Mound Talk

1. Chris Marrero, OF, A+. Though Marrero’s defense may profile better at first, his offense profiles well anywhere. He has very good power to go alon gwith a smooth, natural lofted swing. He can hit the ball out of the park to any field and has good command of the strike zone. He has a solid arm but his limited speed hinders his overall defensive package. He’s been working out at first in instructional ball and a move there seems imminent.
2. Ross Detwiler, LHSP, MLB. Though he was drafted in 2007, Detwiler signed a Major League contract and saw one inning of big league action, striking out one batter and allowing exactly zero base runners. He has good stuff working in the low-90s on his fastball. His two-seamer has very good movement. He throws a hard spike curve and a plus change-up. All three pitches could be plus pitches soon. His delivery has quirks to it as he delivers the ball across his body. If he straightens this out he’ll transfer more energy into the pitch and could add some velocity to his pitches. This should also help with his command which can be spotty on his fastball and change-up.
3. Collin Balestar, RHSP, AAA. Though he ranked at the end of my Top 100 Prospects list, I am not that high on him. There is a good chance, in my estimation that he completely fails. But what I see in him is a long body that he is still adjusting to and could still develop. He was very young for his levels this year, giving more of a boost to his struggles. On the mound, Balestar exhibits a lively arm. He works his fastball in the low-90s but can touch 96. His curveball is a near plus pitch with good downward break. He should predominantly work off these two pitches and gets into trouble when the throws his change-up too often. His change sits in the mid-80s and is a very hittable pitch. He has succeeded at using this to his advantage at times but needs to refine the pitch significantly in order to achieve his full potential.
4. Michael Burgess, OF, A-. Taken in the supplemental first round of the 2007 draft out of high school, Burgess is a power hitting outfield with a lot of potential. He has a great swing that is very tight and compact. with his above average wrist strength, he is able to control the bat well and punish pitchers mistakes. His raw power potential is very, very good. Defensively, he should be able to stay as a corner outfielder. He, like Marrero, has a very good arm but unlike Marrero, has the defensive range to match. He just needs to maintain consistency at the plate and keep his defensive range and he’ll be fast-tracked to the big leagues.
5. Jordan Zimmerman, RHSP, A-. Zimmerman was taken in the second round of the 2007 draft out of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (Division III) but he’s far from an unknown. He dominated competition as a two-way player in at UW-SP and had an unbelievable season in the Northwoods League in 2006. He works on a 90-95 mph fastball with deep sink to it. Although it doesn’t blow anyone away, it grades out very well. He threw two good breaking balls in college, a slider and a curve, but didn’t show his slider in his pro debut. He has a solid frame and powerful legs. His command is fairly good but he has a tendency to leave his fastball up in the zone. He’ll be a quick mover and could see the Nationals rotation in 2009 if he can improve his change-up.
6. Justin Maxwell, OF, MLB. Maxwell is a very good athlete with very good power potential. He has good speed and is a solid defender. He has made very good strides over the past two seasons to work on his swing which has translated nicely into performance gains. However, he doesn’t have the eye he’ll need to succeed at the big league level. He’s probably looking at a .260/.330/.450 type hitter at best, with 30 stolen bases.
7. Jack McGreary, LHSP, A-. McGreary was taken in the sixth round of the 2007 draft out of high school. He has a good frame to work from and a very good delivery. He was drafted because of his curveball which is very, very good. He is able to throw it for a strike or get a batter to swing out of his shoes. His fastball is below average now, sitting in the upper-80s but his easy arm action leads me to believe he can add some velocity. He should also gain velocity as he matures a little bit. His change is average and his command could use a little consistency. McGreary projects as a #3 pitcher but could develop into a little more than that if his body fills out the way it should.
8. Josh Smoker, LHSP, A+. Taken as a supplemental first rounder in 2007 out of high school, Smoker was given a lofty assignment starting two games in High-A. His fastball is low-90s but features very good movement. His curve is a plus pitch and he has a change-up that could develop into a plus pitch. Everything about him suggests he’ll develop into a good #4 with very good command.
9. Glen Gibson, LHSP, A-. Gibson has good feel on the mound but his stuff isn’t overwhelming. What he does well on the mound is change speeds, locate pitches and knows about his opponents. His change-up is a plus pitch and his curveball has plus potential. His fastball is 86-88 with limited movement. His frame is smaller and he could add weight.
10. John Lannan, LHSP, MLB. Lannan has limited potential but has succeeded over three levels before being promoted to the big leagues this year. He is a groundball pitcher. He works on a fastball in the upper-80s. His curveball sits in the mid-70s and has decent movement. He doesn’t have the best control over either pitch but does a pretty good job of keeping everything down in the zone.
Flier. Zech Zinicola, RHRP, AA. Zinicola struggled in 2007 but has shown good potential as a reliever. Working as a groundball pitcher who doesn’t get many strikeouts, Zinicola has to rely on his command which escaped him in 2007.

The Washington Nationals bolstered a very weak system with their 2007 draft. Guys like Detwiler, Burgess, Zimmeman, McGreary and Smoker all have good potential but each represents a risk and seeing each in a full-season league will give a better understanding of where their game is and what their future might be. Marrero looks like he’ll become a very nice first baseman who should be slightly above average. If he can somehow get back to the outfield, he’ll be much more valuable to the Nationals. Balestar has a lot of potential but has serious questions. Regardless, the Nationals system boasts three guys who have #2 potential or better and a couple more who have value outside of that but again, all have question marks. Many of those need to be answered in full-season ball in 2008 and at this time next year, their list could be completely different.