Washington Nationals Midseason Top 50 Prospects

The Nationals system has a few interesting bats but very few arms. Juan Soto has been killing it in Washington and made the possible loss of Bryce Harper easier to swallow. Carter Kieboom will replace Daniel Murphy and Luis Garcia is just a few years away. However, the lack of starting pitching options is very apparent. Jefry Rodriguez and Erick Fedde have made starts in the bigs and have not impressed. In response, the Nationals went pitcher-heavy, especially college pitcher heavy, in the draft this summer, but the lack of that “true-ace” is still evident within the system.

Prospects1500 Tiers:
Tier 1: Players with high expectations of both making the majors and playing at an All-Star level for a number of years
Tier 2: Players with an above average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 3: Players with an average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 4: Players who have the potential of making the majors, or have high likelihood of making the majors but providing minimal impact (e.g. middle reliever, low-ceiling UT guys)
Tier 5: Players who are worth keeping an eye on, but likely to never make a team’s 40-man roster


Tier 1:

1. Victor Robles, OF (Pre-season rank: 1) Age: 21
.385/.385/.851 in AAA (Syracuse)

Was there any doubt that Robles would be my number one prospect in the Nationals system? If you would have asked me preseason, I would have said yes. I thought Juan Soto would have been number one and Robles would have graduated off the list. But injury, once again, got in the way and Soto is tearing it up in Washington. He recently has started to play in some rehab games for GCL Nationals.

Tier 2:
2. Carter Kieboom, SS (Pre-season: 3) Age: 20
.298/.475.854 in A+ (Potomac) and AA (Harrisburg)

3. Luis Garcia, 2B (Pre-Season: 5) Age: 18
.305/.405/.746 in A (Hagerstown) and A+ (Potomac)

Both Kieboom and Garcia have been promoted since my list earlier in the year, AA and A+ respectively, and both made the SiruisXM Futures Game held at Nationals Park this past All-Star weekend. Both have displayed a plus hit tool and excellent defense. Expect to see both promoted come my list next year.

Tier 3:
4. Yasel Antuna, 3B (Pre-season: 6) Age: 18 – .223/.335/.632 in A (Hagerstown)
5. Erick Fedde, RHP (Pre-season: 4) Age: 25 – 5.79 ERA/1.64 WHIP in (MLB)
6. Seth Romero, LHP (Pre-season: 7) Age: 22 – 4.24 ERA/1.15 WHIP in A (Hagerstown)
7. Mason Denaburg, RHP (Pre-season: N/A) Age: 18 – drafted in June, has not pitched
8. Wil Crowe, RHP (Pre-season: 14) Age: 23 – 3.07 ERA/1.227 WHIP in A- (Auburn) and A+ (Potomac)
9. Daniel Johnson, OF (Pre-season: 8) Age: 23 – .283/.402/.757 in AA (Harrisburg)
10. Jose Sanchez, SS (Pre-season: N/A) Age: 18 – .262/.333/.656 in A- (Auburn)
11. Raudy Read, C (Pre-season: 12) Age: 24 – .258/.34/.647 in AA (Harrisburg) and AAA (Syracuse)
12. Rafael Bautista, OF (Pre-season: 11) Age: 25 – .303/.376/.721 in AA (Harrisburg) and AAA (Syracuse)
13. Jefry Rodriguez, RHP (Pre-season: 32) Age: 24 – 3.69 ERA/1.28 WHIP in AA (Harrisburg) and AAA (Syracuse)
14. Gabe Klobosits, RHP (Pre-season: 38) Age: 23 – 2.20 ERA/1.53 WHIP in A+ (Potmac)
15. Taylor Gushue, C (Pre-season: 18) Age: 24 – .234/.407/.722 in AA (Harrisburg)
16. Brigham Hill, RHP (Pre-season: 15) Age: 23 – 4.56 ERA/1.55 WHIP in A (Hagerstown)
17. Telmito Agustin, OF (Pre-season: 25) Age: 21 – .294/.475/.808 in A- (Auburn) and A+ (Potomac)
18. Austin Voth, RHP (Pre-season: 22) Age: 26 – 3.55 ERA/1.20 WHIP in AAA (Syracuse)
19. Jose Marmolejos, 1B (Pre-season: 16) Age: 25 – .259/.375/.685 in AAA (Syracuse)

Wil Crowe is making an impression in his first full year back from TJS (21 K% 9 BB% and a 2.43 ERA for A+). Jose Sanchez was a J2 signing in 2016, the same signing period that brought Garcia and Antuna into the organization, has a great feel for defense and line drive approach to his swing. However, his power is limited due to the swing profile. Rafael Bautista (.366/.395/.463) was an excellent start in AAA before a knee injury killed his season. Telmito Agustin (.378/.402/.644) might be having a breakout year in A+.

Tier 4:
20. Nick Raquet, LHP (Pre-season: 20) Age: 22 – 3.86 ERA/1.27 WHIP in A (Hagerstown) and A+ (Potomac)
21. Wander Suero, RHP (Pre-season: 37) Age: 26 – 3.15 ERA/1.00 WHIP in (MLB)
22. Tim Cate, LHP (Pre-season: N/A) Age: 20 – 3.38 ERA/ 1.12 WHIP in A- (Auburn)
23. Cole Freeman, 2B (Pre-season: N/A) Age: 23 – .228/.323/.641 in A (Hagerstown)
24. Jackson Tetreault, RHP (Pre-season: 13) Age: 22 – 4.75 ERA/1.35 WHIP in A (Hagerstown)
25. Anderson Franco, 3B (Pre-season: 26) Age: 20 – .223/.331/.655 in A (Hagerstown)
26. Sterling Sharp, RHP (Pre-season: 35) Age 23 – 3.58 ERA/1.34 WHIP in A+ (Potomac) and AA (Harrisburg)
27. Kyle Johnston, RHP (Pre-season: 21) Age: 22 – 3.64 ERA/1.46 WHIP in A (Hagerstown) and A+ (Potomac)
28. Grant Borne, LHP (Pre-season: 31) Age: 24 – 2.50 ERA/ 1.10 WHIP in A+ (Potomac)
29. Armond Upshaw, OF (Pre-season: 45) Age: 22 – .228/.283/.605 in A (Hagerstown)
30. Joan Baez, RHP (Pre-season: 24) Age: 23 – 4.87 ERA/ 1.48 WHIP in A+ (Potomac)
31. Jakson Reetz, C (Pre-season: 36) Age: 22 – .237/.362/.725 in A+ (Potomac)
32. Tres Barrera, C (Pre-season: 29) Age 23 – .260/.390/.721 in A+ (Potomac)
33. Drew Ward, 3B (Pre-season: 46) Age 23 – .218/.373/.712 in AA (Harrisburg) and AAA (Syracuse)
34. Reid Schaller, RHP (Pre-season: N/A) Age: 21 – 3.18 ERA/ 1.24 WHIP in Rookie (GSL)
35. Jake Noll, 2B (Pre-season: 23) Age: 24 – .307/.443/.800 in A+ (Potomac) and AA (Harrisburg)
36. Aldrem Corredor, 1B (Pre-season: N/A) Age: 22 – .308/.424/.785 in A (Hagerstown) and A+ (Potomac)
37. Matthew Derosier, RHP (Pre-season: 28) Age: 24 – 4.75 ERA/ 1.25 WHIP in A (Hagerstown) and A+ (Potomac)
38. Austin Davidson, 2B (Pre-season: N/A) Age: 25 – .296/.494/.881 in A+ (Potomac) and AA (Harrisburg)
39. Gage Canning, OF (Pre-season: N/A) Age: 21 – .245/.457/.794 in A- (Auburn) and A (Hagerstown)

Wander Suero made his MLB debut this year after some impressive numbers in AA (24 K% 4 BB%). Keep an eye out on Austin Davidson. He is lighting up AA to the tune of .294/.380/.514. Aldrem Corredor is my favorite in this tier. Corredor, a 22 in A+, hitting .317/.352/.415. However, he is a low power 1B, hitting 5 HRs (the most he has hit in professional ball) so he will have to add power to make it in the bigs.

Tier 5:
40. Luis Reyes, RHP (Pre-season: 41) Age: 23 – 5.18 ERA/1.54 WHIP in AA (Harrisburg)
41. Justin Connell, OF (Pre-season: 30) Age: 19 – .234/.298/.655 in Rookie (GSL)
42. Oliver Ortiz, 1B (Pre-season: 39) Age: 22 – has not played due to injury
43. Israel Pineda, C (Pre-season: N/A) Age: 18 – .293/.446/.786 in A- (Auburn)
44. Wilmer Perez, C (Pre-season: N/A) Age: 20 – .382/.441/.880 in Rookie (GSL)
45. Tomas Alastre, RHP (Pre-season: N/A Age: 20 – 5.36 ERA/1.54 WHIP in A (Harrisburg)
46. Alfonso Hernandez, LHP (Pre-season N/A) Age: 18 – 2.33 ERA/ 1.35 WHIP in Rookie (GSL)
47. Austen Williams, RHP (Pre-season: N/A) Age: 25 – 1.49 ERA/.972 WHIP in AA (Harrisburg)
48. Juan Pascal, 3B (Pre-season: N/A) Age: 20 – .254/.288/.621 in A- (Auburn) and A (Hagerstown)
49. Leandro Emiliani, 1B (Pre-season: N/A) Age: 18 – .235/.308/.562 in Rookie (GSL)
50. Jorge Tillero, C (Pre-season: 40) Age: 24 – has not played due to injury

Connell has struggled for most of the season but has picked it up recently hitting .267/.353/.367 with 3 SBs. Pineda and Perez are some very interesting catchers in the NY Penn League and GCL, respectively. Hernandez has been impressive in the GCL as well.

 

Featured image of Luis Garcia – via Washington Nationals on Twitter

Shelly Verougstraete is the Nationals writer here at Prospects1500. Even as a diehard Red Sox fan, and author of sabermetric based Red Sox blog greenmonsterbb.wordpress.com, the goal here is to keep you up to date with all the happenings down on the Nats farm. Shelly lives in Virginia and has many minor league parks (A to AA) close by. Let's Go Nats!




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