Rookie Talent

This September had the potential to be a harbinger for things to come in NatsTown - a chance for all the fans to catch a glimpse of the future. Thus far, the rookies have provided more than just a glimpse of the future, they have given the team a new present. Three rooks in particular have piqued my interest. Let's take a look at their resumes and potential for MLB employment in 2012.

Chris Marrero - Drafted 1st round (15th overall) in 2006
Drafting high school players has always been a gamble. The potential is always there with such young players, but it rarely ever develops to full potential - Marrero is no exception. He never turned into the power-hitting first-baseman. However, this September he has shown that although he doesn't have the 1B power he is a fairly intelligent baseball player who has a well-rounded game.

His 2011 season has seen 9 RBIs in just 75 ABs, to go along with a decent .989 Fielding Percentage.

I don't see Marrero with the big club next year, not with LaRoche expected to return in Spring Training and Morse roaming around in Left Field.

Brad Peacock - 41st round (1,231st overall) in 2006
For a player that literally came out of nowhere, Peacock has a helluva resume, from stellar minor league seasons to Pitcher of the Year awards. Peacock has flown through the ranks of the Nationals system, poised to become a major league pitcher as soon as next year. He has shown nothing but positive signs that he is a major part of our future.

His first appearance aside - Peacock dazzled in his only start of his major league career; going 5.0 innings, allowing just two hits and getting his first MLB win.

I see Peacock being in the Nats Rotation in 2012.

Tom Milone - 10th round (301st overall) in 2008
Milone has had a bit more time in the Majors than his counterparts, and his rust is beginning to wear off. So far, each start has been better than the previous, and that is about all you can ask for at this stage. As he gets more comfortable being in 40,000+ seat stadia, Milone has begun to show the stuff that has made him a top Nats prospect.

In his most recent start he went 5.1 IP while giving up just 3 hits - earning his first MLB win.

I see Milone being in the Nats Rotation in 2012.

The scouts and baseball people always say that you can't put too much stock into September performances, I don't think that tells the whole picture though. You can't put too much stock into the numbers in September, whats important to look for is how the players are adjusting to the pressures of everyday life in the bigs - whether they are capable of moving a runner over, or knocking him in on a SAC fly - whether they can get through a lineup that third time, do they get better each time out.

We are witnesses to all of these positives with these three players - enjoy it.

September to Remember

(Blog post inspired by The Mighty Elements - Earth, Wind, and Fire)

In just a few weeks time we are going to be expanding the big league roster from 25 to 40 - and there are plenty of players who will be looking to make an impact on the brass upstairs. Some of these players will be your typical yo-yo, Justin Maxwell-style players who are victims of the options game, and the rest are going to be prospects trying to make a name for themselves for 2012.

The first thing we need to do is check out those players who are already on the 40-Man Roster - their chances and (minors only) stats from 2011 follow.

Adam Carr - AAA RHP - 17 G. 6.63 ERA. 1.789 WHIP. 13 K. 12 BB. - No
Yunesky Maya - MLB/AAA RHP - 17 G. 5.44 ERA. 1.40 WHIP. 68 K. 24 BB. - No
Garrett Mock - AAA RHP - 16 G. 7.04 ERA. 1.722 WHIP. 39 K. 24 BB. - No
Atahualpa Severino - AAA LHP - 25 G. 2.78 ERA. 1.809 WHIP. 28 K. 17 BB. - Maybe
Craig Stammen - AAA RHP - 20 G. 4.82 ERA. 1.411 WHIP. 105 K. 28 BB. - No
Chris Marrero - AAA 1B - .307 AVG. .836 OPS. 13 HR. 62 RBI. - Yes
Roger Bernadina - AAA OF - .230 AVG. .686 OPS. 2 HR. 5 RBI. - Yes
Corey Brown - AAA OF - .225 AVG. .721 OPS. 13 HR. 32 RBI. - No
Bryce Harper - A/AA OF - .302 AVG. .909 OPS. 16 HR. 54 RBI. - No

After this portion of the list a few things pop out.
- We have some waste on our 40-man.
- I don't think the Nats plan on seeing Maya anymore this year, barring injury.
- Same with Brown.

I think that the Nats will seriously consider removing up to 6 members off of their 40-man roster; Brown, Carr, Maya, Mock, Stammen, and (maybe) Severino. Which opens up several slots for those players that have lit up the minors this year.

Keep in mind that most of those new open spots are pitchers (5 to 1), and that there might be moves that happen before September 1st that see one or more of these guys come to DC.

Brad Peacock - AA/AAA RHP - 2.61 ERA. 0.960 WHIP. 152 K. 38 BB. - Yes
Tom Milone - AAA RHP - 3.62 ERA. 1.026 WHIP. 120 K. 10 BB. - Yes
Zech Zinicola - AA/AAA RHP - 2.25 ERA. 1.125 WHIP. 38 K. 10 BB. - Maybe
Erik Arnesen - AA/AAA RHP - 2.69 ERA. 1.142 WHIP. 98 K. 22 BB. - Maybe
Brad Meyers - AAA RHP - 3.47 ERA. 1.182 WHIP. 99 K. 12 BB. - No
Matt Antonelli - AA/AAA UTIL - .293 AVG. .811 OPS. 5 HR. 22 RBI. - Yes
Steven Lombardozzi - AA/AAA 2B - .313 AVG. .804 OPS. 7 HR. 43 RBI. - Yes
Derek Norris - AA C - .212 AVG. .809 OPS. 14 HR. 37 RBI. - Yes
Tug Hulett - AAA UTIL - .281 AVG. .777 OPS. 5 HR. 39 RBI. - No

That would be 5 "yes" and 2 "maybes" - obviously there are going to be more position players coming up than pitchers, because you have to be able to pitch pitchers often to keep them fresh.

For a team that is, at this point, at this point, 19 games out of 1st place there are few things to look forward to as the end of the year rolls around. To me, this is one of my favorite times of the year - a chance to finally see the young kids make the bigs for the first time.

Who else would you list here as a potential call-up? Who are you looking forward to seeing the most? Sound off in the comments section!