If you study the 2020 Nationals instructional league roster, you will notice a good amount of talent drawn from Venezuela. Of the 65 players on the roster, 16 are from Venezuela. Here is a list of those Nats prospects in attendance at the October camp in West Palm Beach, Fla., along with their top 30 prospect ranking, according to MLBPipeline.com: Pitchers RHP Tomas Alastre RHP ... read more
By Byron Kerr, January 5, 2021 8:23 AM
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Recently, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo provided great insight on Andrew Stevenson as the potential fourth outfielder heading into 2021, taking on the role owned by Michael A. Taylor the past six seasons. Stevenson ended the season on a flurry, hitting .417 over the final 12 games of 2020. The LSU star enjoyed a .488 on-base percentage the final two weeks, making it very difficult ... read more
By Byron Kerr, January 2, 2021 8:45 AM
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The Nationals system is strong from a pitching standpoint, even with the recent trade of prospects Wil Crowe and Eddy Yean to the Pirates. The Nats’ top 10 prospects were all pitchers prior to the move that acquired All-Star first baseman Josh Bell, so now it is top eight, according to MLBPipeline.com. Prospects Jackson Rutledge, Cade Cavalli and Cole Henry are the top three. All ... read more
By Byron Kerr, December 29, 2020 8:22 AM
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Here is a list of the young outfielders (and their ages) that were in attendance at Nationals instructional league workouts in October: Andry Arias, 20Gage Canning, 23Justin Connell, 21 Jeremy De La Rosa, 18 Braian Fernandez, 21 Jorge Hurtado, 20 Daniel Marte, 18 Ricardo Mendez, 20 Roismar Quintana, 17 Jake Randa, 22 Cody Wilson, 24 Outfield/baserunning coordinator Gary Thurman worked with these players on the ... read more
By Byron Kerr, December 26, 2020 8:17 AM
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One bright spot at the end of the abbreviated 2020 season was watching Andrew Stevenson crush baseballs for the final few weeks. The outfielder hit .417 in September, with seven doubles, one triple, two homers and 12 RBIs. His on-base percentage was .488. With Michael A. Taylor given the option to look for another team - and eventually signing a deal with the Royals - ... read more
By Byron Kerr, December 23, 2020 8:01 AM
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Most times when Nationals manager Davey Martinez is made available to the national media, there will be a question about the potential of Juan Soto. What was interesting from Martinez’s answer to a recent question about Soto’s ceiling as a ballplayer was what he ultimately expects from him. The skipper said he wanted no part of putting a cap on Soto’s potential to become a ... read more
By Byron Kerr, December 22, 2020 8:23 AM
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Another World Series hero will not be returning to the Nationals in 2021. Howie Kendrick, whose pair of game-changing homers helped lift the Nats to their first World Series title in 2019, announced he is retiring from Major League Baseball after 15 seasons. Kendrick posted the announcement on his Instagram account on Monday night. “Last but not least, my Beloved Washington Nationals, thank you for ... read more
By Byron Kerr, December 21, 2020 7:37 PM
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The Nationals have confirmed the signing of catcher Welington Castillo and right-hander Javy Guerra to minor league contracts that include invitations to major league spring training. This is the second year in a row that Castillo has signed with the Nats in the offseason, but the backstop opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns. Castillo, 33, will look to solidify the second ... read more
By Byron Kerr, December 21, 2020 5:59 PM
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