'They're fired up': Nats prospects ready for Breakout

This story was excerpted from Jessica Camerato’s Nationals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Spring Training is the opportunity to shape the team for the immediate season ahead. The weeks at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches have been a chance for the Nationals to build for their future, too.

Between members of the 40-man roster and Major League Spring Training invites, Washington has had 16 of its MLB Pipeline-ranked top 30 prospects in big league camp.

“The poise and professionalism of these young kids is really something that was exciting for me to see,” general manager Mike Rizzo said on Tuesday.

For the first month of camp, the clubhouse was buzzing with the excitement of outfielder Dylan Crews (MLB No. 7, Nationals’ No. 1), outfielder James Wood (MLB No. 14, Nationals’ No. 2), third baseman Brady House (MLB No. 48, Nationals’ No. 3), right-hander Cade Cavalli (Nationals’ No. 4), outfielder Robert Hassell III (No. 8), left-hander DJ Herz (No. 12), right-hander Jackson Rutledge (No. 15), infielder Trey Lipscomb (No. 16), outfielder Jacob Young (No. 18), infielder Nasim Nuñez (No. 19), catcher Drew Millas (No. 20), right-hander Zach Brzykcy (No. 21), left-hander Mitchell Parker (No. 22), right-hander Cole Henry (No. 25), catcher Israel Pineda (No. 26) and infielder Darren Baker (No. 27).

Half of that group -- Crews, Wood, House, Hassell, Herz, Lipscomb, Nuñez, Brzykcy, Parker, Henry and Baker -- is pursuing their dream of making it to the Majors within the year.

“These guys are not only young baseball-wise, but chronologically some of them, too,” Rizzo said. “And these guys handled themselves like professionals. As far as performance on the field, nobody’s been overmatched, nobody’s been in awe. I think they’re realizing, ‘Man, I do belong here. This is where I belong.’ And they’re fighting to stay here.”

Nearly all of those prospects will take the field on Friday at Clover Park to face the Mets' team of prospects in the inaugural Spring Breakout. The showcase will be played as Game 1 of a doubleheader at 3:10 p.m. ET. Only Young, Nuñez, Brzykcy and Cavalli (the righties are recovering from Tommy John surgery) are not on the roster.

The Nats' squad will be rounded out by right-hander Jarlin Susana (No. 10), right-hander Travis Sykora (No. 11), left-hander Dustin Saenz (No. 29), left-hander Andrew Alvarez (NR), left-hander Lucas Knowles (NR) and right-hander Andry Lara (NR); catcher Maxwell Romero Jr. (NR); infielders Yohandy Morales (No. 5), Kevin Made (No. 23), T.J. White (No. 30) and Armando Cruz (NR); outfielders Elijah Green (No. 6), Daylen Lile (No. 7), Cristhian Vaquero (No. 9) and Andrew Pinckney (No. 17).

"It's just going to be fun to see all those young, hotshot prospects play on both teams,” Rizzo said. “... I think it was a great idea by MLB to do that because it's Spring Training. It's tough to see a game like that because all the prospects are spread out all over the place. To kind of bring them in and us against them, our prospects versus your prospects, I think it's going to be fun."

Spring Breakout will be an opportunity for the prospects to build upon their existing chemistry. Even before spending camp together, many of them advanced on the same affiliate path last season and wrapped up the year as teammates in Double-A Harrisburg.

“It did not hurt -- and it was no coincidence -- that we had them play together a little bit at the end of last season,” Rizzo said. “So that was helpful to them. I think the vibe that that coaching staff, and even the facilitating staff, brings to the clubhouse is very family-oriented. I think it’s very comfortable down there, I think that guys feed off that. Usually you get a little pack here, a little pack there. These guys are running in big packs, and they always seem to be together and they’re always bouncing around with a smile on their face.

“You can’t say enough about youth and exuberance, man. They’re fired up to be here. They’re taking every moment of this thing and sucking it up.”