Talkin' Baseball (MLB Podcast) - Washington Nationals | Profile & Projection | 602

Episode Date: February 16, 2023

Our audience ranked the Washington Nationals the worst team in baseball entering 2023. What should Nats fans be optimistic about and watch for this season?Use code TALKIN for $20 off your first SeatGeek order. https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/TALKIN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It is team profile and projection season here on Talking Baseball, an episode of day, every day until opening day. We had our audience rank every team from first to worst. And we're going worst first here on the show. And that is your 2023 nationals. Oh. The team from. The Capitol ranked the worst in all of baseball. And I don't think I've thought about these guys all offseason.

So I'm excited to catch up as well, Jake. Could you tell us what they did this offseason? And these TPPs are brought to you by Seat Geek, code talking $20 off your first order with Seat Geek. Jim Trev is pissed. He does not have the Nationals as his last ranked baseball team this year because they added his guy, Jamer Candelario from the Tigers to play a little hot corner. Stone Garrett from My Snakes.

Dom Smith, that's actually a fun one. That could be a nice little, what do you call that? Resurgence, something like that. Trevor Williams, eating some innings. Corey Dickerson, see some Dick in the Capitol this year. And then some minor league deals. Chavis, you know he'll find a way. Matt Adams, some other dudes.

They lost Nelson Cruz. How about that? Mutual option declined. See you, man. Eric Fetty, he's gone. He went overseas. He's in Korea. Not Dos Berea, but Trace Berea.

He's gone. Caesar Hernandez at second. Steve Sechek retired. Will Harris is unsigned. Luke Voigt gone. Joe Ross, Annie Ball, Sanchez, D. Strange, Gordon. Al Cedas, Escobar. So a lot of guys that were around the Nats for a little while,

has the team feeling a little different this year. and Trev. What's the lineup look like? Top to bottom, farm to table. This is probably my 25th ranked team. I don't know about 30, but I love our fans. This is what they got. I kind of

like the lineup. I'm not saying they're going to go out there and win the NL East, but there's some fun people in this lineup. We're going to start off with Lane Thomas, and he's going to play all over the place. They kind of think highly of this dude. I think he made some strides last year. He'll be in the outfield somewhere. CJ Abrams.

very electric. I think he's slotted to have the most war on the season this year. Can play a hell of a short stock. I got to get the back going a little bit. And then my guy, Joy Minnesis, will be DH. We all saw what he could do last year. Hoping for a repeat of that. Khybert Ruiz,

catcher from the Dodgers, and that deal with Scherzer and Turner. And then Corey Dickerson, former teammate of mine, he'll be in the outfield, probably left field. Jamer Candelaria, like you mentioned, he'll be at third base. Luis Garcia at second base, then Dom Smith will take over at first. You're right. We're looking for

resurgence out of him. Maybe get back to basics, Dom. I think he's going to have a good year. And then Victor Robles will be in Centerfield. And that's their one through nine on the bench. We got another catcher Riley Adams, Alex Call, Stone Garrett, like you mentioned. And then Vargas is kind of like their

utility dude on the bench. What about that rotation, James? The rotation's exciting if you're into it. Josiah Gray. Where's number 40? came over in the Dodgers trade a couple years ago. You got Patrick Corbyn. Back-to-back-most losses in MLB for him.

Two brutal years. So he's there. And you had Trevor Williams, Cade Cavali, McKenzie Gore also came over in a trade last year. 22nd. Yeah. So that's their rotation. I mean, I don't know.

not not names you know but i don't know if you know them for perfect reasons right now they're they're young they're young yeah i mean josiah gray's young he's been around mackenzie gore's definitely young and he was highly highly thought of but kivoli's one of their top prospects be interested to see what pans out with him i think that people are banking on him to be stalwart there in the rotation prospects probably the way to go here on this conversation they They are tied for the most in the top 100 or tied for second most in the top 100, which is great because I think they weren't looking good on that front for a little bit, but the two returns from the Soto trade, they're in the top 100,

and then they got their draft pick. I think their fifth round pick last year. He pops in the top 100. And they got James Wood, who right now is the ninth overall ranked prospect. Do they have Soto's brother in the top 100? the system still? They just signed them. Okay.

They just made it official. I think he's a U. and they have the second pick in the draft. Well, Soto came up at 18, so, you know, his brother might come up at 17. He'll come up at 17 and 364 days. I think that's what you're watching. If you're a Nationals fan,

you just maybe you don't, you know what I would, if I was a Nationals fan, knowing it's going to be a tough year, grab one of the top three, the Braves, the Phillies, the Mets, and your division. and make them your bitch. Just one of them.

Poor Trump. Lose to everyone else. This is what the Baltimore Orioles used to do when they were like the worst in the ALE East. They would grab one of the top three and just ruin their season and be like, hey, it used to be 18 or 19 games against you. We're going to win 12 of those.

That's what the nationals need to do. Just spoiler on one of the top three. You're not going to be able to take them all down. Which team's got the most righties? Because they got so many lefty bats in their lineup. Kind of weirded me out. I think two switch hitters and four lefties.

Like that. I got right. He comes through. That's a lot of lefty bats. You know, this division is so tough. And I'm going back and forth, whether that's good or bad for a team

that's a couple years away from really competing. It was some young guys in the lineup. Like a CJ Abrams. It's got to get the bat going. Going up against some of this pitching, like is iron going to sharpen iron? Is it going to kind of put these guys

and they're going to say, dang, like, do we really belong here? that'll enter their mind throughout the year. So Corey Dickerson, even a Joey Menesis, some of these veteran guys are really going to have to say, look, you do belong here. Like, let's just make some strides these next couple of years. And then when we get into that window, let's go.

Because they're going to get into a window. With the top prospects coming up, with the draft picks they're going to have, some of these young guys they traded for. I think we're looking a couple of years down the road. But, like, I've said this team should not be 30th. and I do believe that there's some exciting ballplayers on here. So if you're a nationals fan, you said that you could make one team the B word.

I'm not going to say that because I don't cuss this early in the morning. But I didn't like saying it to be honest with you. It kind of. Yeah, it's pretty early. It's torture one of them. I thought you'd put like a little accent on it or something. Yeah. I thought like,

I could tell a lot of thought like think of a different word or dress this up in a funny way. And then I just rolled with it. But yeah, I did it. I didn't like it. Okay. Let's see what the kids do. And there's some good ballplayers on this team. I think there are going to be some times where we look at the nationals,

but hey, did they just go on a six-game heater, seven-game heater? I think we're going to see that from this team. Yeah, Trev, I know you're high on these Nats, and I'm not fully sure why. Here's what I'll say. From a viewing standpoint, I think you're right. Like, I think we're going to come up on a couple other teams that were like, oh, no.

Like, if you're a Nats team, I mean, it's against you. Like, the Phillies, the Mets, and the Braves. This is why they came in last. Those are three of the best teams in baseball. The Marlins, we do our same Marlins chat every year. They're wasting crazy talent on the pitching side, and they don't have the rest of it. But now, Louisa Rice.

Anyways, there's young guys that you're excited for. Like, Lane Thomas, let's see. Let's see. That's a tough name. I just every time I hear it, I want to say, I want to say lame, Thomas. Oh, it's a football. Every time I just want to go more like lame Thomas.

Trev, your guy, C.J. Abrams, you know what we need to see? We need a couple walks. When he came over to the Nats in 44 games, he had one walk last year. So we're having like spring training all year. He's 22 years old. Right. And that's fine. Like, turn into J.P. Crawford next year and then turn into a Hall of Fame or the next year after that.

Something like that. Luis Garcia playing second base. Name that Luis Garcia. He's 22. Like, Akiebert Ruiz, can this be a season where he jumps into like a top 10 catchers in baseball kind of situation? There's young guys around the field that you're excited for and you hope can be part of your future.

I like Minesis and Dom Smith as like, can Joey Menezis run it back? Can Dom Smith find it again with a true opportunity to play? And then like Jim mentioned with the pitchers, you're going to have three guys out there that you're hoping a couple of them can be part of a 20-25 nationals team that we're talking about with some real hope attached to it. So I think we're going to come up on a couple teams that we're going to be like, yo, play your young guys. The Nats have no excuse to not play their young guys.

They're going to play their young guys. And like Jimmy was saying with a lot of their prospects, I think you might see a couple this year. Robert Hess of the third's got a chance. Cole Henry says he's got a chance. It looks like there's going to be guys this year and there's guys lined up for like 2026. So I wonder if they can get on the right track by 2025 or so,

do those other guys then become the trade pieces to make a competing Nats team in the future? Or if the rebuild doesn't get there, are we talking about a second rebuild? And now I'm starting to lose Nats fans. You're a second rebuild? A second 2026 rebuild. I don't think that's what Nats fans are in here right now.

I am the Nats. I am Nats fans. You lost me right there. Good. Over under 59.5 wins. That's what Draf King says. The win total at. I think we should try to say over under right now on three.

Ready? Oh. One, two, three. Under. Over. Of course. You love these Nats. Why do you like them?

Just because of. because what Jake just said, I think they're going to give these young guys opportunities, okay? And they brought in some people that can help the ball club out a little bit. I mean, that's starting pitching, it has to improve, or maybe it doesn't. They were like 30th in baseball and most of the categories that we're looking at. I think they're going to improve a little bit.

I want to see what, let the kids play. They're going to do it. And I think they have some special talent on the field. It's all I'm saying, they're in a tough division. They're not going to be in the playoffs this year. Nats fans are fine with that. I think you can go to a ball game and have some fun watching these kids play. I really do.

Jim, one of your favorite names in baseball might be a AAA come up starting pitcher for another. Joan Adone. Jonah what? Joan Adone. Donne. Joan Adone. Oh, no. Joan Adone.

Yeah. You got it. What are his parents' names? Bone and phone. You know, I went to the athletic. NDSPN to find what the most recent articles are on the nationals. Like if there's any like biting tidbit that we don't know, almost nothing.

Yeah. They're making no noise. Yeah. The only thing I got here is a national, headline, a national scouts advice to prospect a lion, how do you say is Soto? Elian.

Elian Soto? Elion. So. Elian Soto. Don't try to be one. Yeah. That's the biggest news story we have. That's good.

Scout said, Juan is Juan. You are Elion. Is it Elion? Like Juan? Because that's fun. Juan and Elion? Yeah.

Like a little rhyme. Juan could possibly earn more money, more than enough money to support both of you for your whole life. Just be yourself. Let's do you. You got a fallback. Yeah. If you fail,

your brother's got you. That's the top story. Don't even grind extra hard. Like, you're good if you did. He turned down 50K from the Mets and got 220 from the Nationals. So good move. Good move.

Yeah, there's nothing really here. Dom Smith, I'd like him to tear it up against the Mets and his old stomping grounds. That'd be a fun storyline. And I'd like take one team, dominate them. Also, crush Riteys. Like if there's, what's your term for an average white Ritey? Is that it?

AWR. Let's have the Nationals be a hell haul. for AWRs, which is their entire bullpen. I think they don't have a lefty in their pen. So that's the plan. How about that? All righty pen, all lefty batting order. I've got one other thing that you're hoping for this year.

There's a couple guys. You could even go Michael Chavis. They have a little bit of a graveyard of kind of former prospects. Franklin Barreto was a guy in the A's for a while. Oh, yeah. Carter Key Boom in their own system. That's also a good name. Great name.

He's kind of been missing. for a little while. I need one more, kind of a Joey Manessus from last year, but a little less Joey Manessus. One of these former guys, who's 26 or 27, I want to be talking about them on next year's TPP, like, hey, Carter Keyboom actually ran it for 100 games, and he looked nice this year. I think the Nats need one of those. Could be Jeter Downs. Remember, I got my hands on that guy when he was with a dodger a little bit. He should have listened to me a little bit more. But, hey, I help he has a breakout year too. I think Lucius Fox, the former slap dick prospect from the Snell video.

What are we just doing names? How about Stone Garrett if you're doing names? He ended the season off. Awesome, not awful. Let's have him keep going. His snakes, baby. Yeah. He looks like someone that could just beat the S-H-I-T out of you.

I looked at his baseball reference page last night to prep for this episode. I was like, I don't want to fuck with that guy. Yeah, I just remember the name. We're doing names. Stone, Garrett. His middle name, but he goes by it. So good name. You have to when you look like him, you're a pro.

Because otherwise he'd be Greg Garrett. Yes, that's such a different vibe. Greg Garrett's an accountant. Stone Garrett's a pro baseball player. You beat up Greg Garrett. Stone Garrett pummles you. I mean, that's how good the Nats are. Sneaky two first names, Greg Garrett.

Greg Garrett ain't great. Stone's on. You made the right move, kid. Made the right move. Have fun out there. Anything else, Trev? Go Nats, go. Thanks for tuning in.

You guys know your team better than us, so let us know what we missed. What we miss? A lot probably. You miss this and that, you miss and that. I'm locked in on, I'm locked in on the Nats.

We said more than some diehard Nats fans, no, because they're tuned out. I'm a lot more than that. John Doolittle, non-raster invite, taking that lefty roll. NRI.

Actually, I think he's making a righty comeback. Talking baseball. Nice hat. John Dool. Thank you.