bryce harper | This One's For Nick

April 27, 2012

Will Mike Rizzo regret calling up Harper?

If you haven’t heard yet, Bryce Harper has been called up from Triple-A Syracuse to replace Ryan Zimmerman on the Nationals roster. Nationals GM Mike Rizzo, announced on Friday that the move, “isn’t the coming out party for Bryce that we had in mind.” In light of injuries to Zimmermann and Mike Morse, who hasn’t played all season, the Nationals are desperate for an offensive boast, despite sitting comfortably at the top of the NL East with a record of 14-4.

This move comes as a surprise because Harper wasn’t exactly dominating Triple-A pitching. He is hitting .250 with 1 homerun and 3 RBI, giving him a slash of .250/.333/.375. Whether it was the extremely unpredictable weather of Syracuse or just adjustments, Harper will now see time in left field. Oddly, Harper has not appeared in left-field this season as he’s been the primary centerfield in ‘Cuse.

Mike Rizzo is a hard general manager to understand. He’s crafted this Nationals club thanks to terrible production from the ML squad. Players like Zimmerman, Harper, Strasburg are all results of high draft picks. Even the acquisition of Gio Gonzalez came thanks to the trading of some top tier prospects. I understand moving a player like Tyler Moore up, who hit extremely well in Double-A Harrisburg. Moore is a former 16th round pick who has given a lot more production than you would have thought.

But throwing your top prospect, baseball’s wonderchild into the outfield isn’t exactly the smartest thing either. With your team having the best record in baseball, wouldn’t it make sense to call up a guy like Moore to have play, while have Harper get some more seasoning in Triple-A? Rizzo has stated that Harper is here to play, not sit on the bench. If you remember last season, Mike Trout was called up by the Angels and didn’t see consistant playing time, which hurt him drastically.

I’m all for baseball. I understand it’s a business and in order to strive, you need to win. Whether or not Harper produces, Saturday night in downtown L.A. will not be buzzing around Matt Kemp‘s terrific start. The spotlight will be on Harper. I hope he’s ready for it.

March 7, 2012

Spring Training Notes: March 7, 2012

USA Today

It’s the best time of the year. Prospects are all over the place. So far, I’ve watched the first two New York Mets broadcasts. Here are some notes on the prospects and players that caught my eye.

– Bryce Harper, OF WAS : Everyone knows him. You may hate him, you may love him. Either way, get used to seeing him because he’ll be here for a long time. Harper debuted in right field against the Mets on Monday night. I’ve never been a huge fan in his swing. It’s not as smooth as I envisioned it however, it is effective. He has trouble with the off speed pitches usually, but if you’re going to challenge him, make sure you beat him. Every ball he hit was hit with aggression and bounced off the bat with fiery. He had a matchup against Mets right-handed prospect Matt Harvey. It wasn’t much of an at-bat. Harvey walked Harper, which was pretty disappointing.

Getting back to Harper, he may be ready now to hit in the big leagues but, he still needs some seasoning in the minors. Triple-A should suit him until an injury at the parent club allows him to break into the majors.

– Matt Harvey, he was erratic. 3 walks, a hit batter, and 0 strikeouts. He touched 94 mph at one point. That’s about it. Call it nerves, but he wasn’t what I expected. Players say he’s ready however, but he’s going to need more time. I wrote a piece on Mets Today, talking about Harvey’s transition to Double-A. Anytime you jump up a level, you’re going to face difficulties. However, the Nationals line up on Monday was a Triple-A lineup, something that Harvey will be facing this season. Call it nerves, but he was being pretty conservative and wasn’t attacking hitters. His fastball didn’t have the life it usually has but this is because it’s the start of the season. I would not get so scared about this but it’s a good growing experience for Harvey, who is in the plans for the Mets future.

– Johan Santana pitched Tuesday. With every pitch, I was holding my breath. Its scary watching Santana pitch, not because of how good he is, but because you don’t know what he’s going to be like after the injury. He pitched conservatively today, but it was a huge step forward. He didn’t have much life on the fastball. I believe he hit 90 mph once, while he sat around 87-88 the same time. If this is going to be he new velocity, he’ll need to have more deception on the change up to be successful. The first four batters he versed all hit hard balls, including a bomb Matt Holliday hit. But as the Spring rolls on, I’ll continue to monitor him.

The best part about the whole Johan Santana start was the intensity. For the mere 20 minutes he pitched, a Mets fan could escape everything that this team has been through. The Wilpons financial troubles were not in my head. Neither was the loss of Jose Reyes. Santana pitching reminded me of the old days. Days Mets fans have not seen. While the team gets made a mockery of, I had my moment this spring.

There’s really nothing like Spring Training.

May 15, 2011

Nationals Robbie Ray shining in Hagerstown

If there is anyone on the Hagerstown Suns to steal the thunder from Bryce Harper, it is Robbie Ray. While Harper continues to impress, with a combined line of .393/.468/.705 to go along with 9 jacks and 31 runs batted in, Ray has been shined in the spotlight every 5 days.

The 6’2” lefthander was drafted in the 12^th round of the 2010 MLB Draft, signing a last minute contract worth $799,000, well over slot. The Washington Nationals knew what they were getting.

In two starts so far since being called up from extended spring training, Ray has been lights out. His first start was in the shadows due to 4^th round pick A.J. Cole starting two nights before. Ray went 5 scoreless innings, allowing 1 hit and 6 strikeouts. His second start was just as good, going 6 innings allowing 2 hits, with 7 strikeouts and just 1 walk.

While Ray isn’t going to over-power hitters right now, he has time to grow. He’s a 19 year old who is quickly making a name for himself in a very deep Nationals farm system. His fastball can top out in the low 90s, but he consistently stands at 88-90.

While a promotion seems very aggressive, if Ray continues to impress, he might just force his way to Potomac. In 2 starts so far, Ray has dazzled.

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January 12, 2011

Washington Nationals: Top Ten Prospects of 2011

The Washington Nationals have an interested group of prospects coming up. With the injury of star right-hander Stephen Strasburg, the Nats are still a few years away from contending.

1. Bryce Harper, OF – This is a no doubter. Harper has the skills to become a superstar. Will likely start at high A and might move fast.

2. Derek Norris, C – He’s coming around. I think he’s the future catcher, rather than Wilson Ramos. Should be an above-average major leaguer.

3. Daniel Espinosa, 2B – We got to see Espinosa briefly in 2010. He’s going to be the everyday second basemen for the Nationals in 2011, unless shortstop Ian Desmond is dealt. Up the middle, the Nationals are set with Epsinosa and Desmond.

4. A.J. Cole, RHP – Personally, A.J. Cole was my favorite arm out of the 2010 Draft. He’s stock dropped due to concerns about his arm. He was projected a Top 10 selection overall and dropped to the fourth round. The Nationals went over slot for a reason. He’s tall, lanky and super projectable. Future #2 starter.

5. Sammy Solis, LHP – Solis had a very strong showing in the AFL this year. He shouldn’t spend much time in the system.

6. Wilson Ramos, C – I’m pretty high on this kid but I don’t think he’ll stay at catcher. Norris is the future for the Nationals.

7. Michael Burgess, OF – He came around in 2010 and looks to be back on track as a top prospect.

8. Eury Perez, OF – Should be a solid centerfielder in the future.

9. Destin Hood, OF – I have Hood on my list since I have high hopes for him. He hit .280 last season as a 20 year old in A ball.

10. Rich Hague, SS – Fantastic glove. Need pro data.