P-Nats Announce 2016 Opening Day Roster

Woodbridge, VA--The Washington Nationals have released the 25-man Opening Day Roster for the Class-A Advanced Potomac Nationals.

The 2016 P-Nats' Roster to begin the 39th campaign of Potomac Baseball features seven players among Baseball America's Top 30 Washington Nationals Prospects, 16 players who have previously donned The Red, White, & Blue, and nine players who are set for their Potomac debut.

Tripp Keister returns for his third season at the helm. The manager of the P-Nats for the 2014 League Championship led the club to a second place finish overall in the Northern Division (65-74) in 2015. Keister led a team that had one of the top pitching staffs in the league despite significant turnover throughout the season due to numerous promotions from the starting rotation. Keister enters the 2016 season with a career (250-222) MiLB managing record after stints with the Gulf Coast League Nationals (2012), Class-A Hagerstown Suns (2013) and with Potomac (2014-current).

The consensus top ranked prospect on Potomac's Opening Day Roster according to both Baseball America and MiLB.com is RHP Erick Fedde (#4). Despite the need for Tommy John surgery shortly prior to the 2014 MLB Draft, the Nationals selected the Las Vegas, NV righty with the 18th overall pick. Fedde burst on to the scene with the Short-season A Auburn Doubledays in 2015. In eight starts, Fedde went (4-1) with a 2.57 ERA and a 4.5:1 K:BB ratio. The first round pick then jumped up to Class A Hagerstown where he gave up six runs in his debut. However, over his next and final five starts of the season, the righty allowed no more than three runs in a single outing and had a 2.92 ERA and .213 opponents batting average.

OF Andrew Stevenson (#8) is one of the more highly touted prospects on the Opening Day Roster according to Baseball America. Stevenson, a second round pick out of LSU in 2015 has been labeled the "Best Athlete", "Best Pure Hitter," and "Fastest Base Runner" in Washington's system. The outfielder split 2015 between Auburn and Hagerstown where he hit over .300 with nine extra-base hits, 25 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases.

SS/2B Osvaldo Abreu (#15) signed with the Nationals out of the Dominican Republic in 2012. Abreu spent all of 2015 in Hagerstown, where he ranked second in the South Atlantic League in runs scored with 74 and fifth in doubles with 35. Hagerstown was a big step for Abreu. He struggled the year prior with Auburn, then raised his batting average nearly 50 points, upped his on-base percentage nearly 80 points, and raised his slugging percentage from .305 to .412.

3B Drew Ward (#16) is the first returning player among Baseball America's Top 30 Prospects. Ward, a 2013 draft pick out of Leedey High School (Leedey, OK), played 111 games for the P-Nats in 2015 where he hit .249 with six home runs and 47 RBIs. The third round pick, originally on track to be part of the 2014 HS graduating class, sped up his graduation to join the 2013 MLB Draft and thus has been one of the younger players at each level he has played at. The youngest member of the 2015 P-Nats Opening Day Roster will hold the same honor in 2016.

C Raudy Read (#23) wrapped up the 2015 season with five games with the P-Nats and heads up a trio of catchers on the 2016 Opening Day Roster. Known for his arm strength, Read has thrown out 41% of attempted basestealers throughout his career. In his five games with Potomac in 2015, Read went 7-18 with 5 RBIs. With Hagerstown, the signee out of the Dominican Republic hit .244 with 5 home runs and 36 RBIs.

RHP Phillips Valdez (#26) spent the bulk of 2015 with the P-Nats and pitched both in a starting role and out of the bullpen. Valdez went (3-2) with a 3.77 ERA in 22 games, 10 starts for Potomac. Originally signed by the Cleveland Indians, Valdez later signed with Tampa Bay and eventually sat out the 2011 season. Washington signed the righty shortly thereafter and he has quickly made his way through the system. With Hagerstown in 2015, Valdez went (5-2) with a 1.47 ERA over eight starts.

RHP Koda Glover (#30) dominated at both levels that he played at in 2015 after Washington selected him in the 8th round of the 2015 MLB Draft. A 6-foot-5 righty, Glover can hit 98 mph and regularly sits in the mid-90's. Baseball America deemed Glover "Closest to the Majors" in Washington's system despite not appearing above Low-A prior to 2016. Baseball America also called Glover's curveball/slider the "Best Secondary Pitch" in the system. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy pitched solely out of the pen in 2015. Glover went (1-1) with a 2.25 ERA over 16 relief outings with Hagerstown. He struck out 27 and walked only one over 24 innings with the Suns.

In addition to Valdez, the P-Nats will welcome seven other returning arms to the rotation and bullpen. RHP Jake Johansen, LHP Robert Orlan, RHP Brian Rauh, RHP Derek Self, LHP Hector Silvestre, LHP Justin Thomas, and LHP Kyle Turnbull. Newcomers to the P-Nats include RHP Ryan Brinley, RHP Wirkin Estevez, RHP Luis Reyes, RHP Andrew Robinson, RHP Mario Sanchez, and RHP Boone Whiting.

Johansen (2nd round, 2013 by Washington; Dallas Baptist University) pitched solely out of the bullpen for the P-Nats in 2015. The right-hander from Allen, TX, went (1-7) with a 5.44 ERA over 48 innings. Johansen struck out 48 and walked 27 over 24 appearances. At 6-foot-6, Johansen is the biggest physical presence on the Opening Day Roster in 2016.

Orlan (30th round, 2012 by Washington; University of North Carolina) spent the majority of the 2015 season with Hagerstown where he went (3-1) with a 3.23 ERA, primarily out of the bullpen. In eight relief outings that followed with the P-Nats, the lefty allowed only four earned runs over eight outings. Orlan held opposing hitters to a .203 batting average and had a 2:1 strikeout to walk ratio.

Rauh (11th round, 2012 by Washington; Chapman University) pitched for three different full season teams in the Washington system in 2015. Rauh started 17 games between Hagerstown, Potomac, and Harrisburg. The California righty went (2-2) with a 2.47 ERA in seven starts with the P-Nats, (2-5) with a 4.83 ERA in eight starts with the Senators, and had no record with a 2.00 ERA in two starts with the Suns. Rauh will begin the 2016 season on the disabled list.

Self (9th round, 2012 by Washington; University of Louisville) pitched in 29 games for the P-Nats in 2015. All bullpen appearances, the righty went (3-5) with a 3.09 ERA. Self walked only eight over 46.2 innings and converted two of his three save opportunities. In eight games in AA, Self picked up a victory over 14 innings of relief.

Silvestre (International Free Agent, 2011 by Washington) missed all of 2015 due to injuries. He pitched for both Potomac and Hagerstown in 2014, where he pitched solely as a starter. With the P-Nats, Silvestre went (1-2) with a 4.45 ERA in six starts. He struck out 21 and walked only three over 28.1 innings. With the Suns, the Dominican went (6-7) with a 4.14 ERA over 91.1 innings. Like 2015, Silvestre will begin the season on the disabled list.

Thomas (21st round, 2013 by Washington; Southern Arkansas University) pitched solely for Potomac in 2015. The lefty went (1-6) out of the bullpen with a 3.43 ERA. Over 28 appearances, Thomas struck out 40 and walked 18. Thomas is one of only two LHP that will start the season on the active roster.

Turnbull (4th round, 2011 by Washington, Santa Barbara City College) pitched for the P-Nats in both 2013 and 2014. The lefty then missed all of 2015 with an injury and will begin the 2016 season on the disabled list. In 2014, Turnbull went (3-3) with a 4.41 ERA for Potomac in 19 games, four starts. Turnbull struck out 37 and walked nine over 49 innings.

Brinley (27th round, 2015 by Washington, Sam Houston State) cruised through much of his first season of professional baseball. Between the Gulf Coast League Nationals, Auburn, and Hagerstown, Brinley went (1-4) with a 1.44 ERA in 21 relief appearances. The righty struck out 16 and walked only one over 31.1 innings.

Estevez (International Free Agent, 2010 by Washington) missed more than a full season's worth of baseball due to injuries following a stint with Hagerstown in 2014. He returned for the Arizona Fall League in 2015 where he allowed six runs in four innings over four relief outings. With Hagerstown in 2014, the Dominican Republic native had a 9.37 ERA and an (0-2) record over five starts. 2016 will mark Estevez's first appearance above A-ball.

Reyes (International Free Agent, 2013) started 24 games for Hagerstown in 2015. One of 10 players on the Opening Day roster to hail from the Dominican Republic, Reyes went (6-7) with a 4.82 ERA for the Suns. Reyes struck out 72 and walked 50 in 117.2 innings. Over his three years as a pro, Reyes has started 47 of the 51 games he has appeared in.

Robinson (12th round, 2010 by Houston) will begin the season with his fourth different organization over the last three years. Robinson has pitched in the minors for the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, and Baltimore Orioles. The righty reached AAA for Houston in 2014 before his release. In 2015, Robinson pitched for Bowie (AA-Baltimore) and Mississippi (AA-Atlanta) where he went a combined (4-2) with a 3.23 ERA in 47 relief outings. His P-Nats debut will mark his first outing below AA since 2012.

Sanchez (International Free Agent, 2012) has quickly climbed the ranks in the Nationals' system. After a season as a reliever in 2014 with Auburn, Sanchez, split time between the rotation and the bullpen with Hagerstown in 2015. With the Suns, Sanchez went (7-5) with a 4.86 ERA. The lone Venezuelan on the Opening Day Roster, Sanchez is the second youngest player on the team, older only than Drew Ward.

Whiting (18th round, 2010 by St. Louis) spent the first five years of his career in the St. Louis system where he reached as high as AAA Memphis. Whiting was released by the Cardinals in the middle of 2015 and signed with the Colorado Rockies, where he remained in the Pacific Coast League but with Albuquerque. In 24 AAA games in 2015, 14 starts, Whiting went (4-9) with a 6.44 ERA. Whiting has never pitched at High-A and has been at or above AA since August of 2012.

C Andruth Ramirez (International Free Agent, 2008) will begin the season on the Potomac disabled list. Ramirez has not pitched in either of the past two seasons. His last stint in the Washington system was with Auburn in 2013. With Auburn, Ramirez hit .148 with two RBIs in 21 games. A native of Azua in the Dominican Republic, Ramirez has played in only one game above short season, that with Hagerstown in 2013.

C Matt Reistetter (MiLB FA, 2013; Hofstra) played for the P-Nats for just one game in 2015 and spent the rest of his season with Hagerstown. With the Suns, the New York native hit .304 with one home run and 21 RBIs in 60 games. Reistetter did not play in 2014 due to Tommy John surgery.

The infield returns two other starters in addition to Ward and top prospect Abreu. David Masters and Khayyan Norfork will don P-Nats gear yet again. 1B Jose Marmolejos-Diaz and 2B Bryan Mejia, both of the Dominican Republic, will join them.

Masters (14th round, 2013 by Washington; Central Arizona College) played the majority of 2015 with Hagerstown but finished the season with 17 games for the P-Nats. With Potomac, Masters hit .207 with two doubles and seven RBIs. In 91 games with the Suns, the right-handed hitter had 14 extra-base hits and 30 RBIs. Potentially the starting SS, Masters has a .954 fielding percentage as a SS in his MiLB career.

Norfork (23rd round, 2011 by Washington; University of Tennessee) was a key cog of the 2015 Potomac squad. Norfork played in 101 games and hit .276 with two home runs, 20 doubles, and 28 RBIs. The 27-year-old is the third oldest player on the P-Nats' Opening Day Roster, younger than only Andrew Robinson. Norfork earned a brief trip to AA that ended his 2015 season, as he went 3-10 with two doubles in three games with Harrisburg.

Marmolejos-Diaz (International Free Agent, 2011) had a breakout year in 2015 with Hagerstown. From Santo Domingo, the left-handed first baseman hit .310 with 11 home runs and 87 RBIs in 124 games. Marmolejos-Diaz struck out just 89 times over 124 games and tallied 55 extra-base hits. The first baseman hit in 12 straight games from August 7th to August 19th, a stretch in which he hit .444 with two home runs, seven doubles, and 11 RBIs with a 1.253 OPS.

Mejia (International Free Agent, 2011) was one of the top hitters in the South Atlantic League in 2015. The Bani, DR native hit .345 with five home runs, nine triples, 17 doubles, and 46 RBIs over 62 games. Mejia has played every position aside from catcher in his MiLB career. Somewhat of a super-utility player, Mejia should see time at multiple infield and outfield positions for the P-Nats in 2016.

Joining Stevenson in the outfield will be three players who have donned The Red, White, & Blue before, as Alec Keller, Narciso Mesa, and Brenden Webb all return to Potomac. Dale Carey will join that quartet as a potential starting outfielder.

Keller (17th round, 2014 by Washington; Princeton) split 2015 equally between Hagerstown and Potomac. With the P-Nats, the lone Ivy-Leaguer on the roster hit .283 with 17 RBIs in 53 games. Keller had similar numbers with the Suns, as he hit .302 with 18 extra-base hits and 18 RBIs in 61 games.

Mesa (International Free Agent, 2010) played in 105 games for the P-Nats in 2015. From Azua in the Dominican Republic, Mesa hit .265 with two home runs, 39 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases in 2015. He has 94 stolen bases in 129 attempts in his professional career and could compete for the starting CF role come Opening Day. 2016 will mark Mesa's third stint with Potomac as he tries to break through to AA for the first time.

Webb (30th round, 2009 by Baltimore; Palomar College) signed with the Nationals as a minor league FA after the Orioles released him midway through the 2015 season. With Potomac in 2015, Webb hit .145 in just 19 games. The second of two left-handed hitters in the outfield on the Opening Day Roster, Webb will begin the season on the disabled list.

Carey (7th round, 2014 by Washington, University of Miami) has spent much of his first two professional seasons as the starting CF for Auburn and Hagerstown. With the Suns in 2015, Carey hit .234 with eight home runs and 52 RBIs. Known by many as D.K., Carey is an elite defensive outfielder who will likely earn a starting role alongside Stevenson and Mesa. The former Miami Hurricane made multiple appearances on ESPN's Sportscenter Top 10 Plays of the Night for his defensive efforts while at The University of Miami.

Two veterans will work alongside Keister for 2016, as Franklin Bravo (Pitching Coach) and Luis Ordaz (Hitting Coach) will assist the third year manager.

Bravo led the 2015 P-Nats' pitching staff to the third best ERA in the Carolina League (3.31) and tutored top Washington Nationals prospect RHP Lucas Giolito as well as RHP Reynaldo Lopez and LHP Matt Purke, now a farmhand of the Chicago White Sox.

Ordaz begins his first season with Potomac and sixth within the National's system. The former infielder appeared in 206 MLB games with St. Louis, Kansas City, and Tampa Bay. Ordaz has spent the last two seasons as the hitting coach for Hagerstown, a role he held the two years prior with Auburn.

In 2016, the Potomac Nationals covet their sixth Mills Cup Championship in franchise history.

The Potomac Nationals of the Carolina League play at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Virginia, and are the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The Potomac Nationals have claimed five Carolina League Championship titles (1982, 1989, 2008, 2010, and 2014) and nine CL Northern Division Championships. Potomac Nationals 2016 season tickets, mini plans, and single game tickets are now on sale. Sponsorship opportunities for the 2016 season and beyond are available. Corporate outing reservations for the 2016 season to watch the future stars of the Washington Nationals at The Pfitz may be placed now as the P-Nats offer discounted group ticket rates and all-inclusive picnics. Visit the P-Nats online at www.potomacnationals.com or call the Potomac Nationals Ticket Office at 703-590-2311 for more information!

-- Potomac Nationals --