Nationals Final Report
The best player, best pitcher and a prospect to keep an eye on for the 2011 Nationals organization.
The best player, best pitcher and a prospect to keep an eye on for the 2011 Nationals organization.
As a George Washington alumnus, Double-A Harrisburg righthander Pat Lehman makes frequent visits to D.C. Someday he hopes to join several of his friends by landing a job there.
Picking the best player, biggest leap forward and biggest disappointment in the Nationals farm system over the first half of the season.
Anthony Rendon, the 2010 College Player of the Year and presumptive No. 2 pick entering the draft, slipped to the Nationals at No. 6 due to concerns about his ailing shoulder.
After a three-year stint on UCLA's loaded pitching staff, lefthander Matt Grace has gone back to where he began.<br/>Grace, 22, went to UCLA expecting to be a regular starter at some point, but by his junior year he was a key component of the bullpen while Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer anchored the rotation. The program's success more than made up for him switching from a starter at Palos Verdes (Calif.) High to a reliever. He also got within two quarters of a political science degree before going into professional baseball.
Nationals outfielder J.P. Ramirez has worked hard to improve his defense.
As first baseman Chris Marrero tries to take the final step toward becoming a major leaguer, he'll at least have one inconvenience out of the way. Marrero, who was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse after hitting .381/.435/.476 in 21 at-bats in major league spring training, had LASIK surgery on both of his eyes on Dec. 5. He had worn contacts since his freshman year of high school.
This spring, A.J. Cole was enjoying his profession, his location and his organization. Cole is a 19-year-old righthander who set a fourth-round record by receiving a $2 million signing bonus last August. The Miami Hurricanes missed out on a pitcher whose fastball has been clocked at 98 mph and averages 92-93. Once projected as a top-10 pick, he still received top-10 money after a senior season that started with him struggling with the flu.
Though infielder Adrian Sanchez's climb in the Nationals system has been more steady than speedy, he has enough of a wow factor to be viewed as one of their most intriguing prospects in the low minors.
Ryan Tatusko made an excellent first impression on his new organization last summer, as he showed no fear, in the words of farm director Doug Harris.
After a solid season at high Class A Potomac, lefthanded reliever Patrick McCoy made the most of a bigger challenge this winter.
Contrary to what Jason Martinson might have guessed when he came out of his high school, his baseball career already has lasted quite a bit longer than his football career.
Brian Daubach is preparing for his first season managing an affiliated minor league team, and there's a chance top Nationals prospect Bryce Harper will be on his roster. In any case, Daubach has an opportunity to empathize with just about any farmhand.