nationals

Keister on high Single-A talent

May 26, 2020, 2:58am

Former Arizona State center fielder Gage Canning started last season at low Single-A Hagerstown, but after 10 games, moved up to high Single-A Potomac in mid-April. The 23-year-old hit .243/.311/.378 with 30 doubles, nine triples, 10 homers and 68 RBIs. Single-A Fredericksburg Nationals manager Tripp Keister expects to see more of Canning this season in the Carolina League. "Canning finished the year with us," Keister said. "He looked like a guy that was going to come back. If you looked at...

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DiPuglia on first introduction to Juan Soto

May 30, 2020, 3:06am

Nationals

DiPuglia on first introduction to Juan Soto

A few years back, Dominican scout Modesto Ulloa was the first to alert the Nationals to a left-handed pitcher/outfielder he wanted them to take a look at. Ulloa brought in Nationals vice president and assistant general manager of international operations Johnny DiPuglia to a workout in the Dominican Republic to see a teenager named Juan Soto. Ulloa has been a Dominican scout for the Indians, Padres and Nationals for many seasons. He signed the likes of Osvaldo Abreu, Freddy GuzmÃ¡n and...

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Callis says 2020 draft filled with quality college pitching

June 01, 2020, 3:14am

Nationals

Callis says 2020 draft filled with quality college pitching

If the Nationals go for hurlers in the five rounds of the June 10 First-Year Player draft, it will be from a lot filled with quality pitching depth. MLBPipeline.com senior writer Jim Callis said the 2020 draft has a more quality pitchers than last year's draft, and may be the best he has seen in quite some time. As I wrote last week, the Nats have favored stockpiling pitchers for their system and fortifying need at the major league level through trade. General manager Mike Rizzo, assistant...

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Rundown of Nats' minor league roster cuts

June 02, 2020, 3:30am

Nationals

Rundown of Nats' minor league roster cuts

Here is a rundown of the late May roster cuts by the Nationals of minor league players. Unfortunately, the shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic has now stretched on for two months, putting into jeopardy a minor league season altogether. Keon Barnum, 1B, 606 career minor league games, free agent signing Dante Bichette Jr., 3B, 73 games for Double-A Harrisburg Adalberto Carrillo, C, 42 games with short-season Single-A Auburn Phil Caulfield, 2B, 35 games for low Single-A Hagerstown Tyler...

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New look draft forces teams to adjust strategy

June 03, 2020, 3:40am

Nationals

New look draft forces teams to adjust strategy

Let's focus on the strategy for the Nationals and other teams as they get ready for a rare five-round First-Year Player Draft, scheduled to take place a week from today. With the draft only five rounds due to the coronavirus shutdown, should teams draft based on need or potential? MLBPipeline.com senior writer Jim Callis believes teams will focus on taking the best player available and worry about filling out rosters in free agent signings post-draft. "Are teams going to be more conservative...

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Draft preview: South Carolina righty Carmen Mlodzinski

June 04, 2020, 4:37pm

Nationals

Draft preview: South Carolina righty Carmen Mlodzinski

Carmen Mlodzinski is a 6-foot-2, 231-lb. right-hander out of South Carolina who is ranked as the No. 21 prospect in the MLBPipeline.com top 200 list. The Nationals, who select at No. 22 in the first round, could have a very good shot at choosing this talented pitcher in the June 10 First-Year Player Draft. His college coach believes Mlodzinski has the tools and the makeup to become a solid starter in the major leagues. Mark Kingston has been the coach at South Carolina for three seasons after...

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Nats hope Georgia's Wilcox is around again in this draft

June 05, 2020, 6:09pm

Nationals

Nats hope Georgia's Wilcox is around again in this draft

The No. 23-rated prospect in the MLBPipeline.com top 200 is a familiar name to the Nationals. The club drafted right-hander Cole Wilcox out of high school in the 37th round in 2018. Wilcox comes at you with a fastball that can reach 100 mph and has the potential to get to 102 mph. University of Georgia baseball coach Scott Stricklin said that fastball has been the lethal pitch that has got everyone talking about Wilcox. "Obviously, he is very talented," Stricklin said. "He is a big, strong...

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Nats can still draft quality collegiate pitchers at No. 22

June 10, 2020, 3:28am

Nationals

Nats can still draft quality collegiate pitchers at No. 22

Welcome to the First-Year Player Draft. Tonight we will find out the Nationals' selection at No. 22. They also have selections in these next two days at No. 55 and No. 71 overall. Tonight will feature a pair of University of Georgia right-handers in Emerson Hancock and Cole Wilcox very likely going in the first round. Hancock is slated as the No. 4 prospect and Wilcox is judged No. 23 overall in the latest MLB.com top 200 prospect list. Georgia has had two players go in the first round twice...

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Nationals select Cade Cavalli with 22nd overall pick (updated)

June 10, 2020, 6:11pm

Nationals

The Nationals continued a draft strategy that has worked well in the past by selecting a pitcher with their first pick in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft. Their first selection at No. 22 was right-hander Cade Cavalli of Oklahoma. Cavalli features a solid fastball, clocked at upwards of 98 mph, with a power curveball and a consistent slider. Cavalli was thrilled to see his name come up as a Nats selection. "It was awesome," Cavalli said on a Zoom call with local media. "I was grateful to...

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Kline and Longosz thrilled with the Nats' haul on day two

June 11, 2020, 7:39pm

Nationals

Kline and Longosz thrilled with the Nats' haul on day two

The Nationals did a very nice job of finding top-flight talent on day two of the First-Year Player Draft, highlighted by the selections of a Friday night starter, the top Pac-12 Conference closer, an elite high school shortstop from South Florida and a batterymate at Oklahoma of first-round pick Cade Cavalli. In the second round, the Nats picked right-handed starter Cole Henry out of LSU and the vaunted Southeastern Conference. Henry was 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA in four starts this season, and is...

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Oklahoma coach Johnson: "Cade Cavalli's got a big heart"

June 13, 2020, 4:25am

Nationals

Oklahoma coach Johnson: "Cade Cavalli's got a big heart"

Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson is a baseball lifer. He played the game in college for four seasons and has coached baseball since 1994, most recently as a long-time assistant at Texas from 2007-2016. Johnson arrived in Norman, Okla., in 2017 as the pitching coach and then took over the Sooners' top spot in June of that year. He has worked with eventual major leaguers in the past, especially those who played high school baseball in Texas. So when he puts those players in the same sentence...

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Nats confident in ability to sign quality undrafted free agents starting today

June 14, 2020, 3:10am

Nationals

Nats confident in ability to sign quality undrafted free agents starting today

In my discussions the last two weeks with a pair of Southeastern Conference baseball coaches, they talked about how the draft landscape has changed with their players and their rosters moving forward. Juniors and seniors are allowed to return for at least one more year of eligibility thanks to the NCAA granting that opportunity due to the coronavirus shutdown ending the college baseball season prematurely this season. Georgia baseball coach Scott Stricklin believes the 2021 college baseball...

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Nationals reportedly sign undrafted infielder Gio Diaz of St. Mary's

June 15, 2020, 2:47am

Nationals

The Nationals reportedly made at least one Sunday signing of an undrafted free agent. Infielder Gio Diaz of St. Mary's College confirmed through a school release that he had joined the Nationals for the $20,000 signing bonus. Diaz played mostly second base and third base, slashing .396/.442/.417 in 13 games during the shortened 2020 campaign for the Gaels. The .396 batting average was sixth-best in the West Coast Conference. He only struck out two times in 53 plate appearances, good for...

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Coutts worked hard last two years to build his power game

June 17, 2020, 4:03am

Nationals

Coutts worked hard last two years to build his power game

The Nationals have reportedly agreed to a deal with undrafted free agent outfielder/first baseman Jackson Coutts out of the University of Rhode Island this week. The 6-foot-3, 235-lb. left-handed power hitter played three seasons in Kingston, R.I. for head coach Raphael Cerrato. "He's a good player," Cerrato said. "My guess is he would've been like 10th to 15th round on a normal year and would've honestly got a bigger bonus than what he received. I am happy for him. It's an opportunity...

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College coach on Parker: "He's going to be a good one"

June 19, 2020, 3:01am

Nationals

College coach on Parker: "He's going to be a good one"

The Nationals drafted left-hander Mitchell Parker out of San Jacinto College North in the fifth round of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft last week. San Jacinto College North, located about 18 minutes from Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, has built a reputation as a well-known and very successful junior college in the baseball world, churning out solid pitchers and position players for Division I scholarship offers and professional baseball potential for decades. Nationals assistant general...

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Nats agree to terms with third-round pick Holden Powell

June 19, 2020, 3:33pm

Nationals

Nats agree to terms with third-round pick Holden Powell

The Nationals agreed to terms with third-round pick Holden Powell late Friday afternoon, a team source confirmed to MASNSports.com. The right-hander was a Pac-12 Conference first-team selection in 2019 and had a career 2.26 ERA with 107 strikeouts through his junior season. He was also named the 2019 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year and was a first-team All-American. "Obviously, (I am) grateful for the opportunity from the Nationals," Powell said via Zoom...

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Span on time in D.C.: "I had a lot of fun there"

June 22, 2020, 3:52am

Nationals

Span on time in D.C.: "I had a lot of fun there"

His career did not start off the way he wanted. As a matter of fact, he was surprised he didn't make the team out of spring training back in 2008. Outfielder Denard Span had already spent five seasons in the minor leagues. In spring training with the Twins in 2008, he felt he had done enough to make the squad after hitting .282. The spring prior, Span had hit .302. "My rookie year was a special one to me because I got sent down after spring training," Span said. "I didn't make the team. I...

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College coach on Torres: "One of the best we've had"

June 23, 2020, 3:15am

Nationals

College coach on Torres: "One of the best we've had"

The Nationals went true to their nature in the First-Year Player Draft and in agreeing to deals afterward with undrafted free agents in their focus on stockpiling or restocking pitchers and catchers. The Nats drafted four pitchers in the first five rounds, including their first-round pick, right-hander Cade Cavalli, and their fifth-round selection, left-hander Mitchell Parker. Right-hander Cole Henry was taken in the second round, but is really a first-round talent. Right-handed closer Holden...

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College coach on Rutledge: "He's a complete ballplayer"

June 24, 2020, 3:01am

Nationals

College coach on Rutledge: "He's a complete ballplayer"

Right-hander Jackson Rutledge started 10 games in the Nationals farm system in 2019, split between the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, short-season Single-A Auburn and low Single-A Hagerstown. Rutledge was the Nats' first-round pick in the 2019 First-Year Player Draft after playing for head coach Tom Arrington at San Jacinto College North. The big right-hander was a part of a trio of starters that led the Gators to the top of their division in 2019, alongside Nats 2020 fifth-round pick...

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60-game season might be perfect equalizer for Kieboom

June 24, 2020, 12:26pm

Nationals

60-game season might be perfect equalizer for Kieboom

The decision to play 60 games was a hot topic the past few weeks between Major League Baseball and the players' union. The number was pretty much forced to be around 50 or 60 games because the calendar had already reached late June and the previous official schedule had teams finishing on Sept. 27. The biggest question in the Nats lineup for 2020 was finding a replacement for star third baseman Anthony Rendon, who signed a lucrative offseason free agent deal to join the Angels. The Nats' top...