The professional journey for Jackson Cluff has already had a number of ups and downs just in the year since the 23-year-old shortstop was drafted by the Nationals in the sixth round.

His 2019 season with the Brigham Young Cougars was a success, Cluff slashing .327/.458/.518 with four homers, three triples, 20 doubles and 12 stolen bases. Then, the transition to the pro game was an eye-opener. Washington’s No. 20 prospect got into 62 games at Class A Advanced Hagerstown and hit .229/.320/.367 with five home runs, five triples, eight doubles and 11 stolen bases.

“If it was the same old [as in college], I’d be in the big leagues right now,” Cluff said. “Defensively I never really felt overmatched or like that was different from college, but when you step in that box each pitcher has big league potential. They’re not playing professional baseball unless every pitcher has something where a scout thinks, ‘If this improves, he can play in the big leagues.’”

Cluff was excited for more time on the field this year, looking forward to what lay ahead as he approached his first full season as a professional, but the coronavirus pandemic took away any chance of that. Now, the infielder is working out at his old campus and continuing his education online and finishing his degree while he awaits a timeline for his return to the diamond.

“I really am looking forward to playing a full season,” he said. “I’m not going to have that opportunity this year because it got cut short, but to play as many games as I can, that’s where you see the most improvements and that’s where you see the biggest test and evaluator of where your game is at. So I hope we get back out there and see what I’ve gotten better at from last year, but also to evaluate what do I still need to get better at so I can make it to the big leagues and stay?”

Evaluating himself using a Major League Scouting Bureau report and the 20-to-80 scouting scale, basing his grades on the standards set by the Bureau, Cluff offered insight into what his future might hold.

Top Tools
The 6-foot, 185-pound native of Colorado gave himself his highest future grades in fielding and arm strength, jumping his defensive tool a full grade from being slightly above average at present to becoming well above average in the future, and bumping his arm strength up a half grade to reach the same level.

“From a young age, my dad [Paul] and I have always played baseball and he never neglected the defensive side,” Cluff said. “He was always on me, and I can always remember being a pretty good fielder because I put a lot of time into it with him. And the arm strength just kind of came out of nowhere. I was always a smaller guy growing up, but I had to make do with what I had. Then I started to mature and grow into my man body and I could do things the right way -- fielding and throwing -- and since I didn’t have a lot of those physical tools when I was younger, I had to make sure my mechanics were really good, so eventually when I did mature it could play and maximize my ability.

“As far as continuing to get better, I feel really comfortable with the Nationals because I love our infield coordinator Jeff Garber, and he makes it a point to get your arm stronger and improve your arm accuracy and nitpick all the fundamentals defensively.”

Room for improvement
Jumping his hitting ability a full grade from present to future, Cluff offered an average evaluation of the tool, with potential to turn it up a notch and become above average.

“Seeing better pitching,” Cluff said of what he needs to do to make the jump. “I’ve only played a half-season in pro ball, so the more consistent games I can get under my belt is going to help. Also just refining my hitting approach, being a smarter hitter, learning from what makes you good, what makes you struggle, and trying to put consistent at-bats together. That’s what the Minor Leagues are for, to improve on those things and get repeated reps.”

Scouting the scout
The shortstop had some experience in the realms of scouting and grading, and he had completed a similar exercise before joining the Nationals' organization.

“When I was going through the Draft process, the Nationals scout put me on the spot to grade myself and he walked me through the scale,” Cluff said. “Going through the Draft process, I got familiar with it and I asked scouts to share what their grades were on me.”

What the scouts say
“He shows all the intangibles of being a winning player,” one National League scout said. “He’s a blue-collar player, has energy, and a Major League hitter with average power. He works the count well and understands his role, takes what pitchers give him and gets the bat to the ball. He’s a smart baserunner who can steal some bases, and an above-average fielder with some range and first-step quickness at short. He plays hard and smart.”

What’s missing
“You have to be honest with yourself and say, ‘Here’s where I am and here’s where I think I can be,’ but without a plan to achieve that goal, it’s just a wish, so the most important thing you can have is an understanding of what you need to do in order to get to that next step and achieve that future grade,” Cluff said of what the report doesn’t reveal about him as a player. “It doesn’t tell you much about the work ethic or baseball instincts when it comes to what I need to do every day to be the player I need to be to play in the big leagues for 10 or 15 years.”