MARCH 2 • MLB.COM
'We think it's in there': Lowe has 30-HR potential with Nats WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Nathaniel Lowe believes watching more pitches -- and possibly taking more walks -- in March could lead to the first...
Jesús Sánchez - Receiving CF reps Manager Clayton McCullough said Sunday that Sanchez will see the majority of his starts in center field during spring training since he's a known quantity in the corner outfield, C...
Impact The 27-year-old saw most of his action in center field during 2022 (and posted plus-two Defensive Runs Saved and minus-two Outs Above Average), but he has made just nine appearances there across the past two seasons. Regardless of whether he ends up in center or right field, Sanchez has a secure spot in the heart of Miami's lineup after he finished 2024 with 18 homers, 16 steals and a .730 OPS.
MARCH 2 • ROTOWIRE
Javier Sanoja - Competing for super-utility role Manager Clayton McCullough said Sunday that Sanoja is likely to see playing time at every position in the field except first base and catcher during spring training, Christina De N...
Impact The 22-year-old made his big-league debut in September and had a .229/.250/.286 slash line in his first 15 MLB games, and he's now attempting to earn a spot on Miami's Opening Day roster. Sanoja isn't likely to receive regular playing time even if he secures a roster spot, but the defensive versatility could allow him to carve out a larger role.
MARCH 2 • ROTOWIRE
Josh Bell - Socks first spring homer Bell went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.
Impact Bell took Miles Mikolas deep in the first inning for his first long ball of the spring. The 32-year-old slugger is expected to be the regular DH for the Nationals this season while backing up Nathaniel Lowe at first base, and Bell posted the best numbers of his career during his first stint with Washington in 2021-22, slashing .278/.363/.483 over 247 games with 41 homers and 145 RBI.
MARCH 2 • ROTOWIRE
Michael Soroka - Sparkling spring debut Soroka walked one and struck out three over three scoreless, no-hit innings during Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.
Impact Facing a St. Louis lineup that featured a number of likely Opening Day starters, Soroka got Willson Contreras to ground into a double play to end the first inning before including Nolan Gorman and Pedro Pages among his strikeout victims over his final two frames. Soroka is attempting to prove he can still be an effective big-league starting pitcher after finishing 2024 in the bullpen for the White Sox, signing a one-year, $9 million prove-it deal with the Nats in December. The double-play grounder might have been a better sign on that front than the Ks -- during his one outstanding campaign in 2019 with Atlanta, Soroka recorded a 51.2 percent groundball rate, a mark that sunk to 40.3 percent last season.
MARCH 2 • ROTOWIRE
Agustín Ramírez - Showing tools this spring Ramirez continues to work on his defense in an effort to stick as a catcher when he reaches the major leagues, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
Impact Acquired from the Yankees in last year's Jazz Chisholm trade, Ramirez's bat has never been in question -- Wednesday, he posted an exit velocity of 115.1 mph, the sixth-fastest hit recorded by any player this spring and a mark only topped among 2024 MLB catchers by William Contreras -- but the 23-year-old still has work to do on his pitch framing, blocking and release time on base-stealing attempts. Ramirez showed up early to camp to try and improve in all those areas, however, and his work ethic has been noticed by the Marlins' coaching staff. "We've been hammering all of it," catching coach Joe Singley said this week. "I think he's super talented, and there's a lot of low hanging fruit there. We're getting him in positions where he can let that athleticism go, slightly adjusting some things to help him block the ball and receive it without having to think about it too much. Just clearing up some positions for him to be an athlete." Ramirez is expected to begin the season at Triple-A Jacksonville, but if Nick Fortes' back issues linger into Opening Day, it could open up a spot for the organization's top catching prospect to make his MLB debut.
MARCH 2 • ROTOWIRE
Get to know Nats prospect Orlando Ribalta This story was excerpted from Jessica Camerato’s Nationals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it...
MARCH 2 • MLB.COM
