Washington Nationals Farm Report - May 2024

Through a little over a month of baseball, the Wilmington Blue Rocks are above .500 and hold the 2nd spot in the South Atlantic League North. They have held their own as one of the Washington Nationals minor league affiliates, but how are the rest of the organization’s teams doing to start the season?

Rochester Red Wings (AAA)

The Rochester Red Wings, the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate, is coasting just above .500 heading into mid-May. The team’s 16-15 record places them fourth out of the ten teams in the International League East.

Despite their positive record, the Red Wings have a -10 point differential. This can be easily explained by the 17-0 outlier loss they suffered against the Buffalo Bisons in the middle of April. Rochester has only been shut out twice this season, which is a major testament to the early stars of the season showing up at the plate.

James Wood, who earned his spot on the team after an outstanding performance with the Blue Rocks and the Harrisburg Senators last year, is a key component of the Red Wings’ success so far. Along with his contributions in the outfield, Wood leads Rochester’s offense in multiple facets including hits (41), runs (26), walks (23), and OBP (.444) and OPS (.973). Only 21 years old, the Nationals’ second-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft is pushing toward his major league debut.

Wood is putting on a show, but he isn’t the only one in the spotlight for Rochester. Right-fielder Travis Blankenhorn is looking to make his return to the MLB, and he is certainly putting up the numbers to argue his case. At 27 years old, he leads the Red Wings with ten home runs, 27 RBIs, and .600 SLG in 30 games.

Reliever Rico Garcia is another name to know as he claims four of the Red Wings’ wins this season. Through 11 games and a total of just over 14 innings, the right-hander has allowed only seven hits and three runs and has struck out 21 batters. His dominant performance has earned him a breathtaking 1.84 ERA.

Harrisburg Senators (AA)

The Nationals’ Double-A team, the Harrisburg Senators, have also started the season off well. They are third of six in the Eastern League Southwest with 16 wins, 12 losses, and a +6 point differential.

While two offensive players stand out in Rochester, a much larger group of hitters contributed tremendously to the Senators’ success this past month.

Despite only playing in 18 of the team’s first 28 games, Dylan Crews leads the team with 15 RBIs. The second overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft skipped over Wilmington as he worked his way from the A-affiliate Fredericksburg Nationals last year. Now in his second season with the Senators, he is working his way toward the show by taking advantage of every opportunity he gets.

Robert Hassell and Brady House have also made great impacts on the Senators’ offensive production this past month. Right-fielder Hassell leads the team in hits (32) and stolen bases (nine). House, a third baseman, leads with five home runs and 15 walks, and the two are tied for the most runs (16).

Fredericksburg Nationals (A)

The Fredericksburg Nationals have started their season red hot. The A-affiliate of the Nationals, Fredericksburg has a 20-9 record and is second out of six teams in the Carolina League North. Even more impressive, the team has a +58 point differential, a remarkable number in only 29 games.

Fredericksburg has had many offensive contributions from various players, and one even did enough to move up to join us in Wilmington. Third baseman Phillip Glasser was promoted to High-A at the end of April after tallying 19 runs, 24 hits, and 12 RBIs.

Gavin Dugas leads the team in runs (20), Brandon Pimentel leads in hits (31) and RBIs (34), and Elijah Green has the most home runs (three) and walks (15).

All of the Nationals’ farm teams, including the Blue Rocks, are above .500 and look sharp to start the season. With a long season of baseball ahead of them, these Washington affiliates look to continue their successful runs.