The FredNats (4-10) currently sit in last place in the Carolina League’s North Division standings, but it’s early, as they’re still only four games back of first place with over four months to go.
Fredericksburg, which lost four of its five games against first-place Delmarva last week (Saturday’s game was suspended and will resume May 30), has given up the most hits in the league (139) and owns the league’s highest ERA with a mark of 7.75, but has shown some production at the plate.
The Nats rank fourth as a team in OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) at .719, but have also combined for 156 strikeouts, which is just three off the league high shared by Down East and Fayetteville’s 159.
Third baseman Brady House, the Nationals’ No. 5 prospect who was taken 11th overall in the 2021 draft, has produced a .313 average and a team-high three home runs this season in Fredericksburg.
Elijah Green (No. 3 prospect), the fifth overall pick in last year’s draft, has swiped seven bases thus far, but the 19-year-old has also struck out a team-high 27 times in his 45 at-bats. Another top outfielder prospect, Robert Hassell III (No. 2), the 8th pick of the 2021 MLB Draft by San Diego, has only played in eight games for the FredNats, but has drawn seven walks and produced five runs scored, despite batting just .161.
Shortstop Armando Cruz (No. 14), left fielder Daylen Lile (No. 16) and first baseman Roismar Quintana (No. 17) have all gotten off to solid starts as well.
FredNats second baseman Sammy Infante, who is not listed among the organization’s top 30 MLB Pipeline prospects, leads the team with a batting average of .348 with a pair of homers, and has also posted a team-high 10 RBI.
On the mound, Jarlin Susana (No. 6) and Jake Bennett (No. 9) are the top two pitchers in the organization behind Cade Cavalli, who made the big-league rotation before suffering an elbow injury in the preseason that will require Tommy John surgery, and subsequently keep him sidelined until 2024.
Susana, a 6-foot-6, 19-year-old right-hander who made news with a 103-mph fastball in his debut late last season, has given up five runs with 13 strikeouts and a team-high 10 walks in 9.2 innings across his three starts in 2023.
Bennett, 22, a second-round pick (45th) out of Oklahoma last season, has also started three games for Fredericksburg, posting a 2.84 ERA to go along with a team-best 20 strikeouts in 12.2 innings pitched. That included a professional debut of five scoreless innings — and eight strikeouts — in the opening win against Lynchburg.
After taking two of three against the Hillcats (7-8) at home at Virginia Credit Union Stadium to start the season earlier this month, Fredericksburg dropped its next five games and has come up short in nine of its last 11.
Lynchburg shortstop Angel Genao (No. 14) is the top Guardians prospect on the Hillcats’ roster, with former Florida State standout Parker Messick the highest-rated pitching prospect (No. 21). Outfielders Wuilfredo Antunez (No. 27) and Justin Boyd (No. 29) are also players to keep an eye on for Lynchburg. All games Tuesday through Saturday are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m., with Sunday’s finale starting at 2.
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