Washington Nationals Farm Report - July 2024
The Wilmington Blue Rocks are hovering just around .500 heading into the middle of July and are fifth in the South Atlantic League North. There have been a lot of roster moves throughout the organization since the start of June. With so much shifting since we last checked in with
The Wilmington Blue Rocks are hovering just around .500 heading into the middle of July and are fifth in the South Atlantic League North. There have been a lot of roster moves throughout the organization since the start of June. With so much shifting since we last checked in with the rest of the Washington Nationals’ affiliates, how are the teams fairing with all these changes?
Rochester Red Wings (AAA)
The Rochester Red Wings, the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate, remained consistently around .500 in the first half of the season. Now, with the second half underway, the Red Wings are the top team in the International League East with an 11-3 record and a .786 average.
The team has found great success in adding multiple prospects from Double-A and despite the loss of James Wood. The top contributor to the Red Wings made his big-league debut on July 1st and has contributed both offensively and defensively for the Nationals ever since. Meanwhile, Dylan Crews, Brad Lord, Trey Lipscomb, and Brady House are just a few players who joined Rochester in the past month from the Harrisburg Senators.
Right fielder Travis Blankenhorn continues to be a top contributor to the Red Wings’ offense, leading the team in home runs with 17 and RBIs with 55. He is tied for the most Rochester runs (48) with Darren Baker, who leads the Red Wings with 86 hits. Catcher Drew Millas has remained one of the team’s most consistently efficient players at the mound with a .341 average and .944 OPS.
Harrisburg Senators (AA)
Despite finishing the first half of the season seven games over .500, the Harrisburg Senators are struggling to find their footing in the second half. Currently last in the Eastern League Southwest, the Senators hold a -27 point differential and a 3-12 record.
The team’s struggles on offense can be largely attributed to its recent roster changes. As mentioned previously, Crews and House, two of their top hitting prospects, were moved up to Triple-A. Andrew Pinckney has taken charge of the Senators’ offense in their absence and leads the team in runs with 39, hits with 84, stolen bases with 19, and a .265 batting average and .682 OPS.
The Senators recently acquired both Kevin Made and Daylen Lile from the Blue Rocks, adding more depth to their offense. Lile joined the team after being called up in mid-June, while Made joined on July 7th.
Fredericksburg Nationals (A)
After finishing the first half of the season in the middle of the pack with a .530 record, the Fredericksburg Nationals are first in the Carolina League North with a 14-4 record.
A lot of batters have been stepping up recently to contribute to Fredericksburg’s +32 point differential. Elijah Green, who leads the team in runs (42), home runs (7), and stolen bases (24), Brandon Pimental, who leads with 78 hits and 56 RBIs, and Marcus Brown and Sammy Infante, who spent time with the Blue Rocks earlier in the season, have excelled in the second half of the season.
The Nationals’ high-velocity pitcher Jarlin Susana recently moved up from Fredericksburg to High-A, but right-hander Bryan Polanco remains a steady starter for Fredericksburg with a 6-2 record, 3.01 ERA, and 52 strikeouts through 68.2 innings.
With James Wood making his big-league debut earlier this month, the Washington Nationals minor league affiliates are working towards bringing even more stars to the major leagues.