Tag Archives: Washington Nationals

Washington Nationals 2015 Top 20 Prospect Rankings

By: JP Schwartz
Twitter: @Jaypers413

Every year around this time I like to rank each team’s top overall prospects. My criteria are based on A: Past Performance and B: Future Potential (50% of each per prospect)

Disclaimer: I am not a professional scout, nor did I attend any minor league games this year. These lists are the product of my own research of online scouting reports and scouting videos, as well as statistics, and are compiled purely for entertainment purposes.

Send your questions or feedback to me on twitter @Jaypers413

To qualify for these lists, a prospect must have no more than 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS

1: Lucas Giolito RHP
2: Michael Taylor OF
3: Reynaldo Lopez RHP
4: Erick Fedde RHP
5: A.J. Cole RHP
6: Wilmer Difo 2B
7: Austin Voth RHP
8: Steven Souza OF
9: Brian Goodwin OF
10: Jakson Reetz C
11: Drew Ward 3B
12: Jefry Rodriguez RHP
13: Drew Vettleson OF
14: Felipe Rivero LHP
15: Sammy Solis LHP
16: Jake Johansen RHP
17: Pedro Severino C
18: Raudy Read C
19: Nick Pivetta RHP
20: Robbie Dickey RHP

Washington Nationals 2014 Top 20 Prospect Rankings

By: J.P. Schwartz
Twitter: @Jaypers413

Every year around this time I like to rank each team’s top overall prospects. My criteria are based on A: Past Performance and B: Future Potential (50% of each per prospect)

Disclaimer: I am not a professional scout, nor did I attend any minor league games this year. These lists are the product of my own research of online scouting reports and statistics, and are compiled purely for entertainment purposes.

Send your questions or feedback to me on twitter @Jaypers413

To qualify for these lists, a prospect must have no more than 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS

1. Lucas Giolito RHP


2. AJ Cole RHP


3. Brian Goodwin OF


4. Nate Karns RHP


5. Billy Burns OF


6. Drew Ward 3B


7. Michael Taylor OF


8. Rafael Bautista OF


9. Zach Walters SS


10. Sammy Solis LHP


11. Jake Johansen RHP


12. Brett Mooneyham LHP


13. Matt Purke LHP


14. Tony Renda 2B


15. Nick Pivetta RHP


16. Austin Voth RHP


17. Matt Skole 1B


18. Jeff Kobernus OF


19. Dakota Bacus RHP


20. Steven Souza OF

Washington Nationals 2012 Mid-Season Top 5 Prospect Rankings

By: J.P. Schwartz
@Jaypers413

As we are now halfway into the season and the signing deadline for 2012 draft picks has passed, here is my revised list of top 5 prospects in the Washington Nationals organization.

Remember, a prospect must have fewer than 130 ABs or 50 IP in the Major Leagues to qualify.
(Stats through 8/3/2012)

1) Lucas Giolito – P
Highest Level: 2012 Draft Pick – Has Not Played

2) Anthony Rendon – 3B
Highest Level: High-A Potomac Nationals
2012 Stats:
MILB: .342, 4(2B), 1(3B), 3HR, 9RBI

3) Brian Goodwin – OF
Highest Level: AA Harrisburg Senators
2012 Stats:
MILB: .301, 21(2B), 1(3B), 11HR, 44RBI, 16SB

4) Alex Meyer – P
Highest Level: High-A Potomac Nationals
2012 Stats:
MILB: 8-4, 2.69ERA, 107IP, 39BB, 122K, .207BAA

5) Matt Skole – 3B
Highest Level: Low-A Hagerstown Suns
2012 Stats:
MILB: .292, 18(2B), 25HR, 87RBI

Send your questions or feedback to J.P. on twitter @Jaypers413

VIDEO: Bryce Harper’s Reaction To Signing Fan’s Mickey Mantle Baseball

You might remember us tweeting last season about the fan who had Bryce Harper sign his grandfather’s Mickey Mantle autographed baseball in Harrisburg last season. If you need a refresher, watch the video below which chronicles the event.

Our friend Jason Bristol @JasonBristol from CBS21 in Harrisburg took the story a step further, tracking down the fan Brian McGinn and his brother Ben to talk about the decision to have Harper sign the Mantle ball, and the mostly negative reaction people have had when his video of the experience went viral. Also in the story Harper himself offers his thoughts on signing the Mantle ball. It’s an entertaining watch.

Video of Bryce Harper’s First Triple-A Home Run

After more than two weeks at Triple-A Syracuse, Bryce Harper finally connected for his first Home Run at the Triple-A Level. The Washington Nationals prospect blasted it to deep right field off of New York Mets pitching prospect Jeurys Familia. Check out the blast below via Saratoga County Sports and also be sure to check out how much Bryce Harper baseball cards are going for these days. You need a few bills to have a chance at one.

Harrisburg Senators “Memories” Promotional Video Is Pretty Cool

It’s that time of year when Minor League Baseball marketing folks put on the hard sell for 2012 ticket packages ahead of opening day. The Harrisburg Senators are in it to win it at the box office just as much as on the field. This year the team put together a highlight video to the Weezer song Memories. It’s an enjoyable watch.

2012 Washington Nationals Top 15 Prospect Rankings

By: J.P. Schwartz
@Jaypers413 on Twitter
JP’s FreedomCardboard Blog

2012 Washington Nationals Top 15 Prospect Rankings

Every year at this time I like to rank each team’s top prospects. My criteria is based upon both past performance and future potential to his parent team. This is my ranking of the 2012 Washington Nationals Top Prospects. If you have any questions about my rankings, feel free to shoot me a message on twitter @Jaypers413

To qualify, a prospect must have fewer than 130 at-bats or 50 innings in MLB

#1 Bryce Harper OF
Born: 10/16/1992
Highest Level Reached: Double-A Harrisburg Senators
2011 Combined Stats: .297, 24(2B), 2(3B), 17HR, 58RBI, 26SB

#2 Anthony Rendon 3B
Born: 6/6/1990
Highest Level Reached: 1st Round Pick 2011 MLB Draft
2011 Combined Stats: Did Not Play In 2011

#3 Brian Goodwin OF
Born: 11/2/1990
Highest Level Reached: Supplemental 1st Round Pick 2011 MLB Draft
2011 Combined Stats: Did Not Play In 2011

#4 Alex Meyer RHP
Born: 1/3/1990
Highest Level Reached: 1st Round Pick 2011 MLB Draft
2011 Combined Stats: Did Not Play In 2011

#5 Matt Purke LHP
Born: 7/17/1990
Highest Level Reached: 3rd Round Pick 2011 MLB Draft
2011 Combined Stats: Did Not Play In 2011

#6 Matt Skole 3B
Born: 7/30/1989
Highest Level Reached: Short-A Auburn Doubledays
2011 Combined Stats: .290, 23(2B), 1(3B), 5HR, 48RBI (5th Round Pick 2011 MLB Draft)

#7 Sammy Solis LHP
Born: 8/10/1988
Highest Level Reached: High-A Potomac Nationals
2011 Combined Stats: 8-3, 3.26ERA, 96.2IP, 23BB, 93K, .268BAA

#8 Robbie Ray LHP
Born: 10/1/1991
Highest Level Reached: Low-A Hagerstown Suns
2011 Combined Stats: 2-3, 3.13ERA, 89IP, 38BB, 95K, .221BAA

#9 Steve Lombardozzi 2B
Born: 9/20/1988
Highest Level Reached: MLB Washington Nationals
2011 Combined Stats: MINORS: .309, 25(2B), 9(3B), 8HR, 52RBI, 30SB
MAJORS: .194 (6 hits in 31 at-bats), 1(2B), 1RBI

#10 Tyler Moore 1B
Born: 1/30/1987
Highest Level Reached: Double-A Harrisburg Senators
2011 Combined Stats: .270, 35(2B), 4(3B), 31HR, 90RBI

#11 Michael Taylor OF
Born: 3/26/1991
Highest Level Reached: Low-A Hagerstown Senators
2011 Combined Stats: .253, 26(2B), 7(3B), 13HR, 68RBI, 23SB

#12 Destin Hood OF
Born: 4/3/1990
Highest Level Reached: High-A Potomac Nationals
2011 Combined Stats: .276, 29(2B), 5(3B), 13HR, 83RBI, 21SB

#13 Chris Marrero 1B
Born: 7/2/1988
Highest Level Reached: MLB Washington Nationals
2011 Combined Stats: MINORS: .300, 30(2B), 14HR, 69RBI
MAJORS: .248 (27 hits in 109 at-bats), 5(2B), 10RBI

#14 Taylor Hill RHP
Born: 3/12/1989
Highest Level Reached: Short-A Auburn Doubledays
2011 Combined Stats: 0-2, 3.16ERA, 31.1IP, 3BB, 27K, .264BAA (6th Round Pick 2011 MLB Draft)

#15 Kylin Turnbull LHP
Born: 9/12/1989
Highest Level Reached: 4th Round Pick 2011 MLB Draft
2011 Combined Stats: Did Not Play In 2011

Disclaimer – I did not attend any minor league games this year, nor do I claim to have any scouting experience. These lists are the product of my own research of statistics and online scouting reports.

Ryan Tatusko – Washington Nationals Pitcher – “My First Time On A Topps Baseball Card”

By: Ryan Tatusko
Pitcher: Washington Nationals Organization
Twitter: @RyanTatusko
Ryan’s Blog: The Backfield Diaries

“I’ll trade you one Frank Thomas, Robin Ventura, and this guy, I don’t know who he is but the card looks cool, for your Nolan Ryan’s.” I had these conversations countless times with my friends in their rooms, on front porches, or wherever else we could find to sprawl out our massive allotment of baseball cards each weekend. My allowance, much like every other kid in America was spent on baseball cards. I would look forward to the weekend because that’s when I knew I would be able to go with my dad to a baseball card convention. We would spend all day, just him and I, passing through countless hundreds of vendors and their cards, looking in amazement. For every Mantle, Ruth, DiMaggio, and Williams card I saw there were countless cards that looked neat but were stuffed in the $1 bin. I would spend countless hours scouring through those bins looking for the Nolan Ryan gem that I was hoping they mistakenly put in the bin. Even to this day I am an avid collector of Nolan Ryan cards.

You see, growing up I was, and still am a big Nolan Ryan collector. There was something about him, the way he attacked batters, the way he pitched, I was him in countless pickup games with my friends. I didn’t care about any other card until two days ago. Two days ago Topps released a series of cards called “2011 Bowman Chrome” and if you happen to get yourself a box or a pack and open it, you just might come across card #BCP127. You might not recognize the name, its not going to be worth $100 in Beckett, but that card right there signifies one of the proudest moments in my baseball career. That card, number BCP127 is the first rookie card of yours truly, Ryan Tatusko.

I had no idea I was going to be in this particular set of cards, and as a matter of fact I found out through an email. Someone posted on my twitter account that they “found a Ryan Tatusko card in the wild.” As you can assume, I was as confused as ever because I knew I didn’t have any cards out (besides the ones that each individual minor league team comes out with), and unless you knew someone close to me or my mother (who I think owns 50 of every card I’ve got), there was a very slim chance you were coming across my card, and why would you want one anyway? I did a little digging and to my astonishment I was a part of this 2011 Bowman Chrome series.

I don’t know what the selection process is for these cards, or who decides what players go on or if it’s just a joke to put me on card, but I am one of the extremely lucky few who are forever immortalized in cardboard. I saw the card for the first time, and I have to admit the first thing I thought of was “Wow, I got to get a better autograph, that thing is terrible.” But I have to admit its one of the coolest feelings as a baseball player. I know the “prospect” guys sign baseball card deals right away and sign 1000-2500 cards and they put them in sets. But everyone who gets drafted doesn’t necessarily get a “legit” baseball card. Like I said, everyone gets immortalized in a team set, but not everyone gets put on a Topps, Bowman, Fleer, or Leaf card. I never thought in a million years, I would have been given the opportunity to be collected.

I know the Ryan Tatusko card market isn’t surging with interest, and I am most likely bound for the 3-ring binders, coffee cans, and the as the throw-in for almost every kid in America, but I still hold solace that maybe one kid might say “Hey that one looks kind of cool, throw that one in and we have a deal.”

Another very cool factor is that for some reason Bowman decided to issue limited editions of my card as well. It’s the same picture, but the border around the card is different. I’ve seen the normal base one which is white then there is blue, purple, red, and green edged cards and then other cards that are completely yellow, green, and super reflective and they even released the printing plates which I do believe they only release one of. Its crazy for me to think that there is a limited edition card floating around that only one of is made. So if you are reading this right now and you buy a box of Bowman Chrome and you pull a card that is a 1/1 of me, I am sorry it couldn’t be someone worth more (ha ha). Also to the man that pulled the super refractor of me that is also a 1/1, again I’m sorry it wasn’t someone more important, but if you’re ever looking to get rid of it you know where to look (ha-ha).

It’s been pretty neat to see people direct message me on twitter or talk to me on message boards about pulling my card out of packs, to which again I apologize :). The coolest story I have found so far, is a man who messaged me saying that he lives in my hometown and he frequents a card shop that my father and I used to go too all the time when I was a kid. In that shop he bought a few packs of the cards and out popped a Ryan Tatusko orange bordered card that was numbered /25. That was a very big “whoa” moment for me that one of my cards made it all the way back to my hometown, out of all the places in the world.

So here I am now, just smiling as I see random people messaging me saying they pulled my card out of their pack. Although I am currently in Venezuela playing winter ball for the Margarita Bravos if anyone reading this pulls me out of a pack and wants an autograph please don’t hesitate to ask me on Twitter, Facebook or the various message boards I frequent. I would be happy to give you an address you can send them too once I get back.

To the little kid who now sits in his room and his front porch trading with his friend dreaming of one day being on a baseball card, I say to you never lose that dream because if no-one believed they could do it, all those coffee cans, 3-ring binders and tire spokes would be empty and a passion of millions of kids and grown ups around the world would be lost.

— Be sure to check out Ryan Tatusko’s 2011 Bowman Chrome Baseball Cards.

UPDATE: Ryan now has 2011 Donruss Elite Cards That Just Released. Check them out via the link.

2011 Washington Nationals Top 15 Prospects Post Season Report Card

With the 2011 minor league season complete we check in on the progress of each of the Washington Nationals preseason Top 15 prospects as ranked by our prospect ranker J.P. Schwartz. The post season grading report was done by the publisher of Top Prospect Alert, not Mr. Schwartz, and reflects only the 2011 season and not future upside or downside of the individual prospect. Our 2012 preseason rankings will be published in the coming months.

#1 Bryce Harper GRADE: B
Harper batted a combined .297 with 24 Doubles, 2 Triples, 17 Home Runs and 58 RBI’s between the Low-A Hagerstown Suns and the Double-A Harrisburg Senators. He walked 59 times and struck out 87 times in 109 games.

#2 Wilson Ramos GRADE: A-
Ramos batted .267 with 22 Doubles, 1 Triple, 15 Home Runs and 52 RBI’s for the Nationals. He walked 38 times and struck out 76 times in 113 games.

#3 Sammy Solis GRADE: B+
Solis went a combined 8-3 with a 3.26ERA between the High-A Potomac Nationals and Double-A Harrisburg. He walked 23 and struck out 93 in 96.2 innings. Opposing batters hit .268 against Solis on the year.

#4 Derek Norris GRADE: C+
Norris batted .210 with 17 Doubles, 1 Triple, 20 Home Runs and 46 RBI’s for Double-A Harrisburg. He walked 77 times and struck out 117 times in 104 games. He also stole 13 bases on the season.

#5 A.J. Cole GRADE: B
Cole went 4-7 with a 4.04ERA for Low-A Hagerstown. He walked 24 and struck out 108 in 89 innings. Opposing batters hit .251 off Cole on the season.

#6 Danny Espinosa GRADE: B
Espinosa batted .236 with 29 Doubles, 5 Triples, 21 Home Runs and 66 RBI’s for the Nationals. He also stole 17 bases. Espinosa walked 57 times and struck out 166 times in 158 big league games.

#7 Chris Marrero GRADE: A-
Marrero batted .300 with 30 Doubles, 14 Home Runs, and 69 RBI’s for the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs. He walked 58 times and struck out 97 times in 127 games. In the majors, Marrero hit .248 with 5 Doubles and 10 RBI’s in 31 big league games.

#8 Tyler Moore GRADE: A-
Moore batted .270 with 35 Doubles, 4 Triples, 31 Home Runs and 90 RBI’s for Double-A Harrisburg. He walked 30 times and struck out 139 times in 137 games.

#9 Eury Perez GRADE: B+
Perez batted .283 with 9 Doubles, 2 Triples, 1 Home Run and 41 RBI’s for High-A Potomac. He also stole 45 bases. Perez walked 22 times and struck out 63 times in 119 games.

#10 Brad Peacock GRADE: A+
Peacock went a combined 15-3 with a 2.39ERA between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse. He walked 47 times and struck out 177 in 146.2 innings of work. Opposing batters hit just .188 against Peacock. In 12 big league innings with the Nationals, Peacock went 2-0 with a 0.75ERA.

#11 Robbie Ray GRADE: A-
Ray went 2-3 with a 3.13ERA for the Low-A Hagerstown Suns. He walked 38 batters and struck out 95 in 89 innings. Opposing batters hit just .221 off Ray on the year.

#12 Destin Hood GRADE: B+
Hood batted .276 with 29 Doubles, 5 Triples, 13 Home Runs and 83 RBI’s for High-A Potomac. He also stole 21 bases on the season. He walked 58 times and struck out 96 times in 128 games.

#13 Steve Lombardozzi GRADE: A Lombardozzi batted a combined .309 with 25 Doubles, 9 Triples, 8 Home Runs and 52 RBI’s between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse. He also stole 30 bases. He walked 39 times and struck out 78 times in 134 games. In the majors, Lombardozzi batted .194 with 1 Double and 1 RBI in 31 at-bats with the Nationals.

#14 Rick Hague NO GRADE
Hague played just four games with the Potomac Nationals before a season ending shoulder injury.

#15 Yunesky Maya GRADE: C-
Maya went 4-9 with a 5.00ERA for Triple-A Syracuse. He walked 28 and struck out 98 in 129 innings. Opposing batters hit .265 off Maya. In the majors, Maya was 1-1 with a 5.23ERA in 32.2 innings. Major league hitters batted .323 against him.