This versatile Nats prospect got his glove ... where?
Jessica Camerato
@jessicacameratoWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- For an infielder who sets himself apart with his defensive versatility, it’s fitting that the glove with which Trey Lipscomb uses to play multiple positions has a unique backstory, too.
Lipscomb, who is ranked as the Nationals’ No. 16 prospect by MLB Pipeline, has been a standout in Major League camp as a non-roster invitee. The 23-year-old from Frederick, Md., moves fluidly from position to position, making each stop around the infield look like his everyday spot.
On his left hand is a glove that has helped him find success in these transitions.
“It was actually one of the coach’s -- [former infield coordinator] Cody Ransom -- last year,” Lipscomb said. “I needed a 12-inch glove. He was like, ‘Hey, I’ve got one you can use.’ I used it for a day, and he was like, ‘If you like it, just keep using it.’ So I used it throughout the whole season, and it treated me pretty well.”
Lipscomb tried out the glove for the first time during Spring Training last year. He was playing third base on the back fields at Minor League camp, and it was a natural fit.
“It’s one of those gloves that when you put it on, it feels like you can catch everything,” said Lipscomb, a 2022 third-round Draft pick out of Tennessee. “I was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to use it.’ I didn’t break it in or anything; it was ready to go.”
With his newly acquired glove, Lipscomb went on to win a Minor League Gold Glove Award at third base and be named the Nationals’ Minor League Defensive Player of the Year. His 2023 season highlights included boosting his fielding percentage at third base from .929 at Single-A to .971 between High-A and Double-A, appearing at shortstop for the first time in pro ball (and making zero errors in 39 chances) and recording four defensive runs saved at the hot corner.
“There was one [play] in Harrisburg where I dove into the gravel at third base and I made the catch,” Lipscomb said. “It was kind of like a little awkward backhand. I was like, 'Thank you' [to the glove]. It was nice. There were a bunch of cool ones that I liked.”
After playing all four infield positions in the Arizona Fall League, Lipscomb has seen the majority of his playing time this spring at second base, backing up Luis García Jr. Lipscomb is still in Major League camp, where he has logged 54 innings at second, 16 at shortstop and 11 at third. In 10 games (seven starts) playing second, Lipscomb has recorded 12 putouts, 21 assists, five double plays, one error and a .971 fielding percentage.
“I'm not going to limit his ceiling by putting a moniker on him that he's a utility player,” said general manager Mike Rizzo. “This guy's a good player. If he could help us at a single position, impact us the most, that's great. If he can impact us greater by being able to bounce around the field, I think that's great also. But he's a player. And a player's got to play, and they’ve got to play a lot."
To stay ready for any position, Lipscomb follows a routine of handwork and hand-eye skill drills, followed by forehand and backhand drills on his knees on the turf before getting his legs loose on the field.
“I watch him throw, and he’s always got his legs underneath him; he’s very balanced,” manager Dave Martinez said. “When he fields the ball, he gathers himself and makes a good strong throw every time. It’s been really good. I’m really pleased with what he’s doing over the spring.”
Lipscomb grew up watching Nationals icon Ryan Zimmerman at first and third, Nolan Arenado and Chipper Jones on the hot corner and Francisco Lindor at shortstop. When Lipscomb envisions taking the field as a Major Leaguer, too, it’s simply to play ball -- anywhere he’s asked.
“I don’t think I really have a set position that I really think about,” Lipscomb said. “I feel like I prepare myself the same way each and every day.”