Washington and its fans will be keeping a close eye on these critical questions as spring training gets underway.
It’s finally here. After a long season, baseball is back (kind of).
Spring training gets underway for the Nationals on Saturday with several key questions and storylines to keep an eye on. The wins and losses might not matter, but these games are critical when it comes to sorting through lineup and rotation possibilities, tracking player development and more.
With that said, let’s take a look at three of the biggest storylines of the Nationals spring training.
1) What is the starting rotation going to look like come the regular season?
The Nationals trading away Mackenzie Gore made sense. He is a high-end starting pitcher right now, meaning he carried a ton of trade value and, simultaneously, didn’t really match Washington’s timeline. Getting back prospects was a smart move, and one that should ultimately pay dividends.
In the short-term, though, Gore’s departure leaves a free-for-all in the starting rotation. For one, there is no established ace. Cade Cavalli figures to be the first starter, but could be easily unseated if any surprise arms start off hot. Foster Griffin, for example, was an ace in Japan, and has some real exciting upside.
There is also some question of who will actually end in the Nats’ rotation, as there are a ton of unproven arms who could end up being either long relievers or starters. There are going to be some decisions to be made, and spring training should provide some clarity before the regular season starts.
2) How much longer does Keibert Ruiz have behind the plate?
Harry Ford, perhaps the Nationals’ most exciting offseason pickup, is not yet ready to take over Ruiz’ starting spot. But how long will it actually be until he is?
Ford has very little MLB experience, but he’s a big time prospect who clearly has the organization excited. With Ruiz coming off of a down year, it seems like the question of Ford taking the starting spot is more of a “when” as opposed to an “if.”
The lack of experience from Ford means that the at-bats he gets during spring training, and the reps behind the plate, will be critical both for his development and for Washington to get a good look at where he is as a player. Ford is the future of the position in D.C. All that’s left to see is how soon that future arrives.
3) Is the Nationals young outfield ready to make a leap?
The Nationals have one of the youngest outfields in baseball. Their projected depth chart features a 23-year-old James Wood in left field, 26-year-old Jacob Young in center, and 23-year-old Dylan Crews (who will be 24 by the time the season starts) in right. That doesn’t even account for 24-year-old Robert Hassell III, who may or may not win a starting spot.
All of Washington’s outfielders have shown flashes, none more than James Wood. Consistency, though, has been an issue. For this team to take the leap from “young and exciting” to being actually good, they will need a similar jump from this unit.
As with the rotation, spring training will not only give a look into whether that leap has been taken, but will also help sort out the depth chart and which guys have made the improvements necessary to see the field on a daily basis. Specifically, Hassell and Crews need to show that they’ve taken strides towards becoming valuable, reliable contributors.