Washington Nationals Prospect Spotlight: Trey Lipscomb

A third-round pick of the 2022 MLB Draft, 19th-ranked prospect Trey Lipscomb has had an impressive first spring training with the Washington Nationals. He is this week's focus of the Prospect Spotlight.

Lipscomb made the most of his opportunity on March 11 versus the New York Mets, wasting no time with the first pitch of this at-bat in the eighth inning.

Scouting Report

Trey took the traditional four-year college route attending the University of Tennessee. He was a bit of a late bloomer in Knoxville, playing just 37 games in his first three seasons. The product of Frederick, Maryland, was well worth the wait for the Volunteers. In his senior season, Lipscomb hit .355 with 22 home runs and 84 RBIs, earning him All-SEC 1st-team honors, according to utsports.com. Trey became the first Volunteer player to hit 20 home runs in a season since 2009, according to utsports.com.

At 22 years of age and 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, Lipscomb is a polished and physical hitter coming out of college. In 290 plate appearances in 2022, he struck out just 37 times, according to baseball-reference.com. His patience and poise at the plate translated to Fredericksburg following the MLB Draft. In 23 games to end the season, Trey hit .299 with one home run and 13 RBIs. His lone homer for the FredNats was an absolute bomb.

Third base is the hot corner for a reason and can give Lipscomb difficulty. In his senior season at Tennessee, his fielding percentage was .923, slightly below average. He improved in Fredericksburg to .929 but will require some work in the field to expedite his route to Washington.

Major League ETA

Both Lipscomb's age and defensive position create the idea of a fast track to the big leagues. He is 22 years old and can hit for contact and power, something the Nationals need at third base. Due to the Nationals' fifth-ranked prospect Brady House's inexperience, Trey could make his debut in D.C. much sooner. The Nats do not have a current long-term solution at third base on the team, so the position is there for the taking. Anticipate Lipscomb to begin the season in Fredericksburg but have every chance to move up to Harrisburg. A jump from the Senators to the Nationals could be in store for Trey Lipscomb in the final months of the 2023 season.

A jump to the majors this season could be a bit extreme for Lipscomb, but his success in his short professional career is no fluke. The 22-year-old waited his turn at Tennessee and is ready to make his mark in the Nationals' organization. Spring training success can only mean that he has worked hard in the offseason. The only way to move up two levels in the same minor league season is to force the front office into doing so. We will see if his early success continues into the regular season. Trey Lipscomb is a name to watch for Nationals fans in 2023.