Looks like a b-c team for the most part for the Nats. Not sure about the mutts, as I tend not to pay much attention to other teams, I do recognize a few names though.
Not a great start to Miles Mikolas' afternoon. He gave up three hits, including a three-run homer to Brett Baty, in the top of the first. The homer and Mike Tauchman's leadoff double both came on 93-mph fastballs over the heart of the plate. Mikolas cannot afford to go there with that pitch.
In better news, Jose Tena launched a two-run homer in the bottom of the second, going to the opposite field. That's not typically his forte, so that's nice to see in this instance.
Hi Mark - Great reporting, first of all, but why are the Game Logs (if we want to call them that) posted as comments and not as an article. Just wondering.
I just figured if I leave my thoughts here among the comments instead of within the article, it's more like I'm directly interacting with you all. Plus, it's perhaps some extra motivation for people to become paid subscribers (since you have to be to access the comments).
But I'm still contemplating how I want to handle these game threads once the season begins, so I'm open to ideas/suggestions/complaints from everyone!
Definitely helps with viewer participation, but I feel having it as part of the article itself makes for better content, as it provides for the “before” and “after” of the game in the same spot and provides the visual consistency.. So I guess there are pros and cons to both ideas.
I'd have to double check this, but I'm pretty sure every hard hit off Mikolas I've seen all Spring (including not just the 3 today, but other games as well as live BP) was off of the fastball.
I can't imagine this new, fastball-averse staff lets him throw that too much in actual games.
Why would you call them fastball adverse? They love fastballs. They just don't put too much stock in the traditional way of thinking that you HAVE to use the fastball to setup your other pitches. Especially if it a substandard offering.
The Nats have gone from being the most fastball-happy team in baseball to near the bottom of the pack, at least early this spring. Thus the "fastball averse" label.
Mikolas did bounce back with zeros in both the second and third innings, so he wrapped up his day in more encouraging fashion than it began. He threw 57 pitches in total, 37 of them strikes. Only 17 of the 57 were fastballs, averaging 92-93 mph. Both of his swings and misses came off breaking balls.
Just got our first game look at Luis Perales, the hard-throwing right-hander acquired from the Red Sox over the winter. He's got electric stuff, averaging 99.6 and topping out at 100.5 mph with his fastball, plus a pitch that varied between 90-94 mph and registered as a cutter. The downside: Perales needed 24 pitches to get through a scoreless inning.
He was signed to eat innings, and he will have a job if he manages to do that, at least until enough young arms show up to force the issue.
In an ideal world, JoJo returns to form, Parker and Lord find consistency, Herz makes a rapid comeback from TJ, nobody goes down to injury, and there's no room for Miles. Or better yet, he finds the fountain of youth and plays well enough to be traded.
I’d say a great idea, as he likely could field the position, but I’d rather him be a semi-regular as I think his bat would get exposed if he played every day and, I’m not sure he has enough power to justify being the top guy - intriguing idea, though!
I don't entirely disagree. If he was playing every day, he would have to pick up the production. That said, it may be the best choice of whom they have available, unless one of the extra outfielders takes on the job.
So 27 of the Nats top 30 prospects have been added to the their spring breakout roster which they will play versus the Cards on the 19th. For a lot of you who didn't get down to Fredericksburg last season will get a chance to see Eli Willitts. Believe me he is worth watching. Also, a notable member of that squad is Harry Ford, which kind of indicates they intend to start him out in the minors when he returns from the WBC.
More on Luis Perales, Toboni’s second trade acquisition of the winter (per SI):
Perales averaged 99.6 mph on his fastball, nearly fully back to his pre-TJ surgery average of 100 mph.
Per Thomas Nestico of TJStats, he threw eight four-seamers and 12 sliders with four cutters mixed in. The "Stuff+" numbers for those pitches during the outing were 124, 116 and 91, respectively, which shows his ceiling is extremely high. Stuff+ measures “nastiness” with 100 being average, and higher numbers being above average and vise versa. The cutter may need some work but it was added to give him a third pitch, which is generally necessary to be a starting pitcher. But it doesn’t have to be elite.
His issue is control. Only 25% of his four-seam fastballs were in the strike zone. It’s hard to be effective with the slider if he can't throw strikes with his fastball. He still generated whiffs and chases with the slider because it's so nasty, but he also wasn't able to ring anyone up with it.
The lack of control has been a feature of Perales. Despite the eye-popping 228 K's across 163 1/3 minor league innings, he issued an equally eye-popping 86 walks. That's why he has such high risk of becoming just a reliever as opposed to a dominant starter, if he doesn’t figure out his location issues.
Looks like a b-c team for the most part for the Nats. Not sure about the mutts, as I tend not to pay much attention to other teams, I do recognize a few names though.
GO NATS!!
As they used to say on the tv show Dragnet, “The names have been changed to protect the innocent”.
Tena says, "Don't forget about me..."
Not a great start to Miles Mikolas' afternoon. He gave up three hits, including a three-run homer to Brett Baty, in the top of the first. The homer and Mike Tauchman's leadoff double both came on 93-mph fastballs over the heart of the plate. Mikolas cannot afford to go there with that pitch.
In better news, Jose Tena launched a two-run homer in the bottom of the second, going to the opposite field. That's not typically his forte, so that's nice to see in this instance.
Hi Mark - Great reporting, first of all, but why are the Game Logs (if we want to call them that) posted as comments and not as an article. Just wondering.
I just figured if I leave my thoughts here among the comments instead of within the article, it's more like I'm directly interacting with you all. Plus, it's perhaps some extra motivation for people to become paid subscribers (since you have to be to access the comments).
But I'm still contemplating how I want to handle these game threads once the season begins, so I'm open to ideas/suggestions/complaints from everyone!
Definitely helps with viewer participation, but I feel having it as part of the article itself makes for better content, as it provides for the “before” and “after” of the game in the same spot and provides the visual consistency.. So I guess there are pros and cons to both ideas.
I'd have to double check this, but I'm pretty sure every hard hit off Mikolas I've seen all Spring (including not just the 3 today, but other games as well as live BP) was off of the fastball.
I can't imagine this new, fastball-averse staff lets him throw that too much in actual games.
Why would you call them fastball adverse? They love fastballs. They just don't put too much stock in the traditional way of thinking that you HAVE to use the fastball to setup your other pitches. Especially if it a substandard offering.
The Nats have gone from being the most fastball-happy team in baseball to near the bottom of the pack, at least early this spring. Thus the "fastball averse" label.
Mikolas did bounce back with zeros in both the second and third innings, so he wrapped up his day in more encouraging fashion than it began. He threw 57 pitches in total, 37 of them strikes. Only 17 of the 57 were fastballs, averaging 92-93 mph. Both of his swings and misses came off breaking balls.
Just got our first game look at Luis Perales, the hard-throwing right-hander acquired from the Red Sox over the winter. He's got electric stuff, averaging 99.6 and topping out at 100.5 mph with his fastball, plus a pitch that varied between 90-94 mph and registered as a cutter. The downside: Perales needed 24 pitches to get through a scoreless inning.
I put the odds of Mikolas being on the roster on July 4 at under 25%.
Nats can't really afford someone who just gives up runs every time they take the mound. We've had this before.
Here's my thought - he's throwing pitches in situations to see what works.
At least that's what I hope, because his 2 outings so far haven't really moved the needle.
He was signed to eat innings, and he will have a job if he manages to do that, at least until enough young arms show up to force the issue.
In an ideal world, JoJo returns to form, Parker and Lord find consistency, Herz makes a rapid comeback from TJ, nobody goes down to injury, and there's no room for Miles. Or better yet, he finds the fountain of youth and plays well enough to be traded.
But I'm not holding my breath.
man, Perales throws fuel. Jeez.
Nice to see the Nats come back all the way to tie the score at 3. Time to take the lead and get some add-on runs!
That didnt take long!! Let's keep it going!! ⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️
Like I said, let's keep it going!!
What the . . . ?!?!?!? YES!!
Yup, definitely heard you!
I think they heard you! LOL
Hassell, Lipscomb, Mervis -- nice hitting this inning!
Behind the plate today.
Tena and King have had some great at bats
Maybe Tena could find a home at 1st? He would not be a conventional choice, but he might do well playing on a regular basis.
I’d say a great idea, as he likely could field the position, but I’d rather him be a semi-regular as I think his bat would get exposed if he played every day and, I’m not sure he has enough power to justify being the top guy - intriguing idea, though!
I don't entirely disagree. If he was playing every day, he would have to pick up the production. That said, it may be the best choice of whom they have available, unless one of the extra outfielders takes on the job.
AND ANOTHER CURLY W IS IN THE BOOKS!! ⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️
7 Runs on 12 Hits and no Errors!!
The no errors may be my favorite part
Mervis isn’t with team Israel?
Israel let him stay in camp until the tournament games start.
Thanks 👌
So 27 of the Nats top 30 prospects have been added to the their spring breakout roster which they will play versus the Cards on the 19th. For a lot of you who didn't get down to Fredericksburg last season will get a chance to see Eli Willitts. Believe me he is worth watching. Also, a notable member of that squad is Harry Ford, which kind of indicates they intend to start him out in the minors when he returns from the WBC.
Ford needs to start the season playing every day in case one of the other catchers gets nicked.
More on Luis Perales, Toboni’s second trade acquisition of the winter (per SI):
Perales averaged 99.6 mph on his fastball, nearly fully back to his pre-TJ surgery average of 100 mph.
Per Thomas Nestico of TJStats, he threw eight four-seamers and 12 sliders with four cutters mixed in. The "Stuff+" numbers for those pitches during the outing were 124, 116 and 91, respectively, which shows his ceiling is extremely high. Stuff+ measures “nastiness” with 100 being average, and higher numbers being above average and vise versa. The cutter may need some work but it was added to give him a third pitch, which is generally necessary to be a starting pitcher. But it doesn’t have to be elite.
His issue is control. Only 25% of his four-seam fastballs were in the strike zone. It’s hard to be effective with the slider if he can't throw strikes with his fastball. He still generated whiffs and chases with the slider because it's so nasty, but he also wasn't able to ring anyone up with it.
The lack of control has been a feature of Perales. Despite the eye-popping 228 K's across 163 1/3 minor league innings, he issued an equally eye-popping 86 walks. That's why he has such high risk of becoming just a reliever as opposed to a dominant starter, if he doesn’t figure out his location issues.