Nats outfield not missing a step with young, athletic prospects

Injuries happen over the course of a 162-game season. There’s no avoiding it. Teams need to be prepared.

Organizational depth plays a key role in a team’s success over the course of the six-month season. You need quality players as backups, ideally ones that play in a similar fashion as the players you hope you don’t, but inevitably do, lose to injury.

So when the Nationals had to place Dylan Crews (left oblique strain) and Jacob Young (left shoulder AC sprain) on the injured list last week, they were happy to have two prospects ready to fill the roster spots.

Robert Hassell III and Daylen Lile, ranked as the Nats’ Nos. 11 and 9 prospects, respectively, per MLB Pipeline, have had their moments in their short stint in the majors so far. The tools that have made them some of the highest-rated prospects in the farm system have been on display in their quick swings, speed on the basepaths and glovework in the outfield.

Sure, they may need more seasoning at the plate. After becoming the first National to record a multi-hit game and a stolen base in his major league debut, Hassell is hitless in his last three games. Lile is 2-for-8 in his first three major league games after only 18 games at Triple-A Rochester.

But the one area where the Nats feel like they haven’t missed a step with these two is in the outfield, where they have played admirably in place of arguably the team’s two best defenders.

“It's awesome,” manager Davey Martinez said. “We talked about the other day how athletic we've become with those two guys in our lineup. They can do a lot of different things, not only on defense, but running the bases and things of that nature. But they've been really good. I've seen these guys for years now with us, and I know they both can play the outfield and play it well.”

Both Hassell and Lile made impressive catches over the weekend. Hassell’s came Friday night to preserve MacKenzie Gore’s gem. And Lile’s was a diving catch to end the game Saturday and keep it a 3-0 shutout.

“You saw Daylen make that catch (Saturday), and also Hassell the other day with the line drive,” Martinez said. “So yeah, we don't miss a step with those guys. I do always say that Jacob is probably one of the best center fielders in the game, but these two guys can handle themselves really well.”

Their abilities to play like Crews and Young are no mistake. When the Nationals embarked on this rebuilding process years ago, they made it a point to target more athletic players that could bring value not only offensively, but defensively as well.

The Nats system has now long been stacked with high upside outfielders. And the player development staff has made sure they’re playing all three outfield positions throughout their journeys in the minor leagues.

While Hassell has spent most of his minor league career in center field, he also has played 61 games in right and 41 in left. Lile has spent most of his minor league career in left, while also playing 63 games in center and 38 in right.

Crews has spelled Young in center 15 times already this season. James Wood has only played left in his major league career, but he mostly played center and right in the minors.

And with Hassell and Lile now with the Nats, that has opened opportunities for other outfielders to play more positions back in Rochester. Andrew Pinckney (No. 24 per MLB Pipeline) has mainly played the corners this year for the Red Wings, but he now has started in center in the four games since Lile’s promotion. Even Trey Lipscomb, traditionally a versatile infielder, has played eight games in the outfield at Triple-A to increase his value.

Though you never want them to happen, the Nationals have prepared for these scenarios in their player selection and development.

“Absolutely. You don't know what our needs are going to be. I love for these guys to move around and play different positions. Because we got those two guys up here now, I just saw we moved Pickney to play center field now. He was playing the corners. Just another viable option in case we need him, but he could play all three as well.

“I want these guys to learn how to play all three positions because you never know what the needs are. Sometimes we play Dylan in center and he does really well out there. He's a natural center fielder, which all these guys are. But the fact that they can do all three, it makes it a lot easier, especially in game. If we need to do something else in game, then we can move guys over.”

Athletic and versatile. The new Nationals way.