Washington Nationals news & notes: Nats’ top prospects gain invaluable experience…

Notes and quotes on the Nationals’ top prospects in West Palm Beach…

Whether or not they made the Opening Day roster (and we know now they have not), top prospects Dylan Crews (No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s rankings) and James Wood (No. 2) had an opportunity, and made a strong impression this spring, long before they combined for an impressive ninth inning rally in the Nationals’ 9-8 win over the Minnesota Twins this week.

Wood opened the bottom of the ninth with a game-tying home run, then Crews hit a walk-off single, driving in a run to win it for Washington.

“They’re not afraid of a big moment, and they stay in the moment,” Davey Martinez told reporters, as quoted by MLB.com’s Jessica Camerato after the game:

“Both of them were very calm, understood what they needed to do up there and both did a great job.”

Wood’s home run was his 4th this spring, with the 21-year-old, 2021 2nd Round pick by the San Diego Padres acquired by the Nationals in the Juan Soto/Josh Bell trade in 2022, 14 for 41 (.341/.491/.707) in 21 games in Grapefruit League action.

Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images

Crews, 22, and the 2nd overall pick in the draft in 2023, enjoyed less success at the plate (5 for 31, .161/.297/.323, with two doubles, one home run, for walks, and 12 Ks in 19 games), but got to test himself against big league competition in his first Spring Training.

As he told reporters after the game, he’s been preparing for moments like this for his entire baseball life.

“Growing up, you learn to calm your nerves down and just treat it like another at-bat,” Crews said of the walk-off hit.

“But it’s very exciting. Just to string some at-bats together and potentially win the ball game at the end, it’s a good feeling.”

Wood was especially happy his home run was an opposite field shot.

“I just felt good, especially going the other way,” Wood said, as quoted on MLB.com.

“That’s something I’ve been trying to get back to. I wasn’t trying to force it over there, but I think that’s the part of the field I really wanted to stay at.”

Their manager was impressed with each of his young players’ approach in the at-bats.

“They’re not afraid of a big moment, and they stay in the moment,” Martinez said.

“Both of them were very calm,” he added.

“[They] understood what they needed to do up there and both did a great job.”

“They have absolutely no panic in their system at all, there’s nothing too big for them,” GM and President of Baseball ops Mike Rizzo said when asked about the possibility of either or both of the top prospects making the club out of Spring Training last weekend.

“You see James Wood — he’s got that same kind of demeanor that the great ones we have had here in the past, the [Anthony] Rendons and the [Ryan] Zimmermans, and those type of calm, cool demeanors.

“No matter how fast the game gets, these guys seem to slow the game down and I think that they possess that gene.”

“The most important thing in my mind,” Rizzo explained when he spoke with MLB Network Radio hosts Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette, “… is these guys have not been overwhelmed whatsoever by not only the pace of play here in the big leagues or the amount of velocity that there is.

“They really have a calm presence to them, they really have a major league routine already, which is important, and have performed very well.”

Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images

The club clearly believes the experience they’ve gained has been good for both Wood and Crews (and the other prospects they brought to big league camp).

“You get in the box against another team, and you’re going up there competing,” Wood said, as quoted on MLB.com:

“I feel like if it’s 10 fans, a thousand fans, or however many fans, I feel like it’s all the same. I feel like when you get in there, it’s kind of just you and the pitcher.”

“The way you prepare everyday and the way you treat every game, it should be like it’s a regular season game or Game 7 of the World Series. It was a good win tonight for us,” Crews said after coming up with the game-winning hit.

Both players were on a long list of prospects optioned to minor league camp after Friday’s game was cancelled due to rain in West Palm Beach:

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