The future success of every Major League team lies in its Minor League system. With that in mind, each preseason, MLB.com takes a top-to-bottom look at all 30 organizations, from top prospects to recent draft picks. The idea that Washington will be the nation's baseball capital before long doesn't sound too farfetched these days. There was a time when the Nationals, formerly the Expos, were the butt of many a joke around baseball. Now, however, the joke's on everyone else. Thanks to a few shrewd offseason moves -- importing Lastings Milledge being one of them -- and a very strong series of drafts, the Nats are clearly headed in the right direction. They've rebuilt mostly from within and with a bevy of superb young arms and a few booming bats, the future looks bright in the District of Columbia. Here's a closer look at some of what Washington has to offer this season.
10 Spot
Ten prospects to watch out for in 2008:
Chris Marrero, OF/1B
The kid has power and projects to be a wonderful addition to the middle of Washington's lineup before long. Marrero will likely split the season between the Carolina and Eastern Leagues and could have a Major League ETA of sometime in 2009. There's really no need to rush him, especially since the Nats tried him out at first base in the Instructional League, a position at which they seem more inclined to keep him.
Collin Balester, RHP
Balester doesn't walk many, but he doesn't strike out many either. He'll give up his share of hits -- he's certainly not a swing-and-miss kind of pitcher -- but in the long run he simply seems to get the job done. Balester will more than likely begin the year back in Columbus (he was 2-3 with a 4.18 ERA in 10 starts there last year), but don't be surprised if he's in D.C. at some point this summer.
Colton Willems, RHP The light workload seemed to agree with him as he posted a 0.92 ERA in 29 1/3 innings over his final six starts. He worked extensively with former big leaguer David West while in high school and shows some polish based on that experience. He's got a nice mid-90s fastballs and knows how to use it. He'll likely begin the season in the Sally League, but don't be surprised if he moves up to Potomac.
"Whatever his high-water mark is, we'll probably start him low and let him get his feet on the mound," assistant general manager Mike Rizzo said. "We want him to have consistency and success. He's throwing tremendously this spring and he's a great prospect. What the scouts saw in him is starting to come to the top."
Adam Carr, RHP
He was 4-2 last year while splitting time between Potomac and Harrisburg, posting a 1.78 ERA in 60 2/3 innings. He also had 12 saves and held the opposition to a .175 batting average over 212 at-bats. Carr is 5-1 with a 2.08 ERA in 64 Minor League appearances, all in relief. Whether the Nats think he still has something to prove in Harrisburg is the question. He could be in Columbus next month and in Washington by midseason. #ques_include {width:300px;float:right;margin-left:5px;} #ques_content {border-top:1px solid #000000;border-left:1px solid #000000;padding-left:5px;} .ques_schedule {margin-top:5px;font-size:11px;} .ques_dates {font-size:11px;font-style:italic;color:#999;} 
Garrett Mock, RHP Still, he shows signs of being an effective starter and has enough stuff, combining a low-90s fastball with a slider and big-time curve, to be effective on the Major League level. He'll probably need some time in Columbus to complete his comeback, but he's definitely someone whom Washington won't hesitate to call up when the need arises.
"He's finally injury-free," Rizzo said. "He had been pitching on a gimpy knee and he's a tough Texan; he wanted to gut through it. He had never missed time before because he was hurt, so he tried to pitch through adversity and it turned out it was affecting his left knee, which is his landing knee. And when you favor your knee, it affects your arm slot, but he's healthy for the first time in two years now. He looks phenomenal and will be an impact starter for us in the very near future."
Ross Detwiler, LHP He sports a solid two- and four-seam fastball, both of which can touch 96 on the gun. His off-speed stuff is equally impressive and he knows how to spot it effectively. While his cameo in the big leagues was a nice touch, it doesn't mean he'll be seeing the Majors again any time soon. The Nats figure to give Detwiler a full season in the Minors before possibly giving him another taste in September. "He's not a polished product by any means, but his ceiling is unlimited," Rizzo said. "He's a lefty who can throw 95-96 with two plus breaking pitches. He just has to learn his craft and he needs to throw strikes more consistently. But he has a tremendous upside and a chance to be a superstar. His stuff is hard to find in the Major Leagues, and you can count on one hand the lefties who throw 93-plus. There are not a whole lot of them.
"When this guy dropped to us, it was an easy decision. These kinds of guys aren't falling off trees. But for him to get to the big leagues and stick long term, he has to make a few improvements just like everyone else. He really has a chance to be an impact guy for us and it's hard to say that about a lot of guys."
Josh Smoker, LHP
Smoker holds the Georgia State record for strikeouts in a season but didn't get to flash too much of that power last year after pitching only four innings for Vermont. The club hasn't been shy about throwing its young pitchers directly into the fray, so don't be surprised if he starts the season in the Sally League rather than extended spring. Smoker was the youngest player in Washington's Major League camp this spring and threw a pair of scoreless innings against Georgetown University in his exhibition debut.
Michael Burgess, OF
Burgess hit 11 homers in 198 at-bats last season between the Gulf Coast and New York-Penn Leagues. He was third in the GCL with eight homers and first in slugging (.617) and OBP (.442). But he also struck out once every 3.3 at-bats, the best indication that he still has some growing up to do at the plate.
Jordan Zimmerman, RHP The Nats grabbed him in the second round last year and he proceeded to go 5-2 for Vermont with a 2.38 ERA (which would have been fourth best in the New York-Penn League had he qualified). He fanned 71, walked only 18 and held the opposition to a .228 batting average in 53 innings. He owns a lead weight of a fastball that hovers consistently in the low 90s. He's mature enough and has some poise on the mound, leaving the impression that he won't have a problem with whatever level of A-ball the Nats put him at. "He's the kind of guy we really pride ourselves on," Rizzo said. "He might turn out to be the best of all of them. He's an upper Midwest kid and I had the honor of scouting that area for 12 years. Here's a kid who came down to Florida and, after a week, breaks his jaw, loses 14 pounds and doesn't really pitch up to his capabilities.
"He goes back up there in anonymity and pitches tremendously and courageously. He has great command of four pitches and I saw him start last year. We got him late in the second round, but if he went to Texas or UCLA or one of those schools, he would have been one of the top eight or 10 picks in the country. I know what Division-III, cold-weather kids go through. He's going to be such a success story."
Justin Maxwell, OF
He strikes out some (once every 3.6 at-bats last year), but what young slugger doesn't create a breeze at least that often? He's got excellent speed and power, and if he continues to cut down on his swing and show patience at the plate, there's no reason Maxwell won't be in Washington at least as a fill-in this season.
Under the Radar
Shairon Martis, RHP
Ian Desmond, SS Desmond is solid defensively, but who knows how his bat will react to life in Harrisburg or beyond this season. He hit .182 in his last stint in the Eastern League (121 at-bats in 2006). He's come a long way since the Nats first tried to force feed him in Double-A, but he still has a long way to go, leaving him under the radar.
"He's an outstanding middle-infield prospect," Rizzo said. "He can play shortstop in the Major Leagues and he's really coming into his own swinging the bat."
2007 Draft Recap
SS Jake Smolinski (second round, Boylan Catholic High School, Ill.) hit .305 with 16 RBIs in 105 GCL at-bats. He stole seven bases and drew 13 walks. ... 3B Steven Souza (third round, Cascade High School, Wash.) hit .194 with 46 strikeouts in 144 GCL at-bats. ... RHP Brad Meyers (fifth round, Loyola Marymount) had a 0.30 ERA in 29 2/3 frames in the Gulf Coast and South Atlantic Leagues. He was bumped up to Potomac, where he had a 5.06 ERA in 10 2/3 innings. ... RHP Adrian Alaniz (eighth round, Texas) went 8-2 with a 2.39 ERA in 13 games (eight starts) for Vermont. He fanned 62 and walked eight in 60 1/3 innings, holding the opposition to a .187 average. ... LHP Patrick McCoy (10th round, Sahuaro High School, Ariz.) went 1-2 with a 3.81 ERA in 10 GCL games (five starts).
Predictions
Organizational Player of the Year -- Michael Burgess
Cy on the Farm -- Adrian Alaniz
Team to Watch -- Hagerstown
Quotable "He showed a lot of what my philosophy was when I was in Arizona in that, when you get a kid in those kinds of rounds, you want to know the history of the kid. And he was the Friday night starter at Texas and went 12-0 there. Stats aren't everything, but that tells you something. Those kinds of things are important, especially down low there. There's a case to be made for those guys in the draft." --Rizzo on Alaniz Kevin Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs. | ||||||||||||||||
Skip to main content
