Joan Adon

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #7 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Initially a $50,000 signing, Adon has already far surpassed the expectations set by his relatively modest status as part of the Nationals’ 2016 international signing class. The Nationals placed Adon on the 40-man roster after he impressed at the alternate training site in 2020. He validated the confidence the organization showed in him by climbing the ladder through High-A, Double-A and Triple-A in 2021 to make his major league debut in September, throwing 5.1 innings with nine strikeouts against the Red Sox at home.
  
  Scouting Report: Adon has always had a good fastball, and that pitch averaged 94-96 mph 2021 and touched 97-98. Improvement in both his slider and changeup between his last full season in 2019 and the 2021 season helped him catapult to the big leagues. He gets good depth on an above-average power slider, though some evaluators note that it’s more of a chase pitch right now than one he lands consistently for a strike. Command of this offering might be the key to further improvement. His solid-average changeup shows good armside life. Back-to-back seasons of more than 100 innings as a starter has also proven his durability.
  
  The Future: Adon’s experience as a reliever in 2017 and 2018 and lingering concerns about command made many consider him a future reliever. His power stuff would still make him a potentially good fit as a big league bullpen, but his 2021 season allayed many of the concerns about him and opened eyes to the possibility that he sticks as a starter.
  
• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #24 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: With a $50,000 signing bonus, Adon was a seemingly small piece in the Nationals' international spending bonanza of 2016 that saw them spend more than $5 million. But he has already surpassed many of the players who signed for more. Adon went 11-3, 3.86 for low Class A Hagerstown in 2019 and impressed at the alternate training site in 2020. The Nationals added him to their 40-man roster after the season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Adon has a 95-96 mph fastball, a power slider and a changeup that has become effective against lefthanded and righthanded hitters. The workload of more than 100 innings with Hagerstown helped him improve at repeating his delivery and showing more consistent mechanics. He attacks the zone with all three of his pitches and brings good energy to the mound. Still, his control is below-average, leading many evaluators to project him to the bullpen.
  
  THE FUTURE: Adon's control will determine if he stays in the rotation. His power stuff could play in relief.
• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #23 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Adon has risen faster than organization officials expected. He moved into a starting role for the first time in 2019, exceeding 100 innings in his age 20 season against mostly older players in the South Atlantic League. This fall and last, he impressed at instructional league with his eagerness to learn.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Hagerstown's top winner in 2019, Adon held his 95-96 mph fastball velocity for several innings in most of his starts. He also has a power slider and an improving changeup. Toward the end of the year, he used the changeup with more confidence. His mechanics could use refinement, but he does a good job of repeating his delivery and staying on line. One South Atlantic League reliever said Adon reminds him of big league reliever Pedro Strop, although Adon is a little bit better at this stage.
  
  THE FUTURE: The maximized innings will give Adon a chance to show what he can do as a starter, and then he could become a medium-leverage reliever if needed in the future.
• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #25 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Part of the Nationals' huge 2016 international class, Adon has quietly impressed the team in his first two professional seasons. After posting a 3.54 ERA in the Dominican Summer League in 2017, Adon came stateside in 2018 and was pushed to the New York-Penn League at just 19-years-old--more than two years younger than the average pitcher.
  
  Scouting Report: Adon has enough heat on his fastball, which is a plus offering currently in the low to mid-90s, with a solid-average slider and an average changeup that round out his repertoire. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound righty had no issues racking up strikeouts, with 40 in 30.2 innings, but has plenty of work to do limiting walks. He's still learning how to consistently repeat his delivery, stay on line and gather himself over the rubber, but Washington executives are confident those things will come with more time.
  
  The Future: Adon threw strikes more consistently at instructional league with a few mechanical adjustments. He should start 2019 back in the New York-Penn League.

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Initially a $50,000 signing, Adon has already far surpassed the expectations set by his relatively modest status as part of the Nationals’ 2016 international signing class. The Nationals placed Adon on the 40-man roster after he impressed at the alternate training site in 2020. He validated the confidence the organization showed in him by climbing the ladder through High-A, Double-A and Triple-A in 2021 to make his major league debut in September, throwing 5.1 innings with nine strikeouts against the Red Sox at home.
  
  Scouting Report: Adon has always had a good fastball, and that pitch averaged 94-96 mph 2021 and touched 97-98. Improvement in both his slider and changeup between his last full season in 2019 and the 2021 season helped him catapult to the big leagues. He gets good depth on an above-average power slider, though some evaluators note that it’s more of a chase pitch right now than one he lands consistently for a strike. Command of this offering might be the key to further improvement. His solid-average changeup shows good armside life. Back-to-back seasons of more than 100 innings as a starter has also proven his durability.
  
  The Future: Adon’s experience as a reliever in 2017 and 2018 and lingering concerns about command made many consider him a future reliever. His power stuff would still make him a potentially good fit as a big league bullpen, but his 2021 season allayed many of the concerns about him and opened eyes to the possibility that he sticks as a starter.
  
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: With a $50,000 signing bonus, Adon was a seemingly small piece in the Nationals' international spending bonanza of 2016 that saw them spend more than $5 million. But he has already surpassed many of the players who signed for more. Adon went 11-3, 3.86 for low Class A Hagerstown in 2019 and impressed at the alternate training site in 2020. The Nationals added him to their 40-man roster after the season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Adon has a 95-96 mph fastball, a power slider and a changeup that has become effective against lefthanded and righthanded hitters. The workload of more than 100 innings with Hagerstown helped him improve at repeating his delivery and showing more consistent mechanics. He attacks the zone with all three of his pitches and brings good energy to the mound. Still, his control is below-average, leading many evaluators to project him to the bullpen.
  
  THE FUTURE: Adon's control will determine if he stays in the rotation. His power stuff could play in relief.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: With a $50,000 signing bonus, Adon was a seemingly small piece in the Nationals' international spending bonanza of 2016 that saw them spend more than $5 million. But he has already surpassed many of the players who signed for more. Adon went 11-3, 3.86 for low Class A Hagerstown in 2019 and impressed at the alternate training site in 2020. The Nationals added him to their 40-man roster after the season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Adon has a 95-96 mph fastball, a power slider and a changeup that has become effective against lefthanded and righthanded hitters. The workload of more than 100 innings with Hagerstown helped him improve at repeating his delivery and showing more consistent mechanics. He attacks the zone with all three of his pitches and brings good energy to the mound. Still, his control is below-average, leading many evaluators to project him to the bullpen.
  
  THE FUTURE: Adon's control will determine if he stays in the rotation. His power stuff could play in relief.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Adon has risen faster than organization officials expected. He moved into a starting role for the first time in 2019, exceeding 100 innings in his age 20 season against mostly older players in the South Atlantic League. This fall and last, he impressed at instructional league with his eagerness to learn.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Hagerstown’s top winner in 2019, Adon held his 95-96 mph fastball velocity for several innings in most of his starts. He also has a power slider and an improving changeup. Toward the end of the year, he used the changeup with more confidence. His mechanics could use refinement, but he does a good job of repeating his delivery and staying on line. One South Atlantic League reliever said Adon reminds him of big league reliever Pedro Strop, although Adon is a little bit better at this stage.
  
  THE FUTURE: The maximized innings will give Adon a chance to show what he can do as a starter, and BA GRADE 45 Risk: High BA GRADE 40 Risk: High BA GRADE 40 Risk: High then he could become a medium-leverage reliever if needed in the future.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Adon has risen faster than organization officials expected. He moved into a starting role for the first time in 2019, exceeding 100 innings in his age 20 season against mostly older players in the South Atlantic League. This fall and last, he impressed at instructional league with his eagerness to learn.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Hagerstown's top winner in 2019, Adon held his 95-96 mph fastball velocity for several innings in most of his starts. He also has a power slider and an improving changeup. Toward the end of the year, he used the changeup with more confidence. His mechanics could use refinement, but he does a good job of repeating his delivery and staying on line. One South Atlantic League reliever said Adon reminds him of big league reliever Pedro Strop, although Adon is a little bit better at this stage.
  
  THE FUTURE: The maximized innings will give Adon a chance to show what he can do as a starter, and then he could become a medium-leverage reliever if needed in the future.