Washington Nationals: Weekly Minor League Player Spotlight (June 7-13)

Just because the Nationals have one of the worst farm systems in baseball, it doesn’t mean it’s devoid of any talent. In fact, it’s the opposite.

With the Washington Nationals struggling on a nightly basis, (the team is 27-35) the fanbase needs something to be excited about. And we have the perfect answer, the future. Here at District On Deck, we are implementing a new weekly column that will drop every Monday, spotlighting the National’s top Minor League player performances from the prior week (Monday-Sunday). Without further ado, here is our first issue of our Weekly Minor League Player Spotlight.

Cade Cavalli

Washington’s top prospect and 2020 first-round draft pick had another stellar week. On Saturday against the Phillies High A affiliate, Cade Cavalli had the best outing of his young career. He threw seven shutout innings, striking out 15 and not allowing a single hit. He only allowed two baserunners via walks and was pulled due to a climbing pitch count.

From the get-go, Cavalli had all of his stuff working. Be it his heater or his breaking stuff, the Jersey Shore Blueclaw hitters were left looking lost at the plate.

Through seven starts, Cavalli is 3-1, with a 1.77 ERA, and a Minor League-leading 71 strikeouts. After his excellent outing, it was announced that Cavalli and Matt Cronin (more on him later) were promoted from High-A Wilmington to Double-A Harrisburg.

Matt Cronin

For those that haven’t heard of the Nationals tenth-ranked prospect, Matt Cronin is seen by some as the franchise’s closer of the future. Drafted by the Nats in the fourth round of 2020, the lefty is looking to build upon his successful 2019 campaign. With the Hagerstown Suns, he posted a 0.82 ERA, with 41 strikeouts, while allowing only 11 hits in 22 innings.

After spending the 2020 season at the Alternative Site, Cronin has picked up where he left off. Through 14.2 innings at High-A Wilmington, he is 2-0, with a 1.23 ERA, and 28 strikeouts. But this last week, Cronin has been incredibly impressive, throwing 2.1 shutout innings, while striking out five. He walked none and allowed only one hit.

His hot start to the season led to his promotion to Double-A Harrisburg, alongside Cavalli.

Mitchell Parker

Washington’s fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft, Mitchell Parker has been one of the Organizations most impressive rookie prospects. Through seven starts at Low-A Fredricksburg, the lefty is 3-3, with a 2.70 ERA, and 55 strikeouts.

After allowing three runs to the Delmarva Shorebirds and picking up the loss, Parker rebounded nicely in his latest start. Against the Salem Red Sox, the youngster threw six shutout innings, allowing only three hits and striking out five.

Parker’s gem against Salem led to him being named Low-A East Player of the week for the second time this season.

After the Nationals promotions, it was a surprise to see Parker staying place. If he continues to keep opposing hitters baffled, expect Parker to be moved up in the near future.