Washington Nationals 2011 Minor League Review

Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America:

2011 (14) | 2010 (24) | 2009 (21) | 2008 (10) | 2007 (30) | 2006 (24)

2011 Affiliate Records

MLB: [80-81] NL East

AAA: [66-74] International League – Syracuse

AA: [80-62] Eastern League – Harrisburg

A+: [68-71] Carolina League – Potomac

A: [75-64] South Atlantic League – Hagerstown

A(ss): [45-30] New York-Penn League – Auburn

The Run Down

There would’ve been a few more guys to discuss here, had the Nationals not gutted their system in acquiring Gio Gonzalez.  Their top two pitching prospects (Brad Peacock & A.J.

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I always thought Bobby Parnell was the little black kid in the movie, Role Models, but I stand corrected.  Now I think he’s the new closer for the Mets.  At least that’s what I hope.  On one hand, I feel like the Mets will want to see what Parnell can do in the closer role.  Why would they audition Jason Isringhausen?  He’s 50-something and was out of baseball already once in his career.  On the other hand, the Mets may want to inflate Isringhausen’s value.  “Hey, he could be a closer!  See?” On the third lesser known hand that is actually just a lamb sock puppet, the Mets may just split the duties.  Which way will they go, George, which way will they go?  This is fun!  I grabbed Parnell wherever I could, but didn’t grab Izzy cause I have just a little patience.  As for Francisco Rodriguez, well, on the way out of the locker room, K-Rod saw his nickname in the mirror and sighed.  He won’t be the closer in Milwaukee.  That’s Axford’s job.  I wouldn’t immediately drop K-Rod, but I’d ready my dropping finger.  Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Miguel Cabrera – After I said in my fantasy baseball top 100 for the 2nd half that Miggy would be number one unless he got injured, he goes and gets injured.  How’s dem apples?  Actually, a bit sour.  It’s not apple season, though if an apple can grow in the fall why can’t it grow in the summer?  Ah, questions, questions.  The report out of Arizona is Miggy will be fine.  He just left for precautionary reasons.  Weird to see him leave before the last call.

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David Wright has a stress fracture in his lower back.  It’s the new Mets, same as the old Mess!  I find it hard to believe this is still The Curse of the Shirtless Bernazard, but who else is evil eyeing them?  George Foster?  (BTW, If George Foster ever evil eyed you for longer than 5 seconds, you’d turn to stone.  Fact!)  The Mets are downplaying Wright’s injury, but what else is new with the Mets?  Let’s look at their truthiness in some recent reports:  In 2009, “Reyes will be out for a few days.”  In reality, he’s only fully recovered two years later.  In 2009, “Beltran will be out for three to five days.”  In reality, he missed two seasons.  “K-Rod and his stepfather, an up and coming videographer, were remaking the “Beat It” video.”  In reality, K-Rod blew Kabuki white powder into his stepfather’s face and hit him over the head with a metal chair.  So the Mets are saying Wright might miss only a week and a half to two weeks.  Um, okay.  Even if he returns quickly, a stress fracture in his lower back isn’t going to hurt his power?  Yeah, that’s rhetorical.  Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Jose Reyes – 2-for-5, 2 steals.  Now has 16 steals on the year.  How do you motivate overpaid athletes?  With the allure of being vastly overpaid.

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Washington Nationals 2010Minor League Review
Overall farm ranking via Baseball America (2010)
2010 (21) | 2009 (21) | 2008 (9) | 2007 (30) | 2006 (24) | 2005 (26) | 2004 (30)

Record of Major and Minor League Teams
MLB: [69 – 93] NL East
AAA: [76 – 67] International League – Syracuse
AA: [77 – 65] Eastern League – Harrisburg
A+: [70 – 69] Carolina League – Potomac
A: [65 – 75] South Atlantic League – Haggerstown
A(ss): [36 – 38] New York Pennsylvania League – Vermont Lake
R: [24 – 32] Gulf League

The Run Down
In the 2009 Nationals Minor League Review, I said, “It wouldn’t be a stretch to see the team win 10 more games this year with a slightly improved rotation.” They did win exactly 10 more games this year, too bad that was still good enough for last place in the NL East.  Jordan Zimmermann’s return from Tommy John surgery was met with losing Stephen Strasburg to the same surgery.  The Nationals have an excessive amount of mediocre pitching in the minors and in the majors as they had no starter who threw 100 innings with a strikeout rate over 6 Ks per nine-innings (e.g.

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