Before they were leading the Washington Nationals back to the promised land in the big leagues, guys like Dylan Crews, James Wood, and others were once grinding through the team's minor league system waiting to get their opportunity in the show. As the 2024 season nears a close, I will continue seeking to provide daily Minor League updates by taking a page out of hockey's playbook, and award the 3 Stars of the Night for Nats minor leaguers that aren't with the big league club. This is an attempt to shine a spotlight on 3 future Nats who happen to have big time performances the night before, in hopes to give them a bit of limelight and exposure that they wouldn't normally get to experience.
In case you are unfamiliar with hockey's concept of the 3 Stars of the Game, according to Wikipedia: "The three stars in ice hockey are the three best players in a game, with the "first star" considered the best of the three players, akin to the player of the match in other sports. Media representatives of the home team choose the three stars, who are usually the top point scorers or outstanding goaltenders from either team."
Friday was more of a quiet night down on the farm for the organization, as only the AAA Rochester Red Wings and AA Harrisburg Senators were in action. The FredNats will resume action on Sunday afternoon, and the Wilmington Blue Rocks' season has concluded. The organization went 1-1 on the farm on Friday with the Red Wings losing 6-3 and the Senators winning 5-2.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Third Star of the Night: SP Seth Shuman - AA Harrisburg
Friday's Third Star of the Night goes to 26-year-old righty Seth Shuman. In Friday's win, Shuman went 5.0 innings, allowed 3 hits, 2 walks, and 0 earned runs while striking out 4, earning the win. He lowered his ERA to 3.78 in AA, and the win he picked up was his first in 4 starts since being moved up to the level. While he is a bit older, Shuman was acquired along with Drew Millas and Richard Guasch in the Yan Gomes and Josh Harrison trade with the Oakland Athletics back in 2021. He likely doesn't factor into the future plans of the organization, but it was nice to see him pitch well.
⭐️⭐️ Second Star of the Night: 2B Phillip Glasser - AA Harrisburg
The Second Star of the Night on Friday goes to middle infielder Phillip Glasser, the Nationals' 10th-round pick back in 2023 out of Indiana University. Glasser has put together a very nice minor league season overall, with a .300/.394/.425 slash line with an .819 OPS across 3 levels from Low-A to AA. On Friday, Glasser went 2/4 with a pair of base knocks and an RBI. He has struggled since being promoted to AA Harrisburg, but hopefully Friday's performance was a sign of things to come as the season comes to a close soon.
⭐️ First Star of the Night: OF Andrew Pinckney - WSH #28 Prospect - AAA Rochester
Finally, the First Star of the Night for this piece goes to outfielder Andrew Pinckney, the Nats' 4th-round selection out of Alabama last season. Pinckney has mostly flown under the radar this season but has quietly put together a solid campaign. In 129 games between AA and AAA, Pinckney has put together a slash line of .259/.327/.366 with a .693 OPS to go along with 8 homers, 49 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases. In Friday's loss, Pinckney helped the Red Wings break through for their first runs of the game with a 2-run single in the 8th inning, finishing 1/4 in the game. Pinckney has quietly progressed well this season, and could potentially be in line to receive a call to the show at some point next season.
Which of these 3 players are you most excited to see in Washington one day? Do you think I missed someone more deserving? As always please let me know your thoughts on X,@DCBerk.
All stats in this article were provided by MiLB.com and MLB.com.