nationals

Thames embraced Korean culture, food and how game was played

May 15, 2020, 3:25am

Nationals first baseman Eric Thames did not play Major League Baseball from 2013 to 2016. In 2013, he worked his way through the minor leagues and played in the Venezuelan Winter League. Then, from 2014 to 2016, he took a chance and accepted a contract to play in the Korea Baseball Organization for the NC Dinos. The move paid off. Thames rediscovered his game with the Dinos, crushing 124 homers with 382 RBIs in 390 games. With the KBO games being televised for audiences in the United States,...

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Corbin echoes Doolittle's concerns; Keister on at-bats

May 16, 2020, 2:43am

Nationals

Corbin echoes Doolittle's concerns; Keister on at-bats

With regard to the potential return of baseball in July, Nationals closer Sean Doolittle expressed concern on Twitter about the health and safety of himself and his fellow players on the field as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Doolittle expressed through Twitter that he is concerned about working with others indoors. If a player or staff member gets the virus, does the entire team need to be tested? How long will the quarantine continue? What safety protocols will be in place when a person...

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Nationals coaches boast more than 4,600 big league games of catching experience

May 18, 2020, 2:53am

Nationals

It is a baseball development fact that catchers make good coaches. They are the coordinators behind the plate, they call the plays for the defense, they run the game for the pitcher. Backstops are truly the beginning and the last line of defense in every game, plus they can also contribute on offense. There's a tremendous amount of responsibility on the shoulders of a big league catcher. So from their first days in pro baseball, they must know the game inside and out. The Nationals coaching...

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Defense and team speed cornerstones to Nationals' success

May 19, 2020, 2:14am

Nationals

Defense and speed are cornerstones of good teams, and they were important parts why the Nationals were so good in 2019. The Nats outfield was the best in baseball, based in Runs Prevented (26) and Outs Above Average (29) last season during their run to a first World Series title for the franchise. This combined total of 55 beat out the Houston Astros for the top spot by a wide margin. Houston had 12 Runs Prevented and 14 Outs Above Average last season as a team for a total of 26. Here's is the...

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In transition to television, Porter had great appreciation for Nats' title run

May 20, 2020, 3:08am

Nationals

In transition to television, Porter had great appreciation for Nats' title run

MASN broadcaster Bo Porter really enjoyed his first season as a co-host on the "Nats Xtra" pregame and postgame shows. And he could not have asked for a better ending, as the Nationals went all the way to win the 2019 World Series. Porter knew it was a big step to go from being a player to a coach to a manager and now to broadcaster in a matter of a couple of seasons. But he said feeling comfortable and respected by the people he worked with made all the difference. "It was great," Porter...

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A look back to one year ago, when the Nats were 19-31

May 23, 2020, 3:06am

Nationals

A look back to one year ago, when the Nats were 19-31

This was the day it all came to an end, the last day of a rough streak for the Nationals. From this date onward, the Nats turned it around. One year ago today. Following a 19-31 start in 2019, the Nats went 86-43 the rest of the way. That is right, the Nats played .667 baseball from May 24 to Oct. 30 in coming away with their first World Series title. Up to May 23, 2019, they posted a record of 19-31, the second-worst in the National League at the time, third worst in all of baseball. Be...

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A rundown of nicknames for Nationals players

May 24, 2020, 5:23pm

Nationals

I was reading my Twitter timeline during Saturday's "Improbable" documentary on the Nationals' run to a World Series ring and I saw a lot of mentions of Michael A. Taylor's play in the postseason and how important that has been over the years. Fans refer to Taylor as "MAT" because of his initials. It got me thinking what other players call Taylor for a nickname? Like "Mikey" or "Matty." Checking some of the official nicknames from MLB.com, I have never heard other players call them...

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Keister on high Single-A talent

May 26, 2020, 2:58am

Nationals

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...