Just Missed MiLB.com's Top 50

Nationals outfield prospect Justin Maxell just missed being on MiLB.com's Top 50 Prospects list. Maxwell, in my opinion, should start next season in Harrisburg but probably won't end there.

Just missed the cutWith all the debate around the top 50 -- who got in and who didn't -- it's only fair to point out who just missed making the cut. After all, being considered prospect No. 51-60 in all of baseball is nothing to sneeze at:

51. Jason Heyward, OF, Braves
52. Brett Anderson, LHP, Diamondbacks
53. Gorkys Hernandez, OF, Braves
54. Jeff Niemman, RHP, Rays
55. Daric Barton, 1B, A's
56. Michael Bowden, RHP, Red Sox
57. Ryan Tucker, RHP, Marlins
58. Chuck Lofgren, LHP, Indians
59. Wladimir Balentien, OF, Mariners
60. Justin Maxwell, OF, Nationals

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Top 50 Prospects by MiLB.com

MiLB.com completed their list of the Top 50 Prospects in baseball. As I reported earlier this week only two Nationals players made the list, Chris Marrero (31) and Ross Detwiler (37).

With good drafts the past two seasons I would expect to see more Nationals players on this list next season.

Here is a quick look at the Top Ten Prospects:
Jay Bruce
Evan Longoria
Cameron Maybin
Clayton Kershaw
Joba Chamberlain
Clay Buchholz
Colby Rasmus
Andrew McCutchen
Homer Bailey
Adam Miller

Here is a link to the complete list:
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/news/top50/y2008/

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MiLB Top 50 Prospects Countdown

Minor League Baseball is announcing their 2007 Post-Season list of the Top 50 Prospects in Baseball. They will be releasing the names of the top prospects in groups of 10 per day. In the week long announcement, which began yesterday, there have been two players in the Nationals farm system on the list.

Ross Detwiler is ranked at #37. I'm guessing that Detwiler will start 2008 in Harrisburg.
Here is a link to MiLB.com player profile page on Detweiler.
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/news/top50/y2008/profile.jsp?t=p_top&pid=446321

Chris Marrero is ranked at #31. Marrero should make his Double-A debut at some point in 2008.
Here is a link to MiLB.com player profile page on Marrero.
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/news/top50/y2008/profile.jsp?t=p_top&pid=502029

I will continue to post any Nationals farm system players on the list. At this point I do not forsee any current or former Senators being on this list.

Here is a link to the complete list.
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/news/top50/y2008/

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Senators to hire new GM

Geoff Morrow, of the Patriot-News, reported that the Harrisburg Senators will be announcing a new General Manager today. Morrow’s source said that the new GM will be Randy Whitaker. Whitaker recently served as the research and marketing director at WHTM 27 news. I will try to post a profile of Whitaker later today.

Here is Morrow’s full story:
The Harrisburg Senators will introduce Randy Whitaker as the team's new general manager today, a source said Monday. Whitaker, the researching and marketing director at WHTM ABC 27 and a longtime Senators fan, according to the source, will replace Todd Vander Woude, who resigned earlier this month.

Vander Woude held the post since June 1992 after serving as an assistant to Rick Redd. When minor league baseball returned to City Island in 1987, Redd was named the team's first general manager, and he immediately hired Vander Woude as his assistant.

New owner Michael Reinsdorf and Vander Woude came to a mutual agreement that led to the latter's resignation, although Vander Woude was expected to stay on as a consultant as the Class AA Eastern League club pushes for state financing to begin renovations at Commerce Bank Park. Neither Reinsdorf nor Whitaker could be reached for comment, although an announcement is expected from the Senators this morning.

Reinsdorf earlier indicated he wanted to hire a new general manager before the winter baseball meetings, which are scheduled for Dec. 3-6 in Nashville, Tenn. The Chicago businessman and son of White Sox and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf also said he doesn't expect to hire an assistant general manager. Mark Mattern previously held that post but was fired in October, days after Michael Reinsdorf officially assumed ownership from the city of Harrisburg.

The Senators, Class AA affiliate of the Washington Nationals, still don't have an on-field manager. The Nationals have stated earlier they hope to have their minor league staffs announced by the winter baseball meetings.

Scott Little, last year's manager, left the organization after the season. John Stearns, the 2006 manager, was asked to return to Harrisburg for 2008 but hasn't yet accepted the offer.

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2008 Nationals Top 20 Prospects by John Sickels

John Sickels, a very well respected ‘baseball mind’, released his list of the, 2008 Top 20 Prospects in the Washington Nationals organization. I’ve been reading John’s list of prospects for several years and always look forward to his rankings. At times he seems to grade pretty tough but he is normally pretty accurate. From Sickels list of 2008 prospects, seven players (in Bold) appeared in Senators uniform, at some point in their career.

John Lannan (left) and Collin Balester (Right)

Washington Nationals Top 20 Prospects for 2008
All grades are EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY and subject to change.

1. Chris Marrero, 1B-OF, Grade B+
2. Ross Detwiler, LHP, Grade B+
3. Michael Burgess, OF, Grade B+
4. Justin Maxwell, OF, Grade B
5. Jordan Zimmerman, RHP, Grade B
6. Collin Balester, RHP, Grade B-
7. Josh Smoker, LHP, Grade B-(for some reason I really love this guy)
8. Adam Carr, RHP, Grade B-
9. John Lannan, LHP, Grade B- (too high?)
10. Glenn Gibson, LHP, Grade C+ (borderline B-)
11. Colton Willems, RHP, Grade C+
12. Ian Desmond, SS, Grade C+
13. Jack McGeary, LHP, Grade C+
14. Jake Smolinski, OF, Grade C+
15. Jon Albaladejo, RHP, Grade C+
16. Adrian Alaniz, RHP, Grade C+
17. Shairon Martis, RHP, Grade C+
18. Jhonny Nunez, RHP, Grade C+
19. Kory Casto, OF-3B, Grade C+
20. Josh Whitesell, 1B, Grade C

There are 15 other players in the book. Again, I emphasize that all these
grades are preliminary, and that the Grade C+/C guys are close to interchangeable.

There is a lot of Potential pitching depth in this system, and many of those Grade C+ guys have the ability to end up as Grade B/B+ prospects a year from now, once we see them at higher levels and have more data to work with. Overall the Nats have done a good job adding more depth to the system.

John’s grading system brakes down like this:

GRADES AND WHAT THEY MEAN
Grade A prospects are the elite. They have a good chance of becoming stars or superstars. Almost all Grade A prospects develop into major league regulars, if injuries or other problems don't intervene. Note that is a major "if" in some cases.

Grade B prospects have a good chance to enjoy successful careers. Some will develop into stars, some will not. Most end up spending several years in the majors, at the very least in a marginal role.

Grade C prospects are the most common type. These are guys who have something positive going for them, but who may have a question mark or three, or who are just too far away from the majors to get an accurate feel for. A few Grade C guys, especially at the lower levels, do develop into stars. Many end up as role players or bench guys. Some don't make it at all.

A major point to remember is that grades for pitchers do NOT correspond directly to grades for hitters. Many Grade A pitching prospects fail to develop, often due to injuries. Some Grade C pitching prospects turn out much better than expected.

Also note that there is diversity within each category. I'm a tough grader;
Grade C+ is actually good praise coming from me, and some C+ prospects turn out
very well indeed. Finally, keep in mind that all grades are shorthand. You
have to read the full comment in the book for my full opinion about a player,
the letter grade only tells you so much. A Grade C prospect in rookie ball could
end up being very impressive, while a Grade C prospect in Triple-A is likely
just a future role player.

This is my thoughts on John’s list. As with any list a person can sit down a pick apart players that should not be on the list. John’s list is a little harder to do that with but there are a few. There are a few obvious prospects in the organization like Marrero, Smoker and Detwiler. There are even a few players that could be moved up or down (Lannan or Desmond). Then there are players like Albaladejo, Casto and Whitesell, that in my opinion should not be on this list.

Jon Albaladejo (left) and Kory Casto (Right)

Albaladejo, Casto and Whitesell (shown above from left to right) are all fine players that should get a chance to contribute at the MLB level at some point. Casto, who turns 26 in two weeks, is coming off the worst season of his pro career. I also have questions regarding which position will he play? Has he reached his ceiling as a Triple-A player? I saw Albaladejo pitch in Harrisburg in 07 and he didn’t really impress me. He has pitched well at Triple-A Columbus, also with the Nats and in the Venezuela Winter League. I guess that is the reason he is on John’s list. As I wrote in my profile of Whitesell I think he can contribute in DC this year. He is coming off his best season as a pro. I’m concerned about his injury’s and he was a little old for Double-A.

Players I think should fill the spots of Albaladejo, Casto and Whitesell are Zech Zinicola, Stephen King, Esmailyn Gonzalez. All three are younger and have more of an upside.

I will ordering his book to see the final rankings, read his thoughts on each player and see who the other 15 players are. You can pre-order your copy here: http://www.mastersball.com/sickels/

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I’m Back……

I took a week off to spend time with family and friends for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

This week I plan to have several post, some of which may have been posted other places, but are newsworthy and worth posting here.

Coming Soon
Nationals Top 20 Prospects by John Sickels.
Article on the Harrisburg Senators new ownership.
Player Profile (TBD)

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Re-signed: Hall, Hinckley and Yepez

Today Baseball America announced the following players have been signed by the Washington Nationals:

Signed: RHP Eduardo Baeza, RHP Bobby Brownlie, RHP Noel de Leon, RHP Josh Hall, RHP Dennis Tankersley, RHP Jim Ed Warden, LHP Mike Bacsik, LHP Mike Hinckley, C Humberto Cota, SS Marco Yepez, OF Jorge Padilla.

On that list there are three players that spent time with the Harrisburg Senators last season; Josh Hall, Mike Hinckley, and Marco Yepez. The most likely players to return to Harrisburg in 2008 are Hinckley and Yepez.

Mike Hinckley (shown above) struggled last season with a 9-10 record and a 5.83 ERA. At times he looked great but mostly it was a tough Double-A debut for Hinckley. During the season I was thinking Hinckley might be better suited for a long reliever role. Considering the young pitching talent that might be headed to Harrisburg for 2008 a reliever role might be a good option for him.

Marcos Yepez (shown above) is a solid defender who has a strong arm and can hit pretty well. Yepez might end up playing in Columbus next season. It really all depends on who is assigned to Harrisburg next season. I really like Yepez. I hope he does well where ever he ends up next season. He might server as a utility role for some major league team. I think he has the tools to contribute in that role next season, if needed.

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Player Profile: Zech Zinicola

Zech Zinicola - Pitcher
Born: 3/02/1985, San Bernardino, CA
Height: 6’1” – Weight 220
Bats: R – Throws R
College: Arizona State
Drafted: 6th Round of the 2006 First Year Player Draft

2006 was an amazing year for Zech Zinicola. In June he was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 6th Round of the First Year Player Draft. In the first three months of his pro career he pitched at Low-A Vermont, High-A Potomac, and Double-A Harrisburg. He had a combined record of 4-1, 8 saves and a 1.65 ERA in 19 games. He was honored by the Washington Nationals as their Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Zech was supposed to play in the Hawaii Winter League but was shutdown due to a small injury and the number of innings he pitched.

The Nationals seemed to have placed Zinicola on the ‘fast track’. Nationals fans, blogs and media were expecting him to make his pro debut in 2007; some even speculated that he would get called up in Sept 2006. Most everyone was touting him as the replacement to established Nationals closer Chad Cordero.

Entering the 2007 season Zinicola was ranked by Baseball America as the 6th best prospect in the Nationals organization. He returned to Harrisburg to start the season. Many people, including myself, thought it would be a brief stay but that was not the case. April ended and he had an 11.25 ERA. At times he pitched very well, other times he didn’t and sometimes I think he was left in the game to long. Overall his struggles continued and he ended the season, in Harrisburg, with a 0-4 record, 6 saves, and a 5.46 ERA.

In researching Zinicola, I noticed that there are several websites, blogs and baseball minds are questioning his prospect status based on his 2007 stats. Something we all have to remember, before rushing to judgment and removing the prospect label from Zinicola, is that he has only been pitching full-time for two years. He did not make the switch to full-time pitcher until his final year in college, which was only last year. He has a lot to learn, in terms of pitching. He has ‘good stuff’ and should continue to develop on the mound.

He struggled this past season with control of his 95 MPH fastball and got behind in the count. That took away the ability to use his other pitches (slider and split-finger). His slider ranks as the best in the Nationals organization, by Baseball America. Senators catcher, Luke Montz, was quoted as saying Zinicola’s split-finger is “unreal”. To be more effective he is going to have to have better location and control of his fastball. If he can become more consistent I think he will be able to live up to everyone’s initial expectations.

I last spoke with Zech after the Senators final home game on September 3. As he was preparing to drive from Pennsylvania to California (home) he told me his goals were to play well in the Arizona Fall League and earn a spring training invite by the Nationals. In the AFL, which is known as a hitters league, he finished with a 3.48 ERA in 10 innings. I’m not sure if that will earn him a spring training invite but he did improve his ERA which is a good starting point.

I’m not sure where Zech will start next season. My guess would be either Harrisburg or Columbus depending on how well he does in spring training. Either way I wish him well. He is a great a competitor and a good guy, who always stopped to talk to and sign for kids. He was always nice to me and my son too, which I greatly appreciated.

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Senators, Lannan Honored

This news is a little old but still good news for Harrisburg Senators fans. John Lannan, who played in 6 games for the Senators, was named by the Washington Nationals as their Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Lannan went a combined 12-3 with a 2.31 ERA (best ERA in Nationals farm system) in 21 minor league appearances. After being called up to the majors in July, Lannan went 2-2 with a 4.15 ERA.

While in Harrisburg Lannan went 3-2 with a 3.25 ERA. He earned a promotion to Triple-A Columbus on June 20, 2007 and was called up to the majors on July 26, 2007.

Note on Lannan:
Lannan became only the 5th player in recent history to be ejected in his first Major League appearance. Despite being known as a control pitcher, in the 5th inning against the Philadelphia Phillies, he hit both Chase Utley and Ryan Howard with high inside fastball. He was ejected immediately.


Also receiving the honor of Nationals Minor League Player of the Year is Justin Maxwell. Maxwell, projects to start the 2008 season in Harrisburg or Columbus.


Coming up next:
Player Profile on Zech Zinicola

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Player Profile: Josh Whitesell

Player Profile – Josh Whitesell
Born: April 14, 1982 in Durham, NC
Height: 6’ 3” / Weight: 220
College: Loyola Marymount University (CA)
Drafted in the 6th Round of the 2003 First Year Player Draft

Does Josh Whitesell have a future with the Washington Nationals organization? Where will he be playing next season? These are two of the biggest questions I had to find answers for while preparing my Player Profile on Whitesell.

Something I know from watching him play the past two years in Harrisburg is he has tremendous talent and continues to improve his overall game. I’m a fan of Josh and really enjoyed watching him play. He has always been nice to the fans, displayed good sportsmanship and liked by the team.

In 2005 at High-A, Potomac, Whitesell batted .293, 18 homeruns, 32 doubles and 66 RBI’s. He was also voted to the Carolina League Mid-Season All Star team. Based on his stats at Potomac he earned a promotion to AA, Harrisburg Senators for the 2006 season.

Josh entered the 2006 season as one of the Nationals top prospects at First Base. The Eastern League is considered a strong pitching league, Whitesell’s average slip to .263 with 19 homeruns, 11 doubles and 56 RBI’s. He only walked only 53 times compared to 74 times the previous season. He had a long swing and holes in his swing which was exploited by good pitching. Good pitching combined with faults in his swing lead to a high strike out total (125). He also became known for his weak defense and was frequently substituted for in late innings of close games.

Josh returned to Harrisburg for the 2007 season. When I saw him on ‘Press Night’ he looked as though he lost 20 pounds and increased muscle mass. Basically he looked lean and ready to play.
Looks were not deceiving. Josh posted career highs in homeruns (21), RBI’s (74), Stolen bases (6), Walks (87) and on base percentage (.425). He also lowered his strikeout total by 18. Even though he had a career year at the plate, I think his biggest improvement came on the defensive end. I do not remember him being substituted in late innings of games. He appeared to be more comfortable defensively.

Josh received several honors for his 2007 performance:
- Eastern League Mid-Season All Star
- Baseball America: Eastern League “Best Tools”, Best Defensive First Baseman
- Baseball America Best Strike-Zone Discipline (Nationals Minor Leagues)
- Nationals Double-A Player of the Month for May
- Sennators Season Ending Awards (voted on by team and staff): Team MVP
- Added to the Washington Nationals 40-Man Roster

As I stated at the beginning of this profile, there were two big questions that I was trying to answer. Writing about his stats was the easy part, trying to figure out Josh’s future with the Nats and where he will play next season was the hard part.

I believe he has the ability to contribute at the big league level next season. Do the Nats have room for him? Without trading either Dmitri Young (who was just signed to a long-term contract) or Nick Johnson, I don’t think they do. Kory Casto has also been playing First base in the Arizona Fall League and might see action there next season. Josh might receive a spring invite but I don’t think he will be on the opening day roster.

Will Josh be assigned to Triple-A, Columbus Clippers? This seems the most likely place for him. How much playing time will he get with Larry Broadway being there? Will the Nats trade Broadway to make room for Whitesell? I wish this would happen as I feel Josh has a brighter future, is younger then Broadway and has more to offer to the organization.

There is the possibility that Whitesell might be traded. He is coming off a career season so his trade value is higher then Young (who is not so young, 34), Casto (had a bad season) or Broadway. I’m not sure the Nationals should trade him at this point.

My personal opinion is give Whitesell an invite to spring training. Keep him around longer then a few weeks and see what he can do with big league pitching. If he does well, give him the opportunity to make the team. He has shown the willingness to work hard, improve the flaws in his game and put up good numbers. Josh deserves a shot.

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Scott Little to manage Frisco RoughRiders

Scott Little, 44, who played for the Senators in 1988 and managed them this past summer, has been named the manager of the Frisco RoughRiders, AA affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Little who played and managed in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, and managed in the Dodgers organization; takes over a RoughRiders tean that made the playoffs last season. Right before the season ended Little announced he would not return to the Nationals organization.

The Senators are looking for a replacement for Little. The Washington Nationals would like for John Sterns to return to Harrisburg where he was coach for he 2006 season. In 2007 Sterns managed the Nationals AAA Affilate, Columbus Clippers to a 64-80 record.

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Player Profile: Ian Desmond

Ian Desmond
Born 9/20/1985, Sarasota, Fl
6’2”, 185 weight
Bat R / Throw R
Drafted: 3rd Round of the 2004 First Year Player Draft

Ian projects to start the 2008 season in Harrisburg where he played 37 games in 2006. At the start of the 2006 season Ian was only 19 but displayed excellent tools and Baseball America listed him as the 4th best prospect in the Nationals organization. The Nationals put him on the 'fast track' and had big plans for him.

Everything did not work as planned. While in Harrisburg, Ian’s average fell to .182 with no homeruns and only 3 rbi’s in 121 AB’s. He looked over matched at the plate, committed to many errors and many baseball minds said the Nationals were wrong for putting him on the 'fast track'. The Nationals reassigned him to High-A, Potomac where he finished the season batting .244 with 9 homeruns and 45 RBI’s but had too many strikeouts.

Ian returned to Potomac for the 2007 season to work on his confidence at the plate, lower his strike outs and errors. Ian’s totals improved that season raising his average to .264 with 13 HR’s and lowering his strikeout total by 15. After the All-Star break is where Ian saw the most success at the plate batting .286 with 7 HR’s in the final half of the season. In August and September he batted over .360.

I consider Ian’s return to Potomac a success. His average, HR total, OBS and OPS increased and strike outs decreased. He has soft hands, strong arm and the ability to make tough plays. He is a really nice guy with a bright future. His second time in Harrisburg comes with less pressure (not listed as a top ten prospect and the comparisons to Derek Jeter have faded). He will come here better prepared, more mature (physically and mentally), and more confident. I look forward watching him play the 2008 season in Harrisburg.

MiLB Player Page:
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Ian%20Desmond&pos=SS&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=435622

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Nationals Prospects with the Best Tools

Baseball America announced their list of which Washington Nationals prospects have the ‘Best Tools’ in the organization. 5 players on this list appeared in a Senators uniform (Whitesell, Brenadina, Zinicola, Ivany and Desmond). Both Bernadina (photo: stealing 3rd) and Desmond appear on the list twice.


Best Hitter for Average - Jake Smolinski
Best Power Hitter - Chris Marrero
Best Strike-Zone Discipline - Josh Whitesell
Fastest Baserunner - Rogearvin Bernadina
Best Athlete - Justin Maxwell
Best Fastball - Ross Detwiler
Best Curveball - Jack McGeary
Best Slider - Zech Zinicola
Best Changeup - Glenn Gibson
Best Control - Glenn Gibson
Best Defensive Catcher - Devin Ivany
Best Defensive Infielder - Ian Desmond
Best Infield Arm - Ian Desmond
Best Defensive Outfielder - Rogearvin Bernadina
Best Outfield Arm - Edgardo Baez

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Baseball America Announces Nationals Top 10 Prospects

Today Baseball America announced the 2008 pre-season, Washington Nationals Top Ten Prospects list. Only former Senators rhp Collin Balester made the list. Balester, who played part of two seasons with the Senators was #3 on the list. Balester was ranked as the Nationals #1 prospect entering the 2007 season. In 2007 he posted a 4 – 10 record with a 3.89 ERA. While in Harrisburg, he showed good stuff but suffered from poor run support, which lead to a 3-7 record. He is just 21 with a bright future if he can stay healthy and get run support he could be in the Nationals rotation for a long time.



The Washington Nationals Top Ten Prospects by Baseball America are:

1. Chris Marrero, of/1b
2. Ross Detwiler, lhp
3. Collin Balester, rhp
4. Michael Burgess, of
5. Jack McGeary, lhp
6. Josh Smoker, lhp
7. Jordan Zimmerman, rhp
8. Glenn Gibson, lhp
9. Justin Maxwell, of
10. Colton Willems, rhp

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Harrisburg Senators Fans Unite!!!!

This is my blog dedicated to Harrisburg Senators, the AA – affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The Senators are located in Harrisburg, Pa and playball at Commerce Bank Park located on City Island.

I plan to cover all aspects of the Harrisburg Senators and provide current roster information, daily scores, game reports, player statistics, team standings and player interviews.

I will provide game and player photographs. I received Press credentials to photograph the Harrisburg Senators for the 2007 season. Over the last several years my images have appeared on MiLB.com, MLB.com, Washington Nationals website, and various other sites.

In the ‘off season’ I plan to cover Senators playing in the Arizona Fall League, Hawaii Winter Baseball and the Caribbean Leagues. On occasion I will write player profiles on prospects within the Washington Nationals organization. As a side project I plan to write articles on the history of baseball in Harrisburg.

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