Victor Robles is going to have the most significant impact on the Washington Nationals this season. The rookie phenom became a lock to make the Opening Day lineup when Michael A. Taylor went down late in Spring Training, and he’s already made noise during the team’s first eight games.
The Nationals top-ranked prospect has experienced a roller-coaster start to the 2019 season which has seen him make both positive and negative impacts for the team. In the Opening Day loss to the New York Mets, Robles made a few defensive miscues in the outfield that made people scratch their heads. Those errors were compounded when he later made a critical mistake on the base paths when he should have scored, instead of getting caught between 3rd and home and ending the inning. His mistakes on Opening Day were a major talking point until he showed off his power in the next game, hitting a big home run off of Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard.
Since then Robles has made a few more questionable plays in the field and on the bases, but the Nationals have been encouraged by his ability at the plate. While the young center fielder is not quite as patient and disciplined at the plate as Soto, he features a quick, violent swing that can drive the ball to all fields. While the debate over his Major League readiness in the field rages on, Robles continues to let his bat and speed do the talking for him.
Through ten games he’s hitting .324 with three home runs and six RBI. Robles stole his first base of the season on Sunday in the 12-9 win over the Mets and caused a throwing error which allowed him to advance to 3rd. He’s also drawn 4 walks and been hit by a pitch to give him an early season OBP of .410.
Robles will continue to learn on the fly while in the field, but his ability in the batter’s box combined with his speed on the bases has shown the Nationals that their belief in him is not misplaced. He’ll be in the National League Rookie of the Year discussions at the end of the season after the major impact he makes for his team this season.
Andrew Stevenson, OF
Andrew Stevenson is not a flashy prospect nor is he highly-ranked. However, due to lack of depth, he could play a huge role for the Nationals if injuries test the team’s depth. Taylor’s injury didn’t just allow Robles to take the starting center fielding job. It allowed Stevenson to make the Opening Day roster.
Stevenson, the light-hitting lefty out of LSU made the team as the fourth outfielder. His 132 at-bats coming into 2019 helps him retain his rookie status, though there isn’t much to be said about those previous appearances. In 100 career games over parts of two seasons, he hit just .213 with one home run and 14 RBI.
He’s featured in a few games for the Nats this season almost entirely as a pinch hitter and made a big impact on April 3rd against the Philadelphia Phillies after the bullpen had seemingly blown another game. With the Nationals trailing 8-6 in the bottom of the 8th, Stevenson led of as pinch hitter for the pitcher. He’d end up singling to left field for his first hit of the season as the catalyst for the tying rally that allowed the Nats to later walk-off the Phillies and split the series.
Stevenson is likely never going to be a starting outfielder for a contending team. Even though he’s only got 136 Major League at-bats to his name, it’s pretty clear that the youngster is probably nothing more than a depth outfielder. Stevenson has been optioned to the minors with Taylor back, but because the Nationals organization is thin in outfield depth, he will likely have a role on the roster for some or most of 2019.
Jake Noll, IF
Infielder Jake Noll arrived at Spring Training as a non-roster invitee with little hopes of making the big league club. Virtually nobody knew who he was. The former college walk-on first came to the attention of Nationals media and fans only because he had a passing resemblance to teammate Ryan Zimmerman.
With the odds stacked against Noll, he proceeded to hit .314 over 27 games in the Grapefruit League with four doubles two home runs, five walks, and just ten strikeouts. That torrid performance during the spring combined with his ability to play most of the infield, the Nationals added him to their Opening Day roster with Howie Kendrick still working back from injury.
Like Stevenson, Noll has already made an impact for the Nationals this season. Despite only making three plate appearances as a pinch hitter and not recording his first Major League hit, Noll has already checked ‘walk-off hero’ off his baseball milestone checklist. In that April 3rd game against the Phillies, he drew the bases loaded walk-off walk to give the Nats a much needed 9-8 win.
Since that win, Jake Noll was optioned to AAA Fresno to activate Kendrick. However, with 154 games left in a long, grueling season, it’s highly unlikely that we’ve seen the last of this versatile infielder. Expect Noll to come back at some point during the season and make a few more big pinch-hit appearances.
Wil Crowe, RHP
The only pitcher on this list, Wil Crowe was the Co-Minor League Pitcher of the Year for the Nationals in 2018. With the bullpen really struggling, there are a number of young, unproven pitchers that could possibly impact the big league club this season. But Will Crowe should be at the top of that list and is the Nats’ fifth-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
The righty went 11-0 with a 2.69 ERA in 15 starts for Class A Potomac last season and is projected as a mid-rotation starting pitcher. He started this year in Double-A Harrisburg and should be in Triple-A by the end of the season at the very least. Fedde and presumably Joe Ross are probably ahead of him on the depth chart in terms of starting pitching, but like Jefry Rodriguez last season, he could find his way to D.C. if there are injuries or if the Nationals need an emergency starter on short notice.
While it may be unlikely, Crowe could be used as reinforcements for a beleaguered bullpen who has been horrible to start the season. Because the Nationals project Crowe as a starter, I’d expect Tanner Rainey, Austin Voth, and Austen Williams to get a chance in the Major League bullpen before him.
A number of pitchers in the Nationals farm system could make an impact for the Nats this season, especially if the bullpen continues to falter. Outside of Mason Denaburg, who is pitching his first full season as a professional, Crowe has the most upside of minor league pitchers who may be ready enough to contribute to the big league team.
Carter Kieboom, SS/2B
Okay, so we had to build at least a little suspense. Like previously stated, with Soto and Fedde graduating from prospect status, the Nationals don’t have any exciting MLB-ready prospect beyond Robles. But young shortstop Carter Kieboom, who should’ve been a longshot to get called up prior to September this season, continues to impress wherever he goes. Like Soto a year ago, Kieboom could force himself into the big leagues with his consistent performance combined with injuries at the MLB level for the Nats.
With Trea Turner already injured with a fractured finger and Brian Dozier struggling massively to start the year, many fans have called for Kieboom. With the ability to play either shortstop or second base, the Nats’ second-ranked prospect probably projects as a second base long-term due to Turner’s presence at short.
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Everyone got a taste of Kieboom’s ability during Spring Training and he did not disappoint. The twenty-one-year-old showed off his power in the Grapefruit League and hit .279 with three homers, three doubles, and 9 RBI in 25 games. To start the season, the Nationals sent him to AAA Fresno where he will continue to play shortstop for the time being.