By Aaron Fitt
December 19, 2012



Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects lists are based on projections of a player's long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development personnel. All players who haven't exceeded the major league rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched (without regard to service time) are eligible.

    

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TOP TEN PROSPECTS

1. Anthony Rendon, 3b 2. Lucas Giolito, rhp 3. Brian Goodwin, of 4. Matt Skole, 3b 5. Nate Karns, rhp 6. Christian Garcia, rhp 7. Eury Perez, of 8. Sammy Solis, lhp 9. Matt Purke, lhp 10. Zach Walters, ss

BEST TOOLS

Best Hitter for Average Anthony Rendon Best Power Hitter Matt Skole Best Strike Zone Discipline Anthony Rendon Fastest Baserunner Billy Burns Best Athlete Brian Goodwin Best Fastball Lucas Giolito Best Curveball Lucas Giolito Best Slider Aaron Barrett Best Changeup Christian Garcia Best Control Taylor Hill Best Defensive Catcher Sandy Leon Best Defensive Infielder Anthony Rendon Best Infield Arm Zach Walters Best Defensive OF Michael Taylor Best Outfield Arm Michael Taylor

PROJECTED 2016 LINEUP

Catcher Wilson Ramos First Base Ryan Zimmerman Second Base Danny Espinosa Third Base Anthony Rendon Shortstop Ian Desmond Left Field Brian Goodwin Center Field Denard Span Right Field Bryce Harper No. 1 Starter Stephen Strasburg No. 2 Starter Lucas Giolito No. 3 Starter Gio Gonzalez No. 4 Starter Jordan Zimmermann No. 5 Starter Ross Detwiler Closer Drew Storen

TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE

Year Player, Pos 2012 Org 2003 Clint Everts, rhp Blue Jays 2004 Clint Everts, rhp Blue Jays 2005 Mike Hinckley, lhp Out of baseball 2006 Ryan Zimmerman, 3b Nationals 2007 Collin Balester, rhp Tigers 2008 Chris Marrero, 1b/of Nationals 2009 Jordan Zimmermann, rhp Nationals 2010 Stephen Strasburg, rhp Nationals 2011 Bryce Harper, of Nationals 2012 Bryce Harper, of Nationals

TOP DRAFT PICKS OF THE DECADE

Year Player, Pos 2012 Org 2003 Chad Cordero, RHP Out of baseball 2004 Bill Bray, LHP Reds 2005 Ryan Zimmerman, 3B Nationals 2006 Chris Marrero, 3B Nationals 2007 Ross Detwiler, LHP Nationals 2008 *Aaron Crow, RHP Royals 2009 Stephen Strasburg, RHP Nationals 2010 Bryce Harper, OF Nationals 2011 Anthony Rendon, 3B Nationals 2012 Lucas Giolito, RHP Nationals *Did not sign

LARGEST BONUSES IN CLUB HISTORY

Stephen Strasburg, 2009 $7,500,000 Bryce Harper, 2010 $6,250,000 Anthony Rendon, 2011 $6,000,000 Brian Goodwin, 2011 $3,000,000 Ryan Zimmerman, 2006 $2,975,000

NATIONALS LINKS

Nationals Team Page Nationals Top 10 Scouting Reports Last Year's Nationals Top 10 Prospects 2012 Draft: Nationals 2012 Draft Report Cards: Washington Nationals Complete Index of Top 10 Prospects Pre-Order the 2013 Prospect Handbook

After years spent building a rock-solid foundation, the Nationals were rewarded for their planning and opportunistic drafting with a resoundingly successful 2012 campaign.

They posted their first winning season since moving to Washington in 2005, leading the majors with 98 wins, cruising to the National League East title and snapping the franchise's 31-year postseason drought. The city embraced a team that spent all but a handful of days atop the division, capped by the first playoff appearance by a Washington baseball club since 1933.

But the dream season had a nightmarish finale. After splitting the first four games of an NL Division Series against the Cardinals, the Nationals blew a 6-0 advantage in the decisive fifth game. Drew Storen failed to hold a two-run lead with two out in the ninth, and St. Louis rallied for four runs to complete a stunning comeback.

Still, Washington could take solace in the knowledge that it has perhaps the best young core in baseball and looks poised to contend for championships for years to come.

The Nationals led the National League with a 3.33 ERA in 2012, as homegrown arms meshed with offseason acquisitions to form a deep, talented staff. They traded four of their best prospects (Brad Peacock, A.J. Cole, Derek Norris and Tommy Milone) to get ace lefthander Gio Gonzalez from the Athletics in December, and he rewarded them by topping the NL with 21 wins and 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings. In his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, Stephen Strasburg was dominant at times and would have outranked Gonzalez with 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings—if Washington hadn't made the controversial decision to shut him down after 159 innings.

The Nationals took the same approach with Jordan Zimmermann when he came back from elbow reconstruction in 2011, and he responded with his best season in 2012. Another homegrown pitcher, lefty Ross Detwiler, also took a major step forward. Free-agent signee Edwin Jackson rounded out a rotation in which all five starters won at least 10 games.

The lineup featured more player-development success stories. Bryce Harper's rookie season was one of the most anticipated in baseball history, and the 19-year-old phenom didn't disappoint. Called up in the late April, he earned a trip to the All-Star Game and hit .270 with 22 homers—the second-most ever for a big league teenager.

Beyond Harper, Ian Desmond blossomed into one of baseball's best shortstops as a 26-year-old, validating the work of minor league instructors who spent five long years easing him along and major league coaches who didn't give up on him after a trying 2011 campaign. Desmond and Danny Espinosa give Washington a pair of dynamic homegrown middle infielders to go with cornerstone third baseman Ryan Zimmerman.

The future is bright for Washington largely because ownership, general manager Mike Rizzo and scouting director Kris Kline have shown they aren't afraid to take chances and spend money in the draft. After hitting the jackpot with Strasburg and Harper as back-to-back No. 1 overall picks in 2009-10, the Nationals pounced on elite prospects who slipped because of health questions with their next two top choices. Third baseman Anthony Rendon (2011) and righthander Lucas Giolito (2012) now rank as the top prospects in a system that has been thinned by graduations and trades.

Scouting reports for the Top 10 Prospects (How to subscribe)

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