Nats showing signs of improvement

Before the 2006 season began, MLB.com took an in-depth look at every big league team's Minor League system. Now it's time to recap all 30 organizations, from top prospects to the recent draft class.

There were a few bright spots for the Nationals this season, more than there were a year ago when the organization had the worst winning percentage in the Minor Leagues. Washington saw its affiliates improve slightly, moving up to 28th place in the standings.

Kory Casto continued to show promise at the plate and if the Nats wind up moving him to second base someday, as is speculated, he could provide a potent 1-2 punch in the infield with Ryan Zimmerman. Throw Larry Broadway into that mix at first base and there's a foundation in place.

What Washington needs to do is build on that foundation and add some pieces to complement these young, exciting players. The club finally has stability, and with a new ballpark coming in the not-too-distant future there will be an influx of cash that will lend to better mid-level draft picks and more free-agent signing in Latin America.

Five Faves

At the start of the season, MLB.com identified five prospects to keep an eye on. Here's how they fared in 2006:

Kory Casto, IF
Ryan Zimmerman's potential Rookie of the Year season in Washington didn't deter the Nationals, who kept Casto at third base, despite appearances that he has no future at the position. Casto committed 15 errors this season, among the leaders among Eastern League third basemen. It will be interesting to see how he fares next season in the International League. Either way, it will be at the plate where Casto makes his mark. He had a strong season for Harrisburg, hitting a respectable .272 with 20 homers and 80 RBIs, though all those numbers were down from what he put up in the Carolina League in 2005.
Audio: Casto slams one in the AFL

Frank Diaz, OF
Diaz had to play a second season in Advanced Class A in 2005, putting together a solid effort at Potomac, before getting scouts and organizational types to give him a serious look. But after getting everyone's attention, he took a step backwards in 2006, struggling for much of the season in Harrisburg. Diaz hit .259, 14 points below his career average, while his home run total dropped from 16 to nine. He drove in 50 runs -- down from 74 -- but only 14 came in July and August. The young Venezuelan, coming off such a promising summer, failed to take hold of a golden opportunity this year, leaving him surrounded with the dreaded suspect or prospect questions heading into next season.
Audio: Diaz drills a HR vs. Altoona

2006 Organizational Record
LEVEL AAA AA A (Adv) A SS R	LEAGUE PCL EL CAR SAL NYP GCL	TEAM New Orleans Harrisburg Potomac Savannah Vermont Nationals TOTAL:	W 72 67 64 56 23 23 305	L 71 75 76 83 52 31 388	PCT .503 .402 .457 .403 .307 .426 .440

Collin Balester, RHP
Balester certainly had his moments in 2006, splitting the season between Potomac and Harrisburg. He went 0-2 in his final eight Carolina League appearances, seven of which were starts, posting a 4.95 ERA. But he allowed three earned runs or fewer in his final five outings at Potomac even if he didn't win a game there after July 6. He showed much more promise in his final three starts of the season, an Eastern League audition during which he was 1-0 with a 1.83 ERA in 19 2/3 innings. Which pitcher will the Nationals get in 2006, the who seemed mediocre more often than not at Potomac or the one who flashed some serious skills in Harrisburg? How Balester begins 2007 in Harrisburg will be very telling.
Audio: Balester whiffs another Blue Rock

Ian Desmond, SS
The Nationals opted to start Desmond at Harrisburg, despite a less-than-stellar effort at the plate during the 2005 Carolina League season. He struggled with Eastern League pitching, hitting .182 in 37 games before getting sent back to Potomac for more seasoning. The player whom Washington envisions as its shortstop of the future didn't fare much better back in those familiar surroundings, hitting .244, eight points lower than he hit in 55 games the previous season. He showed some more power and his run production was up slightly from the previous season, but unless he can adapt to the pitching at the higher levels, he'll be a liability at the plate. He combined for 37 errors at both stops, down from the 39 he made in 2005.
Audio: Desmond's two-run HR vs. Kinston

2006 Organizational Leaders
Average Home Runs RBIs Stolen Bases ERA Wins Strikeouts Saves	.288 20 80 36 3.11 8 126 27	Larry Broadway Kory Casto Kory Casto Melvin Dorta Beltran Perez Kip Bouknight/Andrew Good Anastacio Martinez Roy Corcoran
Complete MiLB statistics

Clint Everts, RHP
The former first-rounder completed his first full season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2004, and the results were mixed. No one expected him to go out and be the dominant hurler he was in 2004 at Savannah and Brevard County, which is good because he wasn't, going 5-10 with a 6.00 ERA in 20 games (19 starts) for Potomac. But he made progress and showed flashes of why he was chosen in the first round of the 2002 draft. There was a July 22 game against Kinston in which he allowed only one hit over 5 2/3 scoreless innings. There also was the June 6 outing against Winston-Salem during which he pitched three-hit, shutout ball for six innings. Those are the outings to which the Nats will point when they place Everts for the 2007 season.
Audio: Everts fans another Key

Cinderella Story

Larry Broadway, 1B
To credit a player with a storybook season, especially after he's already had a Minor League year in which he belted 22 homers and drove in 72 runs, sounds a bit fishy. But Broadway deserves all the credit after working his way back from knee problems that limited him last season and contributed to his power numbers falling to 13 homers and 33 RBIs. He came back this year, played a full season in New Orleans and remained healthy. And though he'll turn 26 in December, he could be on the verge of something special with Washington after Nick Johnson suffered a horrific broken leg last month in New York. If Johnson isn't ready next spring, expect Broadway to finally get his chance.
Video: Broadway bunts for a single

Breakout Year

Some players were pegged as breakout candidates before the season began. Did they live up to expectations?

Aaron Jackson, RHP
Having spent a second season with Vermont of the New York-Penn League seems to have done wonders for the former 22nd-round pick. He finished second in the organization with a 3.19 ERA and would have been the leader had it not been for the two runs he allowed over four innings in his lone South Atlantic League outing. He halved his ERA from 2005 and allowed only one home run in 63 2/3 innings. Jackson also gave up two earned runs or fewer in eight of his 11 starts.
Audio: Jackson fans his seventh Vermont victim

2006 Draft Recap

1. Chris Marrero, 3B
A sluggish senior season at Monsignor Pace High School in Opa-Locka, Fla., did little to deter the Nats, who chose the potential-laden infielder with the 15th overall pick. He has some power potential but went homerless in 81 Gulf Coast League at-bats, though he hit .309 and drove in 16 runs before his season ended in early August when he contracted viral meningitis. He hit safely in his final six games, going 9-for-21 (.429) with five RBIs.

2. Colton Willems, RHP
The second of two first-round picks, Williams was nabbed with the 22nd selection out of John Carroll High in Fort Pierce, Fla. He worked with former big leaguer David West for much of his high school career, and that work was evident during the 16 innings he pitched in the GCL. Although he was 0-1, he had a 3.38 ERA and struck out eight.

3. Sean Black, RHP
The hard-throwing right-hander opted to attend Seton Hall University when he couldn't come to contract terms with the Nats. He wanted first-round money, despite bing chosen 59th. Short of that, he wanted an almost $1 million signing bonus, which would not have been slot money.

4. Stephen Englund, OF
The Nats chose the Washington native with the 70th selection, despite inconsistencies at the plate during his high school career. He has a great deal of power potential but didn't show much in the GCL, hitting .183 with a homer and 12 RBIs in 115 at-bats.

5. Stephen King, SS
Having drawn comparisons to some of the game's best tooled up young shortstops, it's no mystery why the Nats chose King. He signed for $750,000 in mid-August, though he had made a commitment to LSU. Leg injuries hurt his draft stock, but he's healthy now and may prove to be a steal for Washington down the line.

2005 Draft Recap

1. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B
Can you say Rookie of the Year? The official vote won't be announced for a few weeks, but most observers believe Zimmerman will get the nod after a spectacular season. He hit .287 with 20 homers and 110 RBIs while playing 157 games in what was an otherwise disappointing season for the Nats. He'll rightfully take his place alongside childhood friend David Wright as one of the two best young third basemen in the National League.
Video: Zimmerman at the Rookie Career Development Program

2. Justin Maxwell, OF
The University of Maryland product signed late and, as a result, didn't see any action in 2005. That may have played a role in a lackluster 2006, during which he combined to hit .252 at Savannah of the South Atlantic League and Vermont of the New York-Penn League. Maxwell struggled in the Sally League, batting .172 in 58 at-bats. Though he showed some improvement after a demotion, it wasn't enough to get excited about him in 2007.
Audio: Maxwell cranks a three-run homer vs. Lowell

3. Ryan DeLaughter, OF
The 19-year-old spent the entire season in Vermont and his maiden voyage into pro ball was a rough one. He hit .227 with two homers and 22 RBIs in 59 games, striking out 75 times in 203 at-bats.
Audio: DeLaughter goes deep against Mahoning Valley