The Washington Nationals continued their winning ways in major fashion on Monday evening. Following a sweep of the Miami Marlins last week and a series victory over the Chicago Cubs in the last week, the Nationals won their 6th game in their last 7 played, and have looked like an entirely different team as of recently.
Monday nights contributors came from everywhere, as every single start in the Nationals lineup recorded at least 1 hit. James Wood doubled twice in a 3-hit game for him, but did add 2 more strikeouts as he attempts to avoid making MLB history for the wrong reason. What's most important for him is that he did look solid overall at the plate, working himself into deep counts and spraying the ball around the yard.
Luis Garcia Jr. walloped a homer into the upper deck in right field, which was part of a 2-hit and 2 walk game for him. Dylan Crews had his best game since returning from the IL, recording 3 hits, 4 RBIs, and an impressive 3-run homer that went over the bullpen in left field. The star of the night was Josh Bell, who had 4 hits including 2 homers as part of a 6 RBI effort, and he continues to be scorching hot at the plate.
However, a piece of news that flew under the radar over the weekend was the promotion of an unheralded prospect in the organization that isn't even ranked in the Top 30 Prospects list according to MLB Pipeline. That player, Phillip Glasser, is now just 1 step away from realizing a big league dream that he has done nothing but work his tail off for since being drafted out of Indiana University in the 10th round of the 2023 MLB Draft.
Since being drafted, Glasser has had the odds stacked against him. While he is already 25-years-old, he has done every single thing asked of him as a professional and then some, and he is now being rewarded by being bumped up another level from AA Harrisburg to AAA Rochester.
Although he is never likely to be much of a power threat, Glasser's hit tool and speed on the basepaths might just be enough to make him a useful and quality big leaguer. For the season, Glasser has a .293/.379/.391 slash line, good for a .770 OPS in 112 games for the Senators. Additionally, he has 6 homers, 41 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases to go along with a 52:55 BB:K ratio, showing his disciplined approach at the plate.
For his minor league career, which now has spanned 1,025 plate appearances and 238 games, he owns a .296 average, .794 OPS, 12.6% strikeout rate, and 11.4% walk rate, the latter two of which are elite numbers. With Luis Garcia Jr. headed into a contract year in 2026, perhaps the Nationals look to give Glasser a chance to hold down the fort at second base during next season at some point.
But as of now, we will just have to continue to monitor Glasser, perhaps even a snub from my recent article about underrated prospects in the system, as he progresses at Rochester, and he is the exact type of success story that this organization desperately needs. Only time will tell just what kind of impact he can have at the next level, but this is an awesome achievement for a truly slept on player.
What do you think of Phillip Glasser's promotion? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.