Top 14 in ’14: Washington Nationals

Rank	Name	Position	Bats/Throws	Height/Weight
1	Lucas Giolito	RHP	R/R	6-6 / 225
If not for the arm issues Giolito had as a senior at Harvard Westlake High School in California, Giolito would have been a top five selection in the 2012 draft, maybe even the first prep right-hander to go first overall, and if not for the Tommy John surgery that summer that limited him to just under 37 innings pitched in 2013, he’d likely be ranked among the top pitching prospects in baseball. Those injuries ‘dropped’ Giolito to 13th on my top 100 prospect list, but he’s easily the best prospect in the National farm system, and it wouldn’t shock me if he usurped the arms ahead of him with a strong 2014. Giolito looks like a prototypical ace, a 6’6 right-hander with a strong, durable frame, and he uses that frame well to generate a fastball that will sit in the mid-90′s, routinely touching 98-100 with life. His curveball is a plus-plus offering as well, with two levels of break and great shape, and he’ll change the velocity and break on the pitch depending on the count. His change is the only offering that isn’t plus right now, but it has shown marked improvement, with far less discernible arm speed and solid movement. He won’t remind anyone of Pedro Martinez in terms of command, but he can throw all three pitches for strikes and few players get higher reviews for their overall makeup than Giolito does. It’s just a matter of health with Giolito. If the arm can stay in-tact, he’s got two plus-plus pitches and should zoom through the system, giving the Nationals two legitimate aces as soon as 2016. FASTBALL 75-80 CURVE 60-70 CHANGE 45-55 COMMAND 40-55 ETA: 2016

Rank	Name	Position	Bats/Throws	Height/Weight
2	A.J. Cole	RHP	R/R	6-4 / 180
The Nationals acquired Cole from the Athletics in a three-way trade that saw the A’s get John Jaso, the Nationals get Cole and the Mariners get a guy with big muscles. In hindsight, the Nationals appear to have gotten the best of this transaction. Cole has always had a plus fastball, sitting 93-96 and touching 97, and while there isn’t a ton of movement, it’s somewhat deceptive because of his low effort delivery. His secondary pitches have seen improvement though, with both his curve and change projecting to be average pitches at the next level. There’s a chance his curve ends up being an above-average weapon, but too often the pitch is slurvy and without the necessary depth to cause swings and misses. There’s no red flags in his arm path, but at times he can struggle to repeat the delivery, and his command is behind his control, though both have improved considerably over the past two years. If the secondary stuff continues to improve Cole could be a No. 2, but with a plus fastball and improving command, Cole should develop into a solid No. 3, with high-leverage reliever being a worst case scenario. FASTBALL 65-70 CURVE 45-50 CHANGE 45-50 COMMAND 45-55 ETA: 2015

Rank	Name	Position	Bats/Throws	Height/Weight
3	Brian Goodwin	OF	L/R	6-1 / 195
Goodwin wasn’t great in his time with Harrisburg, but he still showed why so many think he’s a future prototypical leadoff hitter as a guy with plus-plus speed and who can provide value with the glove. Goodwin has plus bat speed and his swing stays through the zone, capable of hitting the ball with authority to both the left and right center gaps and put his speed to work. His frame and swing-path will never allow him to hit for big power totals, but he’s capable of pulling the ball over the right-field fence on fastball middle in. He struggles vs left-handers — particularly on breaking-balls below the knees — but he’s not so bad that you have to consider him a platoon player, yet. Defensively, Goodwin can go get it in centerfield, and while his routes aren’t perfect he does have good instincts and the necessary athleticism to play center, potentially at a plus level with a plus arm that would play in right field if that were necessary. If things don’t go right, Goodwin is a big-league player because of his speed and defense, but there’s a chance he’s an above-average regular who can hit 280/360/420 and steal 20-25 bases. HIT 50-60 POWER 45-50 SPEED 65-65 GLOVE 55-60 ARM 55-55 ETA: 2015

for the entire list...  http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2014/02/top-14-in-14-washington-nationals/