Starting spots for Nats' Top 30 prospects

With the 2019 Minor League Baseball season getting underway, here's a look at where the Nationals' Top 30 prospects are starting the year. We also identify the prospect who just missed the Top 30 list, a player who didn't make the big league Opening Day roster but should make an impact this year, a prospect who is ready to break out in 2019 and the team's best defensive prospect.

1) Victor Robles (MLB No. 4), OF -- Washington Nationals (MLB)
2) Carter Kieboom (MLB No. 25), SS -- Fresno Grizzlies (AAA)
3) Luis Garcia (MLB No. 74), INF -- Harrisburg Senators (AA)
4) Mason Denaburg, RHP -- Extended spring training
5) Wil Crowe, RHP -- Harrisburg Senators (AA)
6) Tim Cate, LHP -- Hagerstown Suns (A)
7) Yasel Atuna, SS -- Hagerstown Suns (A) -- IL
8) Israel Pineda, C -- Hagerstown Suns (A)
9) Sterling Sharp, RHP -- Harrisburg Senators (AA)
10) Gage Canning, OF -- Hagerstown Suns (A)
11) Telmito Agustin, OF -- Potomac Nationals (A Adv)
12) Jeremy de la Rosa, OF -- Extended spring training
13) Jose Sanchez, SS -- Hagerstown Suns (A)
14) Malvin Pena, RHP -- Potomac Nationals (A Adv)
15) Seth Romero, LHP -- Hagerstown Suns (A) -- IL
16) Reid Schaller, RHP -- Extended spring training -- rehab
17) Jake Irvin, RHP -- Hagerstown Suns (A)
18) James Borque, RHP -- Harrisburg Senators (AA)
19) Tanner Rainey, RHP -- Fresno Grizzlies (AAA)
20) Raudy Read, C -- Fresno Grizzlies (AAA)
21) Tres Barrera, C -- Harrisburg Senators (AA)
22) Joan Adon, RHP -- Hagerstown Suns (A)
23) Nick Raquet, LHP -- Potomac Nationals (A Adv)
24) Taylor Guilbeau, LHP -- Harrisburg Senators (AA)
25) Ben Braymer, LHP -- Harrisburg Senators (AA)
26) Kyle Johnston, RHP -- Potomac Nationals (A Adv)
27) Jackson Tetreault, RHP -- Potomac Nationals (A Adv)
28) Gabe Klobosits, RHP -- Extended spring training
29) Brigham Hill, RHP -- Potomac Nationals (A Adv) -- IL
30) Kyle McGowin, RHP -- Fresno Grizzlies (AAA)
Complete list »

Just missed Top 30: Jake Noll
A sum-of-all-parts player without a standout tool, Noll can do a little bit of everything on the field to help a team win. He has average hitting ability -- he slashed .291/.341/.412 with 11 home runs last season, logging 66 games apiece between Class A Advanced Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg -- and runs surprisingly well from the right side of the plate. Defensively, he can play either infield corner as well as second base, and the Nats increased his versatility with reps in the outfield during Spring Training.

Impact prospect: Carter Kieboom
One of the Nats’ final non-roster cuts this spring, the 21-year-old showed that he’s not far away from making an impact at the highest level, hitting .279/.353/.558 with three homers and three doubles in 25 games. Coming off of a campaign in which he homered 16 times while reaching Double-A, Kieboom appears poised to build upon that success in 2019 as he continues to surge towards the Majors.

Breakout prospect: Israel Pineda
A Venezuelan catcher whom Washington signed for $450,000 in July 2016, Pineda had already garnered New York-Penn League All-Star honors last year when he sustained a season-ending broken left hamate bone in late August. He still put together a strong campaign, showing impact potential on both sides of the ball that should translate well as he transitions into full-season ball at age 19.

Best defensive prospect: Victor Robles
Revered as one of the top defenders in the Minor Leagues and a member of MLB Pipeline's All-Defense Team, Robles has game-changing abilities in center field. His near top-of-the-scale speed gives him range for days in center field, and he's made strides in improving both his reads and routes in the past two years. His plus-plus arm is among the strongest in the game, and he totaled 29 outfield assists from 2016-17 before an injury-plagued campaign in '18.