Washington Nationals Top 10 Prospects for 2024

Date:

Don’t forget to pick up your copy of the The 2024 Prospect Digest Handbook here.

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1. Dylan Crews, CF

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Background: Louisiana State University’s certainly no stranger to high caliber, future big league talent. Prior to 2023, the SEC-based school’s churned out one #1 overall selection (Ben McDonald, 1989) and one second overall draft pick (Alex Bregman, 2015). And that’s just the tip of the hat. LSU’s alums include: Albert Belle, who was on a Hall of Fame trajectory before hip issues wrecked his career, Aaron Nola, D.J. LeMahieu, and Kevin Gausman, among others. But the perennial collegiate powerhouse hasn’t ever featured a one-two punch like Dylan Crew and Paul Skenes, the consensus top two players in a very deep 2023 draft class. A product of Lake Mary High School, Crews was one of the top prep outfielders heading into his senior season, but the 6-foot-1, 203-pound thumper eventually withdrew his name from the 2020 draft due to an unwavering commitment to the Tigers. And despite the COVID pandemic governing his final prep season, Crews quickly established himself as one of best college ballplayers. Appearing in 63 games for former head coach Paul Mainieri, the Florida-native mashed .362/.453/.663 with 16 doubles, two triples, 18 homeruns, and a dozen stolen bases (in only 15 attempts). And the awards just started rolling in, including:

Perfect Game National Freshman of the Year

Second-Team All-American (Perfect Game, D1 Baseball)

Third-Team All American (NCBWA, ABCA)

First-Team Freshman All-American (Collegiate Baseball, D1 Baseball, NCBWA)

He continued his offensive onslaught during the summer, as well, slugging .350/.435/.550 across seven games for Team USA’s National Collegiate Team. Crews nearly matched his offensive production line during his follow up campaign in 2022, bashing .349/.463/.691 with 11 doubles, four triples, and 22 long balls. And, of course, he continued to compile hardware, including: SEC Co-Player of the Year, Consensus First-Team All-American, SEC All-Defensive Team, and First-Team All-SEC. His second stint with Team USA, though, wasn’t nearly as successful (.100/.308/.100). Lat season, Crews has raised the bar from extraordinary to historic. He’s finished his career on a Rogers Hornsby-esque type production line: .426/.567/.713 with 16 doubles, two triple, 18 homeruns and a perfect six-for-six in the stolen base department. Perhaps, the most impressive aspect of his final campaign: he owned an impeccable 46-to-71 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Washington happily drafted him with the second overall pick, signing him to a massive $9 million bonus. Crews promptly went out and slugged .292/.377/.467 with nine doubles, five homeruns, and four stolen bases (in 10 attempts) in the Complex League, Low-A, and Double-A.

Scouting Report: Pre-draft write-up:

“To put Crews’ tenure at LSU in perspective, consider the following: 

Since 2011, there have been just 22 instances in the vaunted SEC in which a hitter slugged at least .340/.440/.650 in a season (min. 225 PA). Dylan Crews has done it three times.

Taking it one step further:

Since 2011, here’s the list of SEC hitters to slug .420/.560/.700 in a season (min. 225 PA): Dylan Crews

And here’s the list of any Division I hitters to post a .420/.560/.700 in a season since 2011 (min. 225 PA): Nolan Schanuel, a potential first round in 2023, and – of course – Dylan Crews.

Crews hits all the important check boxes: elite bat speed, elite pitch recognition, power, speed, and the potential to handle an up-the-middle position. The toolsy centerfielder grinds out plate appearances, fighting off tough to hit pitches, and spitting on offers off the plate. Crews has a knack – more so than any other college prospect in recent memory – to consistently barrel up the ball, regardless of the quality of the hurler. He’s a physical specimen with a thick lower half that can muscle the ball out of any ballpark, but he’s incredibly fluid and twitchy. Interestingly enough, Crews seems to use two separate setups at the plate: he’ll stand more upright with a noticeable leg kick and then also employ a wider base, quick slide step in a more defined crouch with two strikes. Very good offspeed hitter. In terms of big league ceiling, think: .320/.400/.560. He could be up in the big leagues by the end of 2024.”

Ceiling: 5.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2024/2025

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2. James Wood, CF

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Background: Washington’s farm system produced a couple generational-type talents over the past decade-and-a-half. The big league club has several future Hall of Famers in addition to those once-in-a-lifetime type home-grown products. The Nationals have lost all of those players to trades, free agency, and injuries. Given the circumstances, though, the front office has done fairly well in restocking the farm with potential high end talent. Less than two years ago Washington was staring down – the very real – possibility of not having this generation’s Ted Williams after losing – arguably – the most marketable (at least at that time) and best power-hitting player in this generation too. So the ball club did the prudent thing. They traded Juan Soto to the highest bidder, who just happened to be the ultra-aggressive San Diego Padres during their expensive talent hoarding. The return for Soto and Josh Bell: MacKenzie Gore, C.J. Abrams, James Wood, Jarlin Susana, Robert Hassell, and veteran power-hitting flash-in-the-pan Luke Voit. And, surprisingly (only because it’s impossible to hit on several top prospects at once), Washington’s brass found a few potential pieces to build around. MacKenzie Gore looked the part of a competent, mid-rotation caliber arm in 2023. C.J. Abrams – very quietly – tallied nearly 3.5 wins above replacement (BR). And James Wood has established himself as one of the best prospects in the game. Taken by the Friars in second round of the 2021 draft, Wood carried the momentum from his debut showing in the Complex League into a phenomenal season in 2022. And – once again – he carried that momentum into a very strong showing in 2023. Splitting time between the franchise’s High-A and Double-A affiliates, the 6-foot-6, 240-pound toolshed slugged .262/.353/.520 with 28 doubles, eight triples, 26 homeruns, and 18 stolen bases. His production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average by 34%.

Snippet from The 2023 Prospect Digest Handbook: There aren’t too many prospects that can be slapped with the true five-tool label. Wood, though, is one of them. He’s going to be a star as long as he’s making consistent contact, which he showed he can in 2022.

Scouting Report: Consider the following:

Since 2006, only nine 20-year-old bats tallied wRC+ marks between 120 and 130 with one club in any Double-A league (min. 350 PA): Jordan Walker, J.P. Crawford, Jordan Lawlar, Carlos Gomez, Travis Snider, Nomar Mazara, Orland Arcia, Luis Urias, and – of course – James Wood.

“He’s going to be a star as long as he’s making consistent contact, which he showed he can in 2022.” Nothing is truer than that statement, one that was made last year and still stands a year later. Wood continued his yo-yoing swing-and-miss ways in 2023; after posting a 30-plus% K-rate during his debut, he showed some considerable progress during his stint with San Diego’s Low-A affiliate in 2022. But those numbers rose during his 42-game cameo in High-A last season (27.1%) and exploded during his extended stint in Double-A (33.7%). Tall and lanky with plenty of room on his wiry frame to add strength and (good) weight, I’m still a big believer in Wood’s bat and think it (eventually) creeps into average territory. He’s never going to contend for a batting title (even in his best seasons), but his approach and willingness to shoot the ball the other way all bode well for his future. Even though he doesn’t sell out for the long ball, Wood is just beginning to scratch the surface of his prodigious raw power. Defensively, he looked a bit lost out in the outfield at times in 2023, but still profiles as a solid gloveman, likely in right field. In terms of typical offensive production at the game’s pinnacle level, think: .255/.340/.480 with 25 homeruns and 15 stolen bases.

Ceiling: 4.5-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2024

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3. Brady House, 3B

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Background: Chancesare if you owned a pick in the opening round of the 2021 draft you were taking a shortstop and it was probably a high schooler. And that’s exactly what the Washington Nationals (and eight other organizations) did. Armed with the 11th overall pick that summer, the front office opted for Winder-Barrow High School product Brady House, the third teenage shortstop taken. House, who signed for an even $5 million, absolutely put on a show during his 19-game debut in the Complex League that summer, slugging .322/.394/.576 with seven extra-base knocks. The following year, 2022, an undisclosed injury limited the 6-foot-4, 215-pound burgeoning star to just 45 games with Fredericksburg, but he still managed to bat .278/.356/.375 eight doubles and a trio of homeruns. Last season, perhaps unsurprisingly, the franchise shot callers sent House back to the Carolina League for some additional seasons. But after mashing .297/.369/.500 in 36 games against the Low-A competition, he was bounced up to High-A for a few weeks before earning another promotion up to Double-A. When the dust finally settled the newly minted third baseman hit an aggregate .312/.365/.497 with 21 doubles, three triples, 12 homeruns, and nine stolen bases (in 11 attempts) in 88 games. His production, per Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by 37%.

Snippet from The 2023 Prospect Digest Handbook: The concerns about the hit tool started to come to fruition last season as his swing-and-miss rate spiked up to nearly 30%. Even more alarming are his numbers over his final 40 games: he whiffed 40 times in only 113 plate appearances. House seemed to be battling some type of injury woe over that duration. He started the year out by slugging .364/.444/.494 with just 19 punch outs across his first 90 appearances. House is poised for a solid rebound and potentially a breakout candidate. 

Scouting Report: It says something about House when he was chosen as the cleanup hitter late in the season on a loaded Harrisburg Senators team that featured the likes of Dylan Crews, James Wood, and Yohandy Morales.  For the second consecutive season House failed to surpass the 90-game threshold, but he did show some improvement in his contact rates. With that being said, the former first rounder looks susceptible to sliders low-and-away or just off the plate. He shows impressive bat speed and strength which helps him fight off pitches in on the hands. Defensively, he looked much better at the hot corner than at shortstop. Ultimately, the difference between All-Star and solid, league-average player is going to come down to the hit tool. In terms of big league production, think: .260/.325/.470.

Ceiling: 3.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2024/2025

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4. Cade Cavalli, RHP

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Background: If I’ve written it once, I’ve written it two dozen times: the 2020 draft has turned out to be one of the most volatile drafts in MLB history. COVID wrecked the entire high school season and limited the collegiate season to a dozen or so games. All things considered, the club turned in a decent class – even if Cavalli has been hampered with injuries throughout his amateur and pro career. And the former University of Oklahoma two-way player missed all of 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery. At the time of the writing of the book, he had no setbacks during his recovery.

Snippet from The 2022 Prospect Digest Handbook: An arsenal that’s destined for a spot at – or, at least, near – the top of a big league rotation, the only thing that made hold Cavalli back is a spotty injury history. He dealt with a stress fracture in his precious right arm during his collegiate career, and then last season missed the last month or so with shoulder inflammation. Mid-90s fastball that hovers near plus-plus territory. Plus hammer curveball. Above-average changeup. He’ll also work in an upper-80s, above-average slider. Physically, he’s built like Jacob deGrom.

Scouting Report: I’ve lowered the ceiling considerably because of injury concerns coupled with his age.

Ceiling: 2.5-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: Debuted in 2022

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5. Yohandy Morales, 1B/3B

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45/505535505050

Background: Andy Morales was a pretty good stick in the Cuban National Series during his heyday, posting a career .322/.390/.473 slash line over parts of nine seasons. Morales, a third baseman, would make his professional debut with Vaqueros de la Habana as a spry 16-year-old and would establish himself as an offensive force just two years later. From there, he would play on the Cuban National Team and eventually try to defect to the USA. But after an unsuccessful attempt midsummer of 2000, Morales would successfully establish residency in Peru several months later. The Yankees would sign the sweet-swinging infielder to a rather hefty deal – four years and $4.5 million – but his stay in stateside professional baseball would last just 64 games between New York and Boston. Months after his stateside debut Morales’ youngest son, Yohandy, was born. Fast forward more than 20 years and Yohandy has successfully positioned himself as one of the top college bats in the 2023 Draft Class. A product of G. Holmes Braddock High School, the youngest Morales stepped into the heart of the Hurricanes’ lineup as a true freshman without missing a beat as he slugged .284/.343/.531 with 13 doubles, a trio of triples, and 11 homeruns. After struggling through an extended stint in the Cape Cod League (.182/.308/.236), Morales continued to batter the collegiate opposition during his sophomore campaign: he mashed .329/.411/.650 with 17 doubles, three triples, 18 homeruns, and six stolen bases. And he continued to impress during his abbreviated stint with the USA National squad as well, slugging .400/.400/.600 in seven games. Last season Morales raised the offensive production bar even further. He bashed .408/.475/.713 with 13 doubles, and career bests in homeruns (20) and stolen bases (seven). Washington selected the Miami slugger in the second round, 40th overall, and signed him to a deal worth $2.6 million. He batted a scorching .349/.423/.494 with 16 doubles and four triples in 42 games in the rookie league, Low-A, High-A, and Double-A.

Scouting Report: Pre-draft write-up:

Consider the following: 

Since 2011, only a pair of ACC hitters have batted at least .400 in a season (min. 250 PA): Kyle Teel and – of course – Yohandy Morales, both of whom are potential first rounders in 2023.

Premium, plus-plus raw power that puts him among the best sluggers in the class in 2023, Morales has been remarkably consistent in terms of swing-and-miss numbers throughout his college career, fanning between 21.4% and 19.8% in each of his three seasons. Morales has been a solid offspeed hitter throughout his career. Good athlete, especially considering his large frame. Solid runner. Uses all fields well. Plus power the opposite way. There’s some risk here, mainly centering on the quality of the hit tool. But even at a 45-grade, his power and position give him a shot to develop into a solid league average third baseman.”

Ceiling: 2.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2025/2026

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6. Travis Sykora, RHP

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Background: The Washington Nationals continued to re-stock their once-depleted farm system with a trio of high-end prospects last summer. After grabbing LSU star – or one of the two LSU stars – Dylan Crews with the second overall pick, the front office snagged Miami slugger Yohandy Morales and then dipped into the high school ranks and grabbed hard-throwing, behemoth right-hander Travis Sykora with the 71st overall pick. Each of the three, by the way, received massive bonuses. Crews signed for $9 million. Morales earned $2.6 million. And the front office went well above the recommended slot bonus to hand the teenage hurler a $2.6 million deal. Sykora, a 6-foot-6, 232-pound righty, was nearly unhittable during his final season at Round Rock High School, throwing 58 innings, tallying a whopping 108 punch outs with a 0.84 ERA while surrendering only 22 base knocks. Prior to joining the Nationals’ organization Sykora was committed to Texas.

Scouting Report: Big, big time fastball from Sykora, which reportedly touched 101 mph during a spring game last season. He’s in the short, short conversation for best heater among the entire draft class – a true plus-plus offering. He features a pair of offspeed pitches: a mid- to upper-80s slider with downward bite and potentially devastating splitter, which he deploys as a change-o’-pace. Sykora’s a max effort guy and there’s some reliever risk due to command concerns. There’s a lot of moving parts / arms-and-legs to his delivery, but the talent level is as high as any prep arm in the class. Definite first round talent the club plucked two rounds later.

Ceiling: 2.5-win player

Risk: High

MLB ETA: 2027

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7. Jarlin Susana, RHP

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Background: A key, though often overlooked or maybe unrealized, part of the return package from the Juan Soto and Josh Bell swap with San Diego. Susana, who was acquired along with James Wood, MacKenzie Gore, C.J. Abrams, Robert Hassell, and Luke Voit, offers up a tantalizing mix of intimidation, premium velocity, and a plus breaking ball. Originally signed for a hefty $1.7 million two years ago, the Padres, well-known for their aggressive promotion assignments, sent the behemoth right-hander straight up to the Complex League a few months later to begin his professional career. Shortly thereafter, Susana found himself trading in his San Diego digs and moving all the way across the country to join the Nats’ organization. He would makes 12 starts and one relief appearances (including three appearances in Low-A) that season, throwing 45 innings with 66 punch outs and 20 free passes. Last season, Mike Rizzo & Co. opted to keep the 6-foot-6, 235-pound flame-thrower down in the Carolina League for some additional seasoning: he would start 17 games, throwing 63 innings while averaging 8.9 strikeouts and a whopping 5.7 walks per nine innings. He tallied a 5.14 ERA, a 4.54 FIP, and a 4.68 xFIP.

Snippet from The 2023 Prospect Digest Handbook: My new favorite pitching prospect in the minor leagues.

Scouting Report: Consider the following:

Since 2006, eight 19-year-old hurlers posted a 20.5% to 22.5% strikeout percentage with a walk percentage of at least 13% with one club in any Low-A league (min. 60 IP): Cole Winn, Tyler Chatwood, Ofelky Peralta, Mauricio Robles, Luke Jackson, Victor Payano, Walbert Urena, and – of course – Jarlin Susana.

The intimidation factor is off the charts. The young right-hander unfurls a premium upper-90s fastball that regularly sits in the 98- to 99-mph range with late, explosive life and some arm side run. Adding to the plus-plus heat is the fact that Susana has no idea where it’s going to go. He will paint the black with triple-digit velocity and the next one will be two feet inside, nearly decapitating the hitter. His best secondary weapon – and the pitch he commands incredibly well – is a hard cutter (upper-80s) with late moving that generates a lot of awkward reactions. He’ll mix in a fringy power changeup, sitting in the 94- to 95-range, which is incredible if you think about it. It lacks a lot of velocity separation but compensate with some downward cutting movement. For the second year in a row, I did not see a curveball, though reports typically indicate it’s a below-average pitch. There’s definitely big league value to be extracted here. I’d like to see Susana learn to throw a splitter, but teams see to shy away from teaching young arms (or any arm) that pitch. There’s a very real – and very likely – possibility he ends up in a bullpen role and becomes the Nationals’ version of Jhoan Durán or Brusdar Graterol.

Ceiling: 2.0-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2025/2026

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8. Daylen Lile, OF

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Background: After drafting Brady House with the 11th overall pick and signing him to an above-slot deal worth $5 million, the front office opted for another high ceiling high school bat in the second round – one who, by the way – would require going above the recommended slot value too. A product of Trinity High School in Louisville, Kentucky, Lile earned a $1.75 million deal from the organization as the 47th overall pick, surpassing the assigned pick value by roughly $200,000. Unfortunately, the talented outfielder looked mediocre during his abbreviated, 19-game cameo in the Complex League that summer, hitting .219/.363/.250 in 80 plate appearances. Then things went from mediocre to bad: Lile would miss the entirety of 2022 recovering from Tommy John surgery. Finally healthy last season, Lile split time between Fredericksburg and Wilmington, hitting .269/.355/.452 with 27 doubles, 10 triples, nine homeruns, and 23 stolen bases. His overall production, as calculated by Weighted Runs Created Plus, was 25% better than the league average mark.

Scouting Report: Consider the following:

Since 2006, five 20-year-old hitters met the following criteria with one club in any Low-A league (min. 275 PA): 143 to 153 wRC+ and a 17% to 21% strikeout rate. Those five bats: Brett Phillips, Jake Marisnick, Aaron Cunningham, Rymer Liriano, and – of course – Daylen Lile.

The good news:

Phillips, Marisnick, Cunningham, and Liriano all reached the big leagues with the first three spending quite a bit of time at the game’s pinnacle level.

The bad news:

Phillips, Marisnick, Cunningham, and Liriano were all well below average bats during their time in The Show.

It was a tale of two seasons for Lile: he dominated the Low-A competition (.291/.381/.510) but struggled noticeably following his promotion up to High-A (.234/.310/.357). The 5-foot-11, 195-pound outfielder has an elegant, short left-handed swing, decent power, and a little bit of speed. There’s not really a carrying tool that “screams” big league starter. He’s likely going to fall into the aforementioned group as a quasi-serviceable bench option / fourth or fifth outfielder.

Ceiling: 1.5-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2025/2026

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9. Jacob Young, CF

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Background: It’s not even three full years removed from the 2021 draft, but it’s clear the Nationals’ scouting department did a solid job. Brady House looks to be a competent big league bat in the next year or two, as well as a very solid defender at the hot corner. Daylen Lile, an over-slot second round pick, made his way back from Tommy John surgery and looks like a potential role player thanks to his sweet left-handed swing. Darren Baker, Dusty’s kid, has proved to be a solid value as a 10th round pick. And that’s not to mention their seventh rounder, Jacob Young, who’s already spent some time at the game’s top level. A solid bat throughout his three-year career at the University of Florida, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound centerfielder left the SEC powerhouse as a .330/.400/.447 hitter with 28 doubles, three triples, eight homeruns, and 26 stolen bases in 131 total games. Young would step into Fredericksburg’s lineup that summer, though the results were mostly terrible: he batted .208/.283/.267. To the utter shock of no one, Young returned to the Carolina League the following year, 2022, but his bat started to show a little bit of a pulse as he put together a .262/.360/.331 slash line. Last season, though, Young finally started to look like the top-of-the-lineup bat he was in college as he spent time with Wilmington, Harrisburg, and Rochester, as well as a 33-game cameo with the Nationals. Young slugged .305/.376/.418 with 21 doubles, five triples, six homers, and 39 stolen bases in the minors. He batted .252/.322/.336 in the Bigs.

Scouting Report: To be frank, Young’s production line in the majors, .252/.322/.336, is pretty much in line with expectations. He won’t kill you at the plate, though he’s not going to threaten any pitchers with any pop. He’ll run a little bit, but his true value is the plus defense he provides patrolling the outfield pastures. He could be a Myles Straw-type clone with a little more offensive upside, if everything works out.  

Ceiling: 1.5-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2025/2026

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10. Cristhian Vaquero, CF

HitPowerSBPatienceGloveOverall
30/4530/5560505545

Background: Vaquero hits the two checkboxes the organization looks for in young prospects: talented and expensive. Washington basically mortgaged their entire international budget on the teenage outfielder two years ago, handing him a bonus of $4,925,000. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Cuban import would make his highly anticipated debut in the Dominican Summer League a few months later, though the results were mostly mediocre: he batted .256/.379/.341. Last season, the front office sent the raw, toolsy youngster stateside to the Complex League. He performed much better, hitting .279/.410/.393. Vaquero spent the last few weeks struggling in Low-A (.197/.321/.288).

Snippet from The 2023 Prospect Digest Handbook: Plus speed that should allow him to develop into an adept base thief and an above-average defender in centerfield. A recent convert to switch-hitting, Vaquero’s swing looks more natural, fluid from the right side than the left, which looks robotic and a bit stiff. There’s above-average power potential. A lot of Vaquero’s production last summer came from his bloated walk rate (15.3%). Very, very raw. The tools are there. But it looks like he’s going to need quite a bit of developmental time.

Scouting Report: Vaquero’s making consistent contact, which is a positive, especially in this organization. But it’s not impact contact. Plus speed that’s needs cleaned up on the base paths, but it’s providing some positive returns in centerfield. Vaquero looked a lot better from the left-side of the batter’s box last season. The fact remains unchanged two years in: it’s uncertain whether Vaquero’s going to be an empty toolbox or an impact player. It’s likely he begins to head down one of those paths in 2024.

Ceiling: 1.5-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2026/2027

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All statistics were provided via the following website: Baseball Reference, FanGraphs, TheBaseballCube, BaseballProspectus, ClayDavenport.com, Baseball America, and X-user @mk237700 (for compiling Statcast Data)

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