Washington Nationals Farm Report - 2024 Season Recap
Hundreds of games were played this season throughout the entirety of the Washington Nationals organization. While the Wilmington Blue Rocks’ season is over, all three of the Nationals’ other affiliates are continuing to play into the second half of September. Double-A Harrisburg Senators and Triple-A Rochester Red Wings are wrapping
Hundreds of games were played this season throughout the entirety of the Washington Nationals organization. While the Wilmington Blue Rocks’ season is over, all three of the Nationals’ other affiliates are continuing to play into the second half of September. Double-A Harrisburg Senators and Triple-A Rochester Red Wings are wrapping up their respective regular seasons, while the Low-A Fredericksburg Nationals are heading into the postseason.
How did each of these teams fare throughout the 2024 season?
Rochester Red Wings (AAA)
Unlike other affiliates and despite roster moves, the Red Wings had an overall consistent and successful season. Rochester finished third of ten teams in the International League East with a 38-31 first half record, and heads into the final two series of the season in third with a 34-29 record.
Among the Nationals that made their MLB debuts this season, one standout star began the 2024 season in Rochester.
James Wood, who has quickly worked his way up since being drafted in 2021, debuted on July 1 after playing 52 games for Rochester. In those few months, Wood recorded a stellar .353 batting average, 67 hits, 44 runs, 37 RBIs, and ten home runs. Now a consistent member of the Nationals’ starting lineup and outfield, the 6’7” 21-year-old has a .274 MLB batting average.
It’s safe to say that Wood, as well as the other members of the organization that made it to the majors this season and those continuing to work their way up, will quickly become beloved household names for generations to come.
Harrisburg Senators (AA)
The Harrisburg Senators’ 2024 season is the perfect example of how minor league baseball works. As the Double-A affiliate of the Nationals, who saw multiple minor league players make their MLB debuts this year, many of the team’s top players were promoted to Triple-A to fill the voids in Rochester. This allowed for players from Wilmington to join the Senators and, as a result of these transactions, Harrisburg’s roster is widely different than it was when the season first began.
Outfielder Dylan Crews, the top Nationals prospect and second in the league, spent the first part of the season in Harrisburg before eventually working his way up to the majors. During his 51 games with the Senators, Crews recorded 38 RBIs, 51 hits, and a .274 batting average.
An outfielder like Crews, Andrew Pinckney led the Senators in runs (54), hits (113), and RBIs (44) as a consistent member of Harrisburg’s offense. He played the majority of the season, 114 total games, before being called up to Triple-A in late August.
The Senators finished the first half of the season 38-31, just one game back from the top spot in the Eastern League Southwest. Unfortunately, the team is last in the division with a 27-36 record heading into its final series of the year.
Fredericksburg Nationals (A)
The Nationals’ Low-A affiliate, the Fredericksburg Nationals began 2024 with a 35-31 first-half record. Despite the winning record, they finished in the bottom half of the Carolina League North. It wasn’t until the second portion of the season that Fredericksburg, which went 39-26, earned a spot in the postseason.
As the first step up from Rookie Ball in Florida, Fredericksburg saw many players elevate their games far beyond where they began this season.
Jarlin Susana, who ended the season with the Blue Rocks, shined as one of the top pitching prospects in the organization. The right-handed starter’s fastball breaks 102 mph and, at just 20 years old, he is the 96th overall prospect in the MLB.
Another right-handed pitcher, Travis Sykora spent the entirety of the 2024 season in Fredericksburg. The 20-year-old is the third-ranked prospect for the Nationals and 94th in the league. In 20 starts, Sykora boasted a 2.33 ERA and 5-3 record this year.
The Nationals’ first round pick Seaver King also finished the season in Low-A. At 21 years old, the utility fielder is the organization’s 21st ranked prospect.
Now, they play the Carolina Mudcats in a best of three Division Series to determine who will go to the Carolina League Championship.
Extra-Innings Needed In 3-2 Win For Wilmington
WILMINGTON, DE - The Wilmington Blue Rocks (5-12) took down the Aberdeen IronBirds (7-10) by a final score of 3-2 in 10 innings on Wednesday, April 23 at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium.
Blue Rocks Open Series At Home With 6-2 Win Over Aberdeen
WILMINGTON, DE - The Wilmington Blue Rocks (4-12) kicked off their week-long homestand against the Aberdeen IronBirds (7-9) with a 6-2 win in the series opener on Tuesday, April 22.
Wilmington Captures Series Split With Hub City Following An Emphatic 7-1 Win
WILMINGTON, Del. - The Wilmington Blue Rocks (3-6) secured a series tie against the Hub City Spartanburgers (5-4) on Sunday, April 13 by a final score of 7-1 at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium.
Blue Rocks Split Doubleheader Against Hub City
WILMINGTON, Del. - The Wilmington Blue Rocks and Hub City Spartanburgers split their double header on Saturday at Frawley Stadium, losing game one 3-1 while taking game two 6-0.
Wilmington Captures First Win Of The Season In Walk-Off Fashion
WILMINGTON, Del. — The Wilmington Blue Rocks got their win of the season with a 4-3 win over the Hub City Spartanburgers on Thursday night at Frawley Stadium.
Blue Rocks Drop Home-Opener 6-1 To New Arrival Hub City
The Wilmington Blue Rocks dropped their home opener to the Hub City Spartanburgers by a score of 6-1 on Tuesday, April 8.
Mr. Celery Voted #2 Mascot in all of Minor League Baseball
WILMINGTON, DE – The Wilmington Blue Rocks are thrilled to announce that one of their beloved mascots, “Mr. Celery,” has been voted the best minor league mascot in the eastern United States and the second-best mascot in all of Minor League Baseball by USA Today and 10Best.com in their fan
Blue Rocks Announce 2025 Promotional Schedule
WILMINGTON, DE – On Thursday, March 13 the Wilmington Blue Rocks released their 2025 promotional and theme night schedule. This season kicks off at Frawley Stadium on Tuesday, April 8, as the Blue Rocks welcome fans back to the ballpark for an exciting six-game series against the brand-new Hub City
2024 Holiday Packages On Sale Now
Our popular holiday packages are back for the 2024 holiday season! Choose from four packages to place under the Christmas tree for the Blue Rocks fan in your life to enjoy! Package items range from certificates that can be used for tickets and throwing out a First Pitch to a
Fireworks, Fans, Fun - The Final 2024 Series at Frawley Stadium
The past week marked the Wilmington Blue Rocks’ final home series of the 2024 season. They hosted the Aberdeen Ironbirds in the teams’ fifth and last meeting of the year and split the series 3-3. Ahead of the homestand, the Blue Rocks still had a slim chance to make the
Friday Night Lights to Frawley Stadium Strikes
Seth Shuman, one of many talented starting pitchers that worked their way from the Wilmington Blue Rocks to the Harrisburg Senators this season, grew up in Valdosta, Georgia. The southern Georgia town is known for its rich sports culture, specifically when it comes to football, so it’s no surprise that
Wilmington Falls 3-9 to BlueClaws and Cyclones in Back-to-Back Home Series
Now back on the road, the Wilmington Blue Rocks just completed their back-to-back home series. In the 12 total games against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws and Brooklyn Cyclones, Wilmington fell 3-9 and holds the bottom spot in the South Atlantic League North heading into the final two weeks of the
Washington Nationals Farm Report - August 2024
The Wilmington Blue Rocks started August just above .500 with a second-half record of 16-15. With their current spot in the South Atlantic League North, the Blue Rocks are very much in the position to make a postseason run, but how are the other teams within the Washington Nationals’ organization
Opponent Preview: Jersey Shore BlueClaws And Brooklyn Cyclones
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The Blue Rocks Triumph in Final Homestand vs Hudson Valley
Fans gathered at Frawley Stadium for the Wilmington Blue Rocks’ third and final homestand against the Hudson Valley Renegades this season. The Blue Rocks were 6-11 against Hudson Valley heading into the series, and managed to improve their record against their South Atlantic Division rivals to 10-13 by winning the
Third Time’s A Charm: The Hudson Valley Renegades Are Coming Back to Wilmington
The Wilmington Blue Rocks are set to host the Hudson Valley Renegades for the third and final time of the 2024 season. In their two homestands and one road trip against the Renegades so far, the Blue Rocks are 6-11.
Fueled by Determination and Doubt
The Wilmington Blue Rocks have had a lot of roster changes throughout the 2024 season, including players coming and going from injuries, promotions, and rehabilitation assignments.
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
Wilmington Wins Four of Six vs Cyclones
The last time the Brooklyn Cyclones came to Wilmington was Opening Weekend. The Wilmington Blue Rocks put on quite the show to kick off the season and swept the New York Mets’ High-A affiliate in the three-game series. Brooklyn returned to Delaware for the first time since then, and the
Celery-brating the Holiday at Home
The Wilmington Blue Rocks hosted the first three games of their six-game split series against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. In the short homestand, the Blue Rocks took two of three to jump ahead before heading on the road to Lakewood. Sunny skies, 33 hits, 19 runs, and one sold-out game
Battle Of Blue Returns To Wilmington
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Sink or Swim - Brendan Collins
If you were to look at Brendan Collins’ player biography, you’d find that the Wilmington Blue Rocks’ pitcher played for UNC Greensboro before being drafted. However, as he admits and has come to appreciate, his journey to his professional baseball career is a lot more complicated than it appears on
It’s Heating Up in Wilmington - Homestand Recap vs Aberdeen IronBirds
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The IronBirds Fly Back to Wilmington
The Wilmington Blue Rocks and Aberdeen IronBirds have met in two six-game series so far this year. In the first in Aberdeen, they split the series 3-3, and the Blue Rocks won their second series 4-2 in mid-May at Frawley Stadium. A month later, the High-A affiliate of the Baltimore