Tag: Washington Nationals

Top 5 MLB players under the age of 24

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MLB has a whole bunch of young guys playing today, with a load of talent. Every season baseball brings a new cluster of young players who are more than ready to take over as future stars. The storm is coming, so get ready – these are the 5 who are poised to make huge impacts from the potential that we have seen so far in their short careers.

5. Gleyber Torres  / 23 years old / SS / New York Yankees
335 games / 65 HRs / 190 RBI / .477 slugging pct
Gleyber Torres showed his budding power skills off with great swing and a .480 slugging pct in 2018, and his 24 HRs in his rookie campaign showed he has the power to set off a pitch. His on the ball defense needs some work and he has to get faster making decisions – but his swing has been good. HIs 90 RBI in 2019 was 2nd on the team – which was behind only DJ LeMahieu – he has shown the ability to get runners home. He smashed 38 HRs and went off for a .535 slugging pct in 2019 was 2nd only behind their power-man, Aaron Judge, his potential is truly off the charts

4. Luis Robert, CF, White Sox   / 23 years old / CF / Chicago White Sox
80 games / 12 HRs / 39 RBI / 76 hits
Robert looks like he can become a velvety solid hit machine, in his 1st season he racked up 47 hits in 56 games played – it is unfortunate his 1st season was the 2020 season, there could have been so much more shown. With what he showed, I expect the special hitter to be one of the top players for many future years to come. He can be described as fire – with his eye and swing- he is someone that most opponents don’t like seeing in the box.

3. Juan Soto / 22 years old / LF / Washington Nationals
327 games / 71 HRs / 225 RBI / .553 slugging pct
Soto has some massive power, with 71 HRs in 1160 at bats in his short career, in 2020, during the shortened season, he led the league in batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, not too bad as a 21 year old. He rolled up into 5th in MVP voting – as a 21 year old, I think it is very easy to say, he has a very realistic shot to land himself a couple of those in his career. Soto can be a steady 40 HR player under regular circumstances – the 225lb lefty should have a fantastic career. He is as close to a can’t miss stud as anyone imaginable.

2. Fernando Tatis Jr.  / 21 years old / SS / San Diego Padres
162 games / 46 HRs / 109 RBI / .294 batting avg
Tatis is a big physical player at SS
Tatis has a great eye and has been absolutely magnificent with early pitches – which is tough to handle for anyone on the bump. The 21 year old ran into 4th place in NL MVP voting in 2020, as he led the Padres in HR in 2020. Tatis was formidable posting a solid .277/ .366 / .571 slash line with 17 home runs, 45 RBIs and 50 runs scored in his 2nd major league season. Tatis showed better plate discipline by walking more often and striking out less

1. Ronald Acuna Jr  / 22 years old / OF / Atlanta Braves
338 games / 90 HRs / 213 RBI / 64 stolen bases
Ronald Acuna was Rookie of the Year in 2018 after having a marvelous 1st season, with 26 HR, a .293 avg, 127 hits and 16 stolen bases. He has shown off speed with the sneaky ability to grab bases and can make teams pay when playing deepened defense. He found a way to lead the league in RBI with 127 in 2019 at just 21 years old – he knows how to run the bases and when to send the ball out to get his guys home. His speed has been lethal – tallying 37 stolen bases in 2019 was 7+ ahead of dangerous bases stealers, Christian Yelich and Starling Marte. He is a guy who can do it all with lightning speed, good power and a great clutch bat.

When it comes to young exciting superstars they are all over the MLB – they all have such great promise to show up and entertain for years to come. But, these are the few guys who are on their way to truly taking over the game over the next several years.
Sit back and enjoy the show – there’s a ton to see.

2019 NL Best Bet for Baseball

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Look for 2nd year manager Dave Martinez to have a big season for the Washington Nationals.

Washington slumped to 82-80 last year, its worst mark since 2011.

The Nats have still yet to get past the NLDS since moving to Washington despite arguably having the best team in the majors in a couple of those four seasons.

Washington opens the regular season March 28th at home vs. the rival Mets.

Nationals have one of the best offensive outfields in baseball in left fielder Juan Soto, mega-prospect Victor Robles in center and Adam Eaton in right. Soto was runner-up to Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr. for NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2018. All Soto did at age 19 (now 20) was hit .292 with 22 homers, 70 RBIs, a .406 OBP and 79 walks in just 414 at-bats.
The sky is the limit for Soto. Robles, who is currently 21, tore up the minors and hit .288 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 59 big-league at-bats. Eaton is also a great offensive player.

Washington took a one-year flier on former Twins and Dodgers second baseman Brian Dozier this off-season. He hit 21 dingers last year but just .215. During the 2016 and ’17 seasons, Dozier finished in the Top 13 in voting for the American League Most Valuable Player award. He can’t play defense, but neither could incumbent Daniel Murphy (traded to Cubs last August). The team also upgraded at catcher – Washington’s backstops had a combined WAR of 0.5 last year – in trading for Indians All-Star Yan Gomes and signing free-agent Kurt Suzuki. Gomes posted a .762 OPS with a career-best 26 doubles, 16 home runs and 2.2 WAR, seventh best in MLB in 2018. Suzuki hit .271 with 12 homers and 50 RBIs, good for a WAR of 2.1. That’s a great duo.

The projected lineup will be: OF Eaton, SS Trea Turner (a solid longer-shot MVP bet), 3B Anthony Rendon (poised for big season with free agency on tap), OF Soto, 1B Ryan Zimmerman, 2B Dozier, OF Robles, C Gomes/Suzuki. Strong!

As good as that lineup looks, the rotation has a chance to be the best in baseball. It’s led by the incomparable Max Scherzer (18-7, 2.53). It looked as if he might win a third straight Cy Young last year and fourth overall, but he was passed down the stretch by the Mets’ Jacob deGrom. All Scherzer did was lead all NL pitchers in strikeouts (300), strikeouts per nine innings (12.24), strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.88), WHIP (0.91) and innings (220 2/3). He also became just the fifth pitcher since 2001 to strike out 300 in a season.

Stephen Strasburg is fabulous when healthy, but at this point we have to assume he will spend at least one stint on the DL. He finished 10-7 with a 3.74 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 130 innings last year.

The Nats took some of the Harper money and signed the top free-agent pitcher on the market in former Arizona lefty Patrick Corbin. He got six years and $140 million. Corbin comes off his best season, going 11-7 with a 3.15 ERA and 246 strikeouts to just 48 walks. He made the NL All-Star team for a second time and finished fifth in the voting for the NL Cy Young Award.

The back end featured free-agent addition Anibal Sanchez, who had a terrific bounce-back season in 2018 for the Braves, and the solid Joe Ross.

The Washington win total is 88.5 and I love this to go OVER THE TOTAL.

Be sure to grab our MLB Early Bird Baseball deal.