2018 Hagerstown Suns: The Pitchers

The 2018 Hagerstown Suns weren't overloaded with prospects as last place teams rarely are, but even though the Suns may not have produced a pitching prospect on the same level as infielder Luis Garcia, they had a few more players worth a look for next year's system prospect list.

The top pitcher that spent most of his year with the Suns was Jackson Tetrault, whose initial numbers look just average until you dig deeper.
Tetrault's numbers after two months were terrible (0-6 with an ERA of over six) and then suddenly turned into an excellent starter.
Tetrault's second half finished with an ERA of 2.63 in nine starts and earned him an August promotion to High A Potomac.
SAL hitters hit .290 against Tetrault in the first half and only .217 in the second and for the season, Tetrault notched 118 strikeouts in 110 innings, which gives him a positive number in my favorite pitching statistic for future success for Low A pitchers and walked only 34 in his Hagerstown time.
At 6'5 and just 175 pounds, Tetrault is likely to grow into his frame and wasn't too old for the level as he spent the season at 22.
Tetrault's far from a sure thing, but he's definitely worth following.

Nick Raquet pitched well (2.79 ERA, two complete games in twelve starts) for the Suns, but the 2017 third rounder from William and Mary (and five other guys, I love that joke!) struck out only 56 in 67 innings and was the type of polished college pitcher that should do well in the SAL.
The general rule of thought was correct as Raquet allowed opponents to hit .319 against him in twelve starts in the Carolina League and his ERA almost hit five.
Raquet's ceiling might be as a long or situational reliever, but I'm still interested in Raquet's 2019 season.

Brigham Hill returned from a 2017 injury to pitch well in ten starts in the second half.
Hill's season looked a lot like that of Nick Raquet, a polished college pitcher that did what he should against the level of competition.
Still, Hill didn't miss a lot of bats (35 SO in 49 innings) and I wonder how his stuff will play (like Raquet) as he rises through the system.

Andrew Lee returned from injury and split his season between the rotation (10 starts) and the bullpen (10 appearances).
Lee's stats were similar to pre-injury Lee- 86 strikeouts in 67 innings and an opposing batting average of .166.
At 25, Lee could have just overmatched younger hitters, so it'll be interesting to see Lee next year in High A Potomac or AA Harrisburg, but he has the type of arm that might be best used as a gas thrower out of the bullpen.

Two middle round college picks in the 2017 draft were impressive in Hagerstown, but quickly moved on and impressed in Potomac as well.
Auburn's Ben Braymer posted an ERA of under two in seven Hagerstown appearances before splitting time between Potomac's rotation and the bullpen.
Braymer's interesting with a combined ERA of 2.28, 118 strikeouts and an opponents average of .219 and should start in AA Harrisburg.

Jeremy McKinney looked like roster filler as a 31st round pick in 2017 from Indiana State entering the 2018 season.
That was until McKinney didn't allow an earned run in eleven innings from the Suns' bullpen and then struck out 36 batters in 33 innings in Potomac with an ERA under two.
Can McKinney continue this performance at the next level? We'll see, but if he can post anything near those numbers in Harrisburg, he'll be a bullpen candidate for someone, if not Washington.

Kyle Johnston was a higher draft pick than Braymer and McKinney, but his numbers weren't quite as strong.
The former Texas Longhorn still allowed opponents to hit a combined .237 between Hagerstown and Potomac.
Johnston pitched more from the pen for the Suns than the rotation but reversed that order for when assigned to Potomac.
I see Johnston as a reliever in the future, but the Nationals may differ with that conclusion.

Former number one pick Seth Romero finally arrived in Hagerstown and struck out 34 batters in seven starts and opponents barely hit .200 against him.
Romero underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the 2019 season.

The Suns otherwise featured more suspects than prospects.
Three of the four pitchers with the most innings pitched (Jackson Tetrault was the other) look to be organizational soldiers at this point.
20-year-old Tomas Alastre finished with an ERA over five, allowed 21 homers and struck out only 80 in over one hundred innings.
Alastre was a little young for the league, so give him one more season, but 2018 didn't look great for his future.

Jackson Stoeckinger's numbers were even worse than Alastre's and he'll also likely receive another chance in Hagerstown, while Sam Held improved in his second year as a Sun, pitching as a reliever and occasional starter, but his improvement wasn't enough to leap him forward as a true prospect.

2018 draft picks Tim Cate (2nd Connecticut) and Frankie Bartow (11th Miami Fla) each arrived late in the season, but with limited innings, it was hard to evaluate them.
Either or both could start in High A Potomac next year or start back with the Suns.

There isn't a sure thing in this crop of pitchers, but there are a few worth considering.
The Seth Romero injury robs the system of arguably the best toolbox in the system for 2019 and if one of those college draftees that performed well from the bullpen can repeat those numbers in AA, the Nationals would be pleased.
Still, none of these are true blue chippers (other than Romero) , all could be off the prospect charts at this time next year and Washington could be wondering just how they do so well in Latin America, yet draft so badly.