Healthy Giolito will come out "guns a-blazing" in 2015

WOODBRIDGE, Va. - Top Nationals pitching prospect Lucas Giolito attended the Potomac Nationals Hot Stove Banquet at the Old Hickory Golf Club, accepting the top player award on behalf of P-Nats infielder Tony Renda, who was out of town due to his engagement party.

Giolito said last season was the perfect learning experience at low Single-A Hagerstown, and he is very likely to start this season with the P-Nats less than a half-mile away at Pfitzner Stadium.

"Getting that first year out of the way, it was kind of a special situation for me," the right-hander said. "Because it was my first full year of pro ball and it was my first year back from Tommy John. Now I'm fully healthy and the surgery is well behind me. And I'm a little bit more experienced. I have been a pro for about three years now. I have a full year under my belt. I feel prepared for what's next to come."

Giolito has taken full advantage of his offseason and has recently started to ramp up his conditioning preparing for the 2015 season.

"I have been working out four or five days a week," he said. "I have been starting to hammer out some more cardio going up to the season. Getting in the weight room, getting work in. Obviously, the throwing program started a little while ago, so I'm progressing through that, so I'm looking forward to spring training."

The Nationals limited Giolito to 98 innings last season and they are expected to let him go further into the season without the two- or three-week respite he took in late May. The 20-year-old certainly delivered when he was on the mound, going 10-2 with a 2.20 ERA in 20 starts for the Suns. He registered 110 strikeouts to only 28 walks.

Nationals director of player development Mark Scialabba said the team will continue to allow Giolito to progress in the system similar to any of the Nats' previous prospects who are this far along in recovery from major arm surgery.

"Obviously, he is a superior talent in our system that we have great expectations for," Scialabba said. "It's a process and we understand that development process for someone coming off this surgery. We still have to understand that there are still goals to reach and we are going to proceed as we have with our previous players that have gone through this surgery. But we also understand that he is someone who is a special, unique talent."

While not confirming that Giolito would be pitching at Potomac in April, Scialabba did confirm that the club has the utmost confidence in the field conditions and facilities currently available at Pfitzner Stadium and that plays no role in determining where particular prospects may pitch.

"It's cool to be on that level of like 100 percent considered healthy," Giolito said. "(Being) a normal part of the pitching staff, a normal part of the team. You'll be out there every five or six days, whatever the rotation is. It'll be great to push the limits and see how many innings I can throw and how many wins I can get."

Giolito admitted that despite the innings limits and breaks away from games last season, he was fine physically and suffered no setbacks related to the ligament replacement surgery.

"I felt healthy since I rehabbed, honestly," he said. "I didn't really have any those hiccups or troubles coming back. The throwing program after the surgery went without any problems. It's been a good, smooth recovery and now I'm fully recovered."

Giolito features a powerful, upper-90s fastball and a knee-buckling curve that is advanced for his age. But he says he has been most impressed with the advancement of his changeup, especially post-surgery.

"The changeup, when I was throwing it in high school, it wasn't really a pitch I went to," he said. "I didn't really have a good feel for it. After surgery, it kind of just came to me. I came back from my throwing program and my changeup was already in the workings of being there. I could throw it consistently for a strike.

"Since then, I have been hammering it out. I really feel that it's one of my stronger pitches. It's a go to pitch in any count. I threw it 3-1 and 2-0 a lot last year. I feel that when you throw (it) in those kind of situations, you have a lot of success."

With his pitch repertoire intact, the experience of a full season of being a pro injury-free helped to bolster his confidence as spring training approaches this time.

"I've learned a lot of things," Giolito said. "Next year, I feel like I'll be more prepared earlier in the season. The start of the season was a little rough last year. Going into the last half, I actually pitched and performed stronger. I'm looking forward to coming out guns a-blazing this time."