Washington Nationals Organization Discussion

by John Sickels on Nov 12, 2025 4:01 PM EST

Matt Slocum - AP

Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

The current queue for work on the Top 20 is Giants, Diamondbacks, and Blue Jays. The next team is the Washington Nationals, so I'm going to go ahead and open this organization up for discussion as well. The Giants are going slowly due to a massive case of sleep deprivation (six hours of sleep over last three days) and while I am researching and putting my hours in as normal, i'm not going to rush things and make stupid mistakes.

Bryce Harper is the main attraction here, but there are other interesting players in this system...Derek Norris, Danny Espinosa, Brad Peacock, and Chris Marrero for example. Any other sleepers you like?

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Not a sleeper,

but I’m a big AJ Cole fan. Really natural delivery, a couple plus deliveries and a ton of projectability .

If knowledge is the key, then just show me the lock.
Got the scrawny legs but I move just like Lou Brock.

by purple_haze on Nov 12, 2025 4:43 PM EST reply actions

Love that pick and sign.

I wonder why more teams with little chance at contention don’t spend alot more on the draft and pay players in the draft. Some team should just swipe up all the Austin Wilsons.

I was so mad after the Rays didn’t do that with Kenny D last year.

by mr. maniac on Nov 12, 2025 5:55 PM EST up reply actions

Lacking impact, but I get the impression there's more depth each year....

Not expecting too many A or B level prospects, but probably quite a few C types. A few names to throw in there:

Boomer Whiting - can he ever hit enough to get to the majors? He can fly (but what else?)
Brad Meyers - back of the rotation potential, if healthy?
Steve Lombardozzi - keeps achieving at each level he plays at, but limited to 2B?
Marrero - loosing hope to be an ML regular?
Cole Kimball - wicked K rates
Tom Milone - can he be dominant above AA despite being a soft tosser?
Brad Peacock - Hard thrower and K per IP, but consistency lacking?
Tyler Moore - power eruption in 2nd half of season, can he keep it up?
Norris - is his eye too good?
Rick Hague and Adrian Sanchez - middle infoeld potential?
Eury Perez - great 2nd half stats; can he hit enough?
JP Ramirez - hitting coming around but poor peripherals on strike zone judgement?
Danny Rosenbaum - could come quickly a la Lohn Lannan?
Jack McGeary - Tommy John strikes again?

And a few good looking draftees this year. Especially Oduber, Cole and Solis.

Will be very interested in your thoughts, and ceilings. Thanks in anticipation.

by Kirkie on Nov 12, 2025 4:45 PM EST reply actions

Pushing for Moore

Let’s see what Tyler can do in AA we already know Marrero is a wasted 1st rounder.

by natsminor on Nov 12, 2025 8:45 PM EST up reply actions

+1

by Berndaddy on Nov 13, 2025 3:30 PM EST up reply actions

Don't think he's a sleeper, but Destin Hood isn't on your list.

Likewise Robbie Ray was the other over slot guy from this year’s draft. Guess he’s too far away to make the book?

The wait for 10/7 begins. This man is focused. Are you?

by souldrummer on Nov 14, 2025 8:33 PM EST up reply actions

Ray should make the book

He could potentially be a low C+ as well

If everybody likes you, then either no one knows anything about you, or you're dead.

by Archie A on Nov 15, 2025 1:21 AM EST up reply actions

I could see Robbie Ray in the C+/borderline C range.

Definitely worthy of making the book.

by Blicks on Nov 15, 2025 9:12 AM EST up reply actions

Nationals Sleepers

I’ve generally found these guys to be underrated/overlooked

Tom Milone
Steve Lombardozzi
Daniel Rosenbaum
Rob Wort
Randolph Oduber
Christopher Manno
Wirkin Estevez

by Sue Dinem on Nov 12, 2025 4:50 PM EST reply actions

Wort

Another pitcher who just gets outs.

by natsminor on Nov 12, 2025 8:44 PM EST up reply actions

Who do you go with at number 1if there was a healthy Strasburg and Harper on this list?

That would be fun.

Scouting the Royals
Royals Prospects

by 306008 on Nov 12, 2025 5:06 PM EST reply actions

Strasburg

every day of the week and thrice on Tuesday.

If knowledge is the key, then just show me the lock.
Got the scrawny legs but I move just like Lou Brock.

by purple_haze on Nov 12, 2025 5:33 PM EST up reply actions

+1

Best stuff in the majors with good control.

by mr. maniac on Nov 12, 2025 5:56 PM EST up reply actions

Yup

"I thought he was going to punch me and I was totally accepting of it. I was planning a reason to thank him if he did." Brian Wilson on Buster Posey
Follow me: Twitter.com/gobroks

by Gobroks on Nov 12, 2025 6:20 PM EST up reply actions

Indeed

I would even take the injured version over Harper.

http://bullpenbanter.com/

by jar75 on Nov 12, 2025 7:10 PM EST up reply actions

Can someone just fill me in on Derek Norris?

by mr. maniac on Nov 12, 2025 5:56 PM EST reply actions

A hitter who can catch

A lot of folks have mistakenly thought that Norris had a bad year in 2010, when in fact he was hurt for a good deal of the year (wrist). The “too good eye” is a funny complaint (yeah, maybe he should swing at some of those pitches outside the strike zone) because that kind of skill is hard to teach and pays off down the line.

Norris gets a lot of grief for the passed balls, but he’s knocked that down from nearly 30 last season to less than a dozen this year. He threw out more than 50% of the runners that tried to steal on him in the Carolina League and has been doing the same in the AFL.

As the header indicates, Norris is a hitter. Now healthy, he’s hitting for more power (.681 vs. .419) and average (.277 vs. .235) but the OBP remains the same (.417 vs. .419). He routinely works the count and rarely gives away at-bats. He struggles some with breaking pitches, but as the old saw goes — you can close your eyes and pick him out of a round of BP.

by Sue Dinem on Nov 13, 2025 9:00 AM EST up reply actions

The reports on his defense aren't good though despite the CS numbers

I like him a lot as a hitter, but catching seems like a very long shot. His future is most likely at 1B.

http://bullpenbanter.com/

by jar75 on Nov 13, 2025 10:11 AM EST up reply actions

Needs to get better at knocking down pitches..

…yes, but Norris is quite agile for his size and does well at the other aspects of the position (fielding bunts, catching popups, etc.) He’s nowhere near as raw as Wil Myers, for example.

by Sue Dinem on Nov 13, 2025 12:15 PM EST up reply actions

But Myers projects better at the position

Norris’s hands supposedly aren’t soft and his receiving is derided, while his arm is only described as solid. I think either sticking at the position is unlikely, but I’d probably bet on Myers of the two.

http://bullpenbanter.com/

by jar75 on Nov 13, 2025 12:52 PM EST up reply actions

Your hands wouldn't be soft either if you'd had your hamate bone just taken out.

If Sue has written something about Derek trust it. I’d say this next year (2011) will be very important for Norris.

by Berndaddy on Nov 13, 2025 3:38 PM EST up reply actions

Agreed

Norris played hurt and still had an .419 OBP, not bad for a down year. I like him as the #2 prospect in this system

by John Kelly on Nov 13, 2025 11:38 AM EST up reply actions

Ditto.

Depends on what you want to emphasize. Norris plays at MLB with few questions for me. Espinosa’s glove plays at MLB with few questions. But I think that Norris has a greater chance of figuring out the catching position or first base than Espinosa has of figuring out how to make contact enough to have more than a solid everyday player ceiling.

The wait for 10/7 begins. This man is focused. Are you?

by souldrummer on Nov 14, 2025 8:37 PM EST up reply actions

Who...

…is “Bryce Harper”?

by Angelsjunky7 on Nov 12, 2025 7:42 PM EST reply actions

Brother of South Carolina pitcher, Bryan Harper

http://bullpenbanter.com/

by jar75 on Nov 12, 2025 7:51 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs

rec'd

by mr. maniac on Nov 12, 2025 11:22 PM EST up reply actions

AJ Morris

Heard great things about AJ Morris from Instructs. If he can get his minor injuries out of the way the sky is the limit. Not sure why most people want to, keep seeing, what Tommy Milone will do next season. In my eyes he has proven what he can do, soft throwing or not, he just gets people out.

by natsminor on Nov 12, 2025 8:43 PM EST reply actions

Prospects

If the Nats are to make a deal for a starting pitcher what (who) would they have to give up and who is untouchable?

by natsminor on Nov 12, 2025 8:46 PM EST reply actions

The key question is how many years of said starting pitcher?

Anything less than 3 years and the sense behind the move starts getting shaky.

by Blicks on Nov 15, 2025 9:13 AM EST up reply actions

Well, I certainly like the top 5

Harper
Espinosa
Norris
Cole
Solis

After that, it gets rather rough. I’m not a big Ramos fan, but I don’t think I could drop him any further than 6. Eury Perez is rather interesting, I suppose he’d go 7th.

http://bullpenbanter.com/

by jar75 on Nov 12, 2025 10:14 PM EST reply actions

Couldn't put Perez up to 6th yet.

Guys like Marrero or Burgess might go higher for me still. Perez, Marrero, and Burgess are all flawed, but Marrero and Burgess have at least graduated to AA and AAA respectively by the start of next year.

The wait for 10/7 begins. This man is focused. Are you?

by souldrummer on Nov 14, 2025 8:25 PM EST up reply actions

Eury is 7th

I have Burgess 8th, and I could be persuaded to reverse the two. Marrero isn’t close for me. I just don’t buy the bat as anywhere near first base caliber.

http://bullpenbanter.com/

by jar75 on Nov 15, 2025 3:37 PM EST up reply actions

Ramos is a real solid defensive catcher, though.

Yes, there are contact issues, but I still see him as being better than Solis right now until I have some full season data on him. Not sure how much to make of Solis’ not so great AFL.

The wait for 10/7 begins. This man is focused. Are you?

by souldrummer on Nov 14, 2025 8:38 PM EST up reply actions

I liked Solis going into the draft, and while he may not have huge upside

I think he could be a solid #3 starter. I’m sure that most will put Ramos ahead of him, but I’d rather have Solis.

http://bullpenbanter.com/

by jar75 on Nov 15, 2025 3:41 PM EST up reply actions

Sleeper Watch

Eury Perez:

Former GCL Player of the year. Had a solid first full season state side. .299 BA .726 OPS 64 SB’s. Had a much better second half of the season than the first half. But I can’t find those stats at the moment. He’s continued his strong second half in the DWL. Will only be 20 when he starts A+ ball next year.
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=LF&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=516811

Adrian Sanchez

Played 2B and SS in both the GCL and A ball this year. At this point he doesn’t walk much but he’s still young for his level and had an impressive BA at both the GCL and HAG. Heres a blurb on him from a Byron Kerr article:

Another prospect the Nats are high on is shortstop Adrian Sanchez, who did well in his short time in Hagerstown.
GCL hitting coach Sergio Mendez worked diligently with Sanchez after he struggled a little bit in spring training.
“Mendez really connected with Sanchez and helped him to make some adjustments to improve,” Schu said.
“Sanchez was a little bit of a bailer, but showed great hand speed. We worked on getting a base underneath his legs, spreading out his stance and taught him not to stride so much.
“I saw him in Hagerstown and I thought he did a great job. He really came out of nowhere - a sleeper kind of guy.”

http://www.masnsports.com/byron_kerr/2010/09/prospect-updates-bloxom-sanchez-norris.html

David Frietas is another guy to look out for.

by mwyche on Nov 13, 2025 11:53 AM EST reply actions