Washington Nationals

TRACK RECORD: Barrera, who signed for $210,000, has risen through the system one rung at a time, starting at short-season Auburn in his draft year. In 2019 at Double-A Harrisburg, he set a career high in home runs. He thought his season was over but was summoned to the major leagues when Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki needed time to rest his elbow in September.

SCOUTING REPORT: The Nationals see Barrera as someone who will eventually stick in the major leagues, and his bat will determine whether he's a regular or a backup. He found a consistent hitting position at Harrisburg and used the whole field. He kept his hands inside the ball and had a repeatable swing. Barrera has decent strike-zone knowledge as a hitter. He's slow on the bases, but scouts say he's athletic behind the plate. His receiving, blocking and throwing are all good, and his leadership skills are even better. One team official noted that “all he cares about is winning.”

THE FUTURE: Triple-A Fresno is the next progression for Barrera, who now has his spot on the 40-man roster.

TRACK RECORD: Yean signed for $100,000 in 2017 and has since upped his fastball velocity to the 92-97 mph range. He earned a promotion to short-season Auburn for his final two starts of 2019. In his last outing, he threw just 73 pitches in a six-inning complete-game loss at Williamsport in the first game of a doubleheader on Aug. 28. He allowed two runs in that outing and two (one earned) in five innings in his other start with the Doubledays.

SCOUTING REPORT: Yean's a physical athlete with a power pitcher's body. He has a clean delivery, and the ball jumps out of his hand. He has electric stuff and one of the highest ceilings among pitchers in the system. He has increased the depth on his slider, which is a swing-and-miss pitch for him. Yean is also improving the feel of his changeup.

THE FUTURE: After closing the year with a strong showing in the instructional league, Yean has momentum going into 2020. He has only 90 career minor league innings, but he has quickly improved his stock.

TRACK RECORD: De La Rosa signed for $300,000 and participated stateside in instructional league three months later. In 2019, he was back in Florida as a 17-year-old in the Gulf Coast League. He has the potential to have five above-average tools, especially in hitting, power and speed.

SCOUTING REPORT: Leg issues limited De La Rosa in his debut professional season, but he still flashed his array of skills. He has an advanced feel for the strike zone and swings a quick bat. The compact, strong De La Rosa is capable of playing all three outfield spots. In the GCL, he improved the use of his bottom half in his swing. He gets into a good hitting position and has good power for a player his age. His bat-to-ball skills project to be among the best in the organization. De La Rosa may not be a burner, but he has good speed.

THE FUTURE: De La Rosa is raw at this point, but he has a high ceiling and could be pushed quickly, perhaps to low Class A Hagerstown early in 2020.

TRACK RECORD: One of the top relievers in the Southeastern Conference, Cronin had 26 saves in his final two seasons at Arkansas, helping the Razorbacks reach the College World Series both years. He had a mild case of mononucleosis as a sophomore but still broke a single-season school record with 14 saves. He sharpened his curveball in his junior year, showing a 12-to-6 hammer that helped persuade the Nationals to sign him for $464,500.

SCOUTING REPORT: Cronin has a plus fastball and curveball, and at times his slider is plus as well. He's working on dialing back his full-effort delivery. Even with the major leagues scheduled to go to a threebatter minimum in 2020, Cronin fills a dire need in a system short on lefthanded relievers. He has a chance to move quickly through the organization.

THE FUTURE: Cronin held South Atlantic League hitters to a .153 average and probably could've thrived at a higher level. He should go to at least high Class A Fredericksburg to start his first full pro season.

TRACK RECORD: A Minnesota native, Irvin was a three-year starter at Oklahoma, including the last two as a Friday night ace. He won six games in each of his three seasons with the Sooners. In his draft year, he led the Big 12 with 115 strikeouts in 95 innings and was the conference's Scholar Athlete of the Year with a 3.83 GPA as a human resources major. He signed for $550,000.

SCOUTING REPORT: Irvin was able to grind through a season that didn't come easy at Hagerstown. In April, he had an 8.24 ERA in five starts. But he shot up at the end of the year, showing a 94-96 mph fastball in instructional league with a plus curveball and at least an average changeup. After throwing a slider in college, he has developed a hard-breaking curve as a professional. Irvin is durable and athletic on the mound.

THE FUTURE: Irvin had a 1.67 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 27 innings over his five August starts for the Suns. That finish has him on track to go to the high Class A Carolina League in 2020.

TRACK RECORD: Nationals player development officials believe the scouting department found a gem in Cluff, who served a two-year mission in Atlanta before returning to BYU in 2019. He hit in cages and off a tee once a week for those two years. In his first season with the Cougars since 2016, he hit .327/.458/.518 with 20 doubles in 199 at-bats while walking almost as many times (37) as he struck out (39).

SCOUTING REPORT: Cluff has above-average running ability, an above-average arm and a short, line-drive stroke. He does have a tendency to chase fastballs, so he'll have to be more selective. He has sneaky pop but still needs to learn more about repeating his swing. Cluff held his own defensively and has a good internal clock. The Idaho native is a quick-twitch athlete who plays the game as hard as anyone in the organization. Over the course of the summer, he improved at driving balls to center field and left-center field for doubles and triples.

THE FUTURE: Cluff will likely head to high Class A Fredericksburg. If he continues to adapt quickly, as he has since returning from his mission, he could be a fast riser through the system.

TRACK RECORD: Dyson played mostly infield in high school in Bradenton, Fla., before dominating on the mound as a senior. He adjusted well to pitching in the SEC, managing a 3.23 ERA in 39 innings as a freshman on Florida's 2017 national championship team. In 2019, he was projected as a possible first-round pick, but he had a 4.95 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. Two of his college appearances as a junior were out of the bullpen, but the Nationals would like to use him as a starter as long as possible. Dyson signed for $500,000.

SCOUTING REPORT: Scouts clocked Dyson's fastball as high as 99 mph in the SEC tournament. He was hitting 96 this summer with short-season Auburn. His slider needs work, but he has a pitcher's frame and a strong, quick arm. He has the ability to repeat his clean, easy delivery but struggles at times with his control.

THE FUTURE: Dyson appears ready to make his full-season debut, likely at low Class A Hagerstown. He'll focus on gaining movement on his fastball and improving his secondary pitches while increasing his workload.

TRACK RECORD: Schaller lettered for four years in baseball and one in football at Lebanon (Ind.) Senior High before heading to Vanderbilt. He missed the 2017 season after having Tommy John surgery but was still picked 101st overall. Schaller recorded a 3.77 ERA with 39 strikeouts and nine walks in 28.2 innings as a draft-eligible redshirt freshman for the Commodores. He made 21 appearances in college that year, including two starts, before taking a starting role in pro ball. Schaller signed for $551,100.

SCOUTING REPORT: Schaller's season at low Class A Hagerstown didn't begin until June 24 because of an injured oblique. He got off to a slow start but was extended to five innings in six of his final nine starts. Schaller has good carry on his mid-90s fastball, pitches to the top of the zone and has a short and quick pitching motion. In instructional league, he altered his motion a bit and focused on his slider. He has improved his changeup and will be asked to throw it more frequently.

THE FUTURE: If he stays healthy, Schaller has a chance to move quickly, whether it's in a starting or relief role.

TRACK RECORD: Pineda, who signed for $450,000, hit .288/.323/.441 as a 17-year-old in the Rookielevel Gulf Coast League and .273/.341/.388 at age 18 in the short-season New York-Penn League, but he struggled offensively this past year in low A ball. His bat-to-ball skills dipped in full-season action, but he was one of the youngest players in the league.

SCOUTING REPORT: Despite the drop-off at Hagerstown, Pineda has above-average future hit and power tools. He has a quick bat and hits fastballs in the strike zone. In the second half of the season, he improved at hitting the ball to the opposite field. The Nationals wanted to test Pineda by putting him in the middle of the order, and 358 of his at-bats were from the third, fourth or fifth spot. He tends to get overly aggressive and needs to better recognize off-speed pitches. Pineda is an average fielder with an above-average arm and little speed.

THE FUTURE: After a good learning year in the South Atlantic League, Pineda may well return there in 2020

TRACK RECORD: A late-round find who pitched for one year out of Auburn's bullpen after transferring from junior college national champion Louisiana State-Eunice, Braymer was the organization's co-pitcher of the year in 2018 along with Wil Crowe. He made only 11 starts in 28 appearances in his breakout season and then was exclusively a starter this past year.

SCOUTING REPORT: Braymer has a deceptive, low-90s fastball and an above-average power curveball. He also has improved the feel and action on his changeup, which gives him a chance to become a back-end starter in the major leagues. Braymer throws his change consistently out of the same slot and has improved the tunneling of the pitch. He hides the ball well and is able to pitch up in the zone. The Nationals believe his sparkling Double-A numbers are more representative of his stuff than the subpar statistics he put up in Triple-A.

THE FUTURE: Scouts like Braymer's pitchability. His stuff isn't overwhelming, but he could serve as a long man or be a good emergency option for a big league start. His curveball, especially dangerous against lefthanded hitters, could serve him well if he's moved back to the bullpen.

TRACK RECORD: Freeman helped lead LSU to the 2017 College World Series finals, but a right wrist injury limited him in Omaha and delayed his professional debut until the next season. He's a grinder who doesn't have much power but draws walks and steals bases.

SCOUTING REPORT: Though Freeman was named the Carolina League's postseason all-star second baseman, he struggled with his throwing so much in the infield that he played mostly center field in the second half at Potomac. He's still working on his routes in the outfield, but he has plus running speed and the all-out drive needed to play in center with more time and reps. Freeman has impressive contact ability and bat-to-ball skills, which scouts like and believe could allow him to become a top-of-the-order, cataylst type hitter, but he has well below-average raw power and is unlikely to ever turn into a real home run threat. The extra-base hits he does get will come from line drives in the gap and his speed more than real power.

THE FUTURE: The more versatility Freeman can show, the better. He'll have a shot at the major leagues, especially in a utility role. His fine season in the Carolina League has him on track to play at Double-A Harrisburg. He'll likely split time between second base and center field again but his throwing accuracy has to improve for him to stick in the infield.

TRACK RECORD: Mostly a reliever in college, Bourque began his professional career as a starter. He moved back to the bullpen in 2018 and has risen quickly since then. His two plus pitches helped him earn a promotion from Double-A Harrisburg to Washington on May 26 for his major league debut. But he allowed four runs in two-thirds of an inning in the Nationals' 9-6 win over Miami and then spent the rest of the season at Triple-A Fresno.

SCOUTING REPORT: Bourque, who missed the 2015 season after having Tommy John surgery, throws at 96-98 mph with high-effort mechanics. He also has a hard, downer curveball thrown at 84-85 mph from an overhand delivery. Those two pitches can both wipe out hitters, but his control is lagging. He occasionally throws a below-average changeup.

THE FUTURE: As a bet on pure stuff, Bourque has a chance to slide into the Nationals' bullpen as a seventh-inning option. His command, though, will have to get better for that to happen.

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.

TRACK RECORD: Tetreault signed for $300,000, the fourth-most of anyone in the Nationals' 2017 draft class. In his one year of junior college ball, he struck out 105 in 80.1 innings and had a 2.58 ERA. Tetreault has a plus fastball and reached Double-A Harrisburg in 2019, but he closed out the season where he started it—at high Class A Potomac.

SCOUTING REPORT: Scouts like Tetreault's fastball, which touches the mid-90s thanks to a fast and whippy arm. It was a plus pitch in Harrisburg, but what continues to hold Tetreault back is the development of his secondaries. He made progress with a changeup last year but scouts who saw Tetreault thought all of his secondaries were below-average offerings this year. He has shown the ability to spin his curveball, but doesn't land the pitch for strike consistently, and without improvement of either his change or curve, more advanced hitters will be able to sit on his fastball. Tetreault walked 4.2 batters per nine innings in Double-A after walking just 2.8 per nine innings in both low Class A and high Class A in 2018.

THE FUTURE: Tetreault's stuff is good enough to work at higher levels, perhaps in the bullpen. After allowing one run over 11 innings in his final two starts in the Carolina League, he appears ready for another go at the Eastern League. The Nationals hope to see more confidence out of Tetreault in the season ahead.

TRACK RECORD: Pena had a breakout year in 2018 at short-season Auburn and low Class A Hagerstown. His numbers didn't show it at high Class A Potomac, but he has enough stuff to keep rising through the system. He had Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2015 season before making just two appearances in 2016. Pena's high point of this past season came in early June when he was named Carolina League pitcher of the week after allowing two hits over seven scoreless innings in a win over Lynchburg.

SCOUTING REPORT: The biggest key for Pena will be the development of his secondary pitches. He throws a firm, 92-93 mph fastball that touches 95 at its best and also has good riding life. This season, Pena worked on improving a hard, power slider and increasing the consistency of his changeup, but both of those pitches need to get better to become even average. Pena has a deceptive delivery that he's able to repeat well. His walk rate spiked compared to the 2018 season, and while he does a decent job putting the ball in and around the zone, he's safely a control over command pitcher at this point and will need to make strides in that area to remain competitive as he climbs the minor league ladder barring improvement with his secondary offerings.

THE FUTURE: Pena more than doubled his career high for innings in 2019, and he proved to be a tough competitor. The uptick in innings should help him, whether he continues to start or moves to a relief role.

TRACK RECORD: After winning MVP of the 2016 Southeastern Conference tournament and helping Texas A&M reach super regionals that year, the athletic Banks joined the Nationals system with a $500,000 bonus. In 2019, he was MVP of the high Class A Carolina League All-Star Game, going 3-for-4 with a three-run homer to lead the Northern Division to a win in Frederick.

SCOUTING REPORT: Banks has a calm stance at the plate and puts together quality at-bats. He's wellrounded enough to play all three outfield positions. He's an above-average runner who hasn't shown big power in games but is capable of improving his home run totals. The Nationals believe his future floor is as a good extra player in the major leagues, and that he could develop into something more than that. He played in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .250/.295/.464 with three home runs in 56 at-bats for the Surprise Saguaros.

THE FUTURE: In the AFL, Banks struck out 20 times and drew three walks. He could use improvement in his strike-zone judgment, but he has an intriguing power/speed combination and at age 25 will be close to the big leagues.

TRACK RECORD: For the first time since Fuentes was an 18-year-old in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, he was used primarily as a starter. He was having a breakout season at Double-A Harrisburg before he was suspended 50 games for testing positive for a stimulant.

SCOUTING REPORT: Fuentes is a throwback. He's bigger than Anibal Sanchez but tries to get batters out in much the same way. He has a good changeup, commands his 90-95 mph fastball and has a tight slider that is at least average. Fuentes' fastball and slider both have good life. His sink on the ball led to a 55 percent groundball rate in Double-A, and he allowed only one home run in more than 80 innings between Harrisburg and high Class A Potomac. For his career, he has allowed 16 homers in 358 minor league innings. He has made 29 starts in 126 professional games.

THE FUTURE: Fuentes will continue to work as a starter and has a chance to become a major leaguer in the back end of a rotation. His versatility also could help him find a spot in the bullpen.

TRACK RECORD: Reetz signed out of high school for $800,000 instead of playing baseball at Nebraska, where his father played linebacker in the football program. He's a hard worker who won the organization's Bob Boone Award in 2019 for playing the “Nationals Way.”

SCOUTING REPORT: The question with Reetz has been his bat, and something clicked for him in the second half of the season at high Class A Potomac. He hit .282/.378/.563 in 174 at-bats after the Carolina League all-star break. He went 1-for-2 in the all-star game, but up to that point he was known more for his makeup and leadership skills than for his offense. Reetz has learned to relax more and let his ability take over. He threw out 41 percent of opposing base stealers last season and has soft hands and good blocking skills. He's also a decent runner.

THE FUTURE: Reetz even hit well in his 27 at-bats for Surprise in the Arizona Fall League, putting up .333/.455/.519 numbers. After 2 1/2 seasons of high-A ball, there's a good chance he'll start 2020 at Double-A Harrisburg.

TRACK RECORD: Raquet started his college career at North Carolina before transferring to William & Mary, where he was able to play alongside his brother Brandon. He struck out 95 in 77 innings for the Tribe, impressing the Nationals enough for them to take him 103rd overall and give him a $475,000 bonus. He breezed up to high Class A within a year of being drafted, but he found the going tougher in the Carolina League.

SCOUTING REPORT: After struggling to a 4.91 ERA and allowing 72 hits in 55 innings at Potomac in 2018, Raquet was more consistent last season. He held lefthanded batters to .209/.260/.338 numbers while starting each of the 25 games he appeared in before pitching in relief during the Arizona Fall League. Raquet throws a low- to mid-90s fastball that has heavy armside run and also features a slider, curveball and changeup. The slider has been the better of his two breaking balls, and he might be better off scrapping one and focusing on a simplified, three-pitch arsenal—especially if his future is in the bullpen. Raquet pitches with an up-tempo delivery that includes some funk that adds deception, particularly against same-sided hitters.

THE FUTURE: Raquet has been a starter to get as many repetitions as possible, but his long-term role could be in the bullpen. He recorded an 8.49 ERA in 11.2 relief innings in the Arizona Fall League, so he'll have adjustments to make when he likely heads to Double-A Harrisburg for the first time in 2020.

TRACK RECORD: When German began his professional career, he had little ability to throw strikes. He walked eight in 4.1 innings in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League in 2015, but Nationals pitching coaches have helped him move in the right direction with his big arm. It has been a sudden rise for German, who didn't sign until he was 20 and spent half of his age-23 season at short-season Auburn before finally reaching low Class A Hagerstown.

SCOUTING REPORT: German throws a 95 mph fastball and a plus slider. He's working on mixing in changeups against lefthanded hitters. German's control has improved to the point where he averaged 1.93 walks per nine innings in 2019 and walked only one batter in 13 innings in Double-A, but he still needs to show more command.

THE FUTURE: German saved 12 games over three levels last season. He'll be given late-inning opportunities again and has a chance to eventually work his way into a major league bullpen.