Yesterday, we looked at FanGraphs.com's' Steamer projections for the Nationals' primary position players, an interesting assortment of optimism and pessimism, depending on the individual. Today we'll look at those projections for the Nationals pitching staff. Fair warning: This one trends more toward the pessimistic end of the spectrum. Here we go ... MAX SCHERZER Actual 2018 stats: 18-7, 2.53 ERA, 220.2 IP, 300 SO, 0.91 WHIP, 7.2 WAR Steamer 2019 projection: 15-8, 3.13 ERA, 208 IP, 271 SO,...

As Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias told us last week in this interview, one key stat to help size up pitching prospects is strikeouts. Elias believes that stat can show dominance and tell us much about a pitcher's ability. Said Elias: "It just speaks to the quality of your stuff and the quality of your skill relative to your competitors. It's not perfect, but it's probably the most stable and one of the most trustworthy stats in terms of how good a pitcher's...

The Orioles keep building infield depth and increasing their options as they move through the offseason. The latest utility candidate arrived today in Jack Reinheimer, claimed off waivers from the Rangers. Pitcher Austin Brice was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. Reinheimer, 26, was a fifth-round pick of the Mariners in 2013 out of East Carolina University who appeared in 21 games with the Mets last summer and went 5-for-30 with five walks and nine strikeouts. He was...

New Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is seeking ways to familiarize himself with his players, the minicamp earlier this month in Sarasota and Saturday's FanFest event at the Baltimore Convention Center providing two convenient and effective methods. The coaches are learning about the players, Hyde as a manager and each other. Much of it happens behind the scenes, but the enthusiasm was put on display over the weekend. From the first floor to the third. Hyde has delivered a message to his staff...

As we turn the page to February, we can now see spring training on the horizon, and with a pack of young big league hopefuls vying for spots on what is now a wide-open roster, it bears watching. So don't forget to check out MASN's broadcasts of Orioles games in the Grapefruit League in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the upcoming bunch of "Orioles Classics" will take you back to some noteworthy moments in O's history, including the first game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Cal Ripken Jr.'s...

We're getting tantalizingly close to baseball again. The calendar will soon turn a page to February, which means the crack of the bat meeting a ball and the sound of a ball popping in a mitt will be heard soon. Very soon. But before we get to utter those four glorious words - pitchers and catchers report - we've got a few more memories to relive via "Nationals Classics" on MASN. This week's offerings may be few, but they're fun. You'll see two games in which the Nats beat the Braves in...

Right-handers Ronald Pena and James Bourque and left-hander Jordan Mills all did so well in helping high Single-A Potomac, they were moved up to Double-A Harrisburg. Pena went 2-3 with a 3.27 ERA in 38 appearances last season. Bourque made it into 41 games between the two clubs, garnering a 4-2 combined record with a 1.70 ERA. Mills went 2-3 with a 2.48 ERA with Potomac and Harrisburg and continued to pitch well in the Arizona Fall League. "That bullpen we had this year had some guys," said...

As spring training draws closer and closer, it's reasonable to start wondering what kind of seasons individual players are likely to produce. No, we still don't know every player who will be part of the Nationals' 2019 roster, but we do know the vast majority of them at this point. Projecting stats from year to year is a tricky business, but there are no shortage of analytical formulas out there that attempt to do just this. One of the most popular is FanGraphs.com's Steamer projections,...

Coming off a season where he posted the worst offensive numbers of his pro career, it would seem Chance Sisco's goal for the 2019 season is lofty. But as he rebuilds his confidence and hopefully finds his previous batting stroke, he feels it is reachable. "Obviously, I want to be the starting catcher," Sisco said during a FanFest interview. "Who doesn't want to be a starter? I want to be back there every day. I just want to keep growing and keep learning. We've got a really good coaching...

DJ Stewart cut through the media room Saturday at FanFest, spotted Richie Martin and yelled "Noles!" The Rule 5 pick stopped the interview, smiled and replied "Gators!" The trash talk should be fun at spring training. Meanwhile, six of the eight coaches on manager Brandon Hyde's staff participated in FanFest and were introduced to the media. John Wasdin and Howie Clark recognized some of the faces because they already were part of the organization, the former switching from minor league...