Notes on the Nationals’ non-roster invitees to Spring Training…
Talking to reporters at the Winter Meetings in early December, Davey Martinez looked forward to Spring Training and the possibility of the ballclub having a number of their prospects in big league camp playing with and learning from both the young players already in the majors and veterans on the roster for the 2024 Washington Nationals.
“I hope they’re all in Big League Camp because I want to see ‘em play,” Martinez said.
“They will definitely get a lot. The biggest thing is really getting to know them and work with them and kind of give ‘em an idea of what we’re looking for, and how we want to attack the game. That’s going to be the biggest thing.”
On Tuesday afternoon, the Nationals put out a list of some of the Non-Roster Invitees to Spring Training which included some of the top prospects in the organization:
“Top prospects including outfielders Dylan Crews, Robert Hassell III, and James Wood, as well as infielders Darren Baker, Brady House, and Trey Lipscomb will each take part in their first Major League Spring Training.
Outfielder Travis Blankenhorn, first basemen Lewin Diaz, left-handed pitcher Joe La Sorsa, catcher Brady Lindsly, and first baseman/outfielder Juan Yepez have also been invited to Major League Spring Training.
House, 20, is a 2021 1st Round pick by the club. He’s currently ranked the No. 3 prospect in the organization and No. 55 overall in baseball, according to Baseball America as the club noted in their press release on the invitees.
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— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) January 30, 2024
Wood, 21, and currently ranked the No. 2 prospect in the system and No. 11 overall prospect in baseball by Baseball America, was a 2nd Round pick by San Diego in 2021 before the Nats acquired him in the Juan Soto deal with the Padres in 2022.
Crews, 22, and the No. 1 prospect in the system and No. 6 prospect in the game according to Baseball America, is the Nats’ 2023 1st round pick (No. 2 overall). He played 35 games between the FCL Nationals, Single-A Fredericksburg and Double-A Harrisburg last season after the draft and a big season with College World Series champs LSU.
Hassell III, also 22, was a 1st Round pick by the Padres in 2022. He’s currently ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the organization after coming over in the Soto trade as well.
Lipscomb, 23, is a 2022 3rd Round pick, ranked 16th in the Nationals’ system according to Baseball America coming off a 2023 campaign which ended with him being named “2023 Minor League Defensive Player of the Year and the winner of the Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove Award for third basemen.”
Baker, 24, is, of course, the son of former (major leaguer and) Nationals’ manager Dusty Baker. A 10th round pick in the 2021 Draft, out of the University of California – Berkeley, Baker spent the majority of the 2023 season at Triple-A Rochester in the Nats’ system, in what was his fourth season in the system.
As for the rest?:
Blankenhorn, 27, played 10 games in the majors for the Nationals last year, in his fourth season in the majors.
La Sorsa, 25, “… was claimed off waivers by the Nationals on June 8 and went on to appear in 23 games across five Major League stints in Washington.”
Lindsly, 25, is a 4th Round pick out of the University of Oklahoma in 2020 who played, “… in 62 games between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester in 2023.”
Diaz, 27, signed with the Nationals this winter after playing at Triple-A in Baltimore’s system in 2023. He played 112 games total between 2020-22 with Miami’s Marlins.
Yepez, 25, played 104 games in the majors for St. Louis in 2022-23, before signing on with the Nationals this winter.