These Nationals prospects shined in first half of 2024 season
Jessica Camerato
@jessicacameratoWASHINGTON -- We are already at the halfway point of the Minor League season, and it¡¯s time to highlight a top player at each affiliate level in the Nationals' farm system.
Outfielder James Wood headlines the Nationals' prospects after he powered his way through Triple-A Rochester and earned his Major League callup on Monday.
Ranked as the Nats¡¯ No. 1 prospect and No. 2 overall by MLB Pipeline, Wood posted a head-turning .353/.463/.595 slash line with 10 home runs, 37 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 52 games with the Red Wings. At the time of his promotion, Wood ranked second among all Minor League players in Single-A and higher in batting average, on-base percentage and OPS.
Wood reached base safely in 34 consecutive games (April 20-June 27), becoming the only player in the Minors or the Majors to reach base safely in at least 30 straight games during both the 2023 and ¡®24 seasons. He was named International League Player of the Week (May 13) and Player of the Month (May).
Wood picked up where he left off with Rochester when he debuted with the Nats against the Mets on Monday. He recorded a hit in his first Major League at-bat -- a crushed opposite-field single with a 106.7 mph exit velocity. (The league average exit velocity on singles is 90.7 mph.)
¡°We felt like he could give us a little boost on our offense,¡± Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. ¡°We¡¯re struggling scoring some runs, and I think his bat will definitely help us. And we felt like he was ready. He checked all the boxes down there. We¡¯re going to have some growing pains just like we do with all of them, but we felt like he was ready.¡±
Here is a look at other top first-half performers from the Nationals' affiliates:
Triple-A Rochester: RHP Brad Lord
Lord began the season with High-A Wilmington, and he advanced two levels after promotions to Double-A Harrisburg on April 9 and to Triple-A on June 20. Lord, 24, is 9-1 with a 1.82 ERA in 15 starts this season. He leads the Nats' organization in ERA, wins, strikeouts (89), opponents' batting average (.213) and WHIP (1.14). Lord was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Month (May) and of the Week (June 16).
Double-A Harrisburg: OF Dylan Crews (Nationals¡¯ No. 2 prospect, No. 4 overall)
Before Crews was promoted to Triple-A on June 18, he appeared in 51 games in Double-A to begin his first full season in the pros. He joined the Red Wings after batting .274 with 11 doubles, three triples, five homers, 26 runs, 38 RBIs, 16 walks and 15 stolen bases with the Senators. Crews homered in just his second game with the Red Wings, and he was named to the 2024 All-Star Futures Game.
High-A Wilmington: SS Phillip Glasser
Glasser, a 10th-round Draft pick in 2023, is having a breakout season. After batting .381 in 15 games with Single-A Fredericksburg, he was promoted to High-A on April 27. With the Blue Rocks, Glasser is slashing .314/.418/.444 with 11 doubles, three home runs, 27 runs, 16 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 44 games.
Single-A Fredericksburg: OF Brandon Pimentel
Pimentel, 24, leads the Carolina League with 54 RBIs and is ranked fourth with 73 hits in 68 games with the FredNats this season. He has a slash line of .271/.321/.379 with five homers, 31 runs scored and 13 stolen bases.