Washington Nationals' MiLB 3 Stars of the Night - Tuesday 09/10/2024
The Washington Nationals' 3 Stars of the Night in the Minor Leagues is a morning digest and quick hit recap of the organization's standout minor leaguers from the night before across all levels, brought to you by Bennett Lehmann.
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."
Following the Monday rest day across the Minor Leagues, the 4 Nats' affiliates were back in action on Tuesday night. The organization once again went 2-2, with Fredericksburg and Harrisburg bringing home victories while Wilmington and Rochester suffered defeats. However, all of the affiliates performed much better than the big league club, who suffered an ugly 12-0 defeat to the Atlanta Braves, capped off with an Ildemaro Vargas pitching appearance, whose ERA actually rose to 4.50, following his second pitching appearance of the season, giving up a solo homer.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Third Star of the Night: CP Marquis Grissom Jr. - WSH #26 Prospect - AA Harrisburg
Tuesday's Third Star of the Night brings us our first ever reliever appearance in this series, and it comes from Marquis Grissom Jr., who recorded his 4th save for AA Harrisburg and 8th of the season overall. On Tuesday, he was solid, striking out 1 and walking 1 as well while needing just 13 pitches to nail down the save. The son of former big leaguer Marquis Grissom and 2022 Nats' draft pick, Jr. has put up phenomenal numbers out of the bullpen on the farm this year, pitching to a 2.25 ERA and 1.08 WHIP across 52.0 innings of work, striking out 55. He profiles as the potential closer of the future for the Nats, and should likely make the show by the end of 2025.
Click here for my interview piece that I did with Marquis Grissom Jr. back in June!
⭐️⭐️ Second Star of the Night: INF Trey Lipscomb - AAA Rochester
Next up to be rewarded for their solid night is infielder Trey Lipscomb. On Tuesday, the 24-year-old went 1/3 with a 3-run homer, his 4th of the season down in Rochester. This season has been one of ups and downs for Lipscomb, who was given the opportunity to prove he was worthy of becoming the everyday man at the hot corner in the big leagues, but struggled mightily. His MLB slash line of .207/.276/.239 and .515 OPS with just 1 homer is less than ideal, but at least his AAA slash line of .295/.354/.420 and .774 OPS with 4 homers is slightly more encouraging. The hope is that Lipscomb can put in some serious work on both side of the ball in the offseason and re-enter his name into the 3rd base conversation at the big league level next season.
⭐️ First Star of the Night: OF Jeremy De La Rosa - AA Harrisburg
For Tuesday's First Star of the Night, we have our first repeat appearance, in outfielder Jeremy De La Rosa. We saw him have a really solid night last week, and hopefully is he continuing to progress in the right direction. On Tuesday night, he went 2/4 with a 2-run homer in the 5th inning and RBI single in the 7th inning, helping to give the Senators enough cushion for Marquis Grissom Jr. to save the game in the 9th. Hopefully, De La Rosa will be able to generate some serious momentum going into next season, and can tap back into his tremendous upside, as he is still only 22-years-old.
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.