Welcome to our monthly look at who’s hot, who’s not, and who’s (or what’s) surprising in the Nationals minors.
For those not familiar with this feature at NationalsProspects.com… This is something stolen from named after comedian Demetri Martin’s segment of the same name from his too-brief TV show from 2009 or so (i.e., around the time the site started).
Invariably, whenever a player makes this list—good or bad—his fortune seems to turn. Intellectually, we know that’s merely coincidence, but superstition will always have a place in baseball narrative, even as analytics has crossed the rubicon from acceptance to speciousness (e.g., exit velocity). Nevertheless, this sequence of events is known as “the curse of the GBI.”
Now, for the obligatory caveats… it’s early, sample sizes are small and statistically insignificant, minor-league stats aren’t as meaningful as MLB stats, void where prohibited, valid only at participating locations, etc.
And a note of caution: The guys, their families, their wives, their girlfriends, perhaps a boyfriend here and there, and of course, their agents are known to read this. So please keep it civil in the comments. This is just for fun.
[Statistics, Standings as of 4-27-18]
SYRACUSE CHIEFS
12-7, 1st place International League North, 1½ games ahead
| Good | Bat: Rafael Bautista .429/.442/.524, 7R in 10G Arm: Austin Voth 1-0, 0.96/2.82/0.70 in 18⅔ IP (4GS) |
| Bad | Bat: Michael Almanzar .533 OPS, 3E in 12G Arm: Chris Smith 1-1, 6.14/6.19/2.19 in seven appearances |
| Interesting | Bat: Hunter Jones .90s OPS since callup from AA (9G) Arm: John Simms 2-0, 0.68/2.34/0.90 in six appearances |
HARRISBURG SENATORS
8-11, 5th place Eastern League Western Division, 3½ games behind
| Good | Bat: Zach Collier .265/.357/.510 in 17G Arm: Jefry Rodriguez 1-2, 3.00/2.39/1.17, 27K in 4GS (24IP) |
| Bad | Bat: Kelvin Gutierrez .492OPS, 22K in 18G Arm: Luis Reyes 1-2, 7.29/6.30/1.52 in 4GS (21IP) |
| Interesting | Bat: Jacob Wilson .802 OPS, 4HR in 15G Arm: Derek Self 5GF, 1.17/1.27/0.78 in six appearances |
POTOMAC NATIONALS
12-10, 3rd place Carolina League Northern Division, 2 games behind
| Good | Bat: Austin Davidson .319/.415/.478 in 18G prior to promotion Arm: Tyler Mapes 3-0, 2.05/3.09/1.36 in 4GS (22IP) |
| Bad | Bat: Edwin Lora .500OPS, 5E in 10G Arm: Steven Fuentes 1-1, 11H, 11R, 11BB in… wait for it… 11IP |
| Interesting | Bat: Tres Barrera .294/.333/.500 in 10G Arm: James Bourque 1-1, 0.90/0.95/0.70, 17K in 10IP |
HAGERSTOWN SUNS
6-16, 7th place South Atlantic League Northern Division, 9 games behind
| Good | Bat: Juan Soto .373/.486/.814, 5HR, 24RBI in 16G prior to promotion Arm: Ben Braymer 2-0, 1.45/2.52/0.64, 21K in 18⅔ IP (5G) |
| Bad | Bat: Yasel Antuna .515OPS, 27K in 21G Arm: Carlos Acevedo 0-1, 9.82/5.13/1.91 in 11IP (4G, 1GS) |
| Interesting | Bat: Brandon Boggetto .387/.424/.613 in 10G Arm: Nick Raquet 1-2, 2.18/4.05/1.06 in 4GS (21⅔ IP) |
