Nationals Farm Authority

Minors 2006 (1 of 7) - Dominican Summer League

Minors 2006 (2 of 7) - Gulf Coast League

In what is believed to be the Nationals last year in Vermont, the Lake Monsters struggled through another tough season with only a few bright spots.

Record: The Lake Monsters finished with a league worst 23-51 record in the New York/Penn League. This was certainly a function of the shortcomings of the farm system overall. The invigoration of the farm system with premium younger talent will place their new affiliate (assuming their rumors of relocation are true) in a much better position.

Statistics: Given that Vermont had the worst record, it comes as no surprise that the Lake Monsters also ranked towards the bottom of the league in both offensive and pitching categories.

Offense:

Team	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
Vermont	2424	262	565	89	17	22	224	186	611	65	41	0.233	0.296	0.311
Average	2454	300	595	111	19	27	262	219	546	59	32	0.243	0.313	0.335

Pitching:

Team	IP	ERA	WHIP	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	OppBA
Vermont	647.00	4.03	1.40	7.2	3.4	0.4	0.263
Average	652.67	3.34	1.25	7.5	3.0	0.4	0.242

Players: The Lake Monsters roster was populated by bats from the 2006 draft along side three promising bats from 2005 (Justin Maxwell, Mike Daniel, and Ryan Delaughter). The bats from 2006 were lower round college guys with lower ceilings which explains the overall offensive struggles of Vermont. The Nationals selected Vermont as the spot to debut their 4th round selection 19-year old LHSP Glenn Gibson who made 3 brief appearances as well as their first college selections (Cory VanAllen and Zech Zinicola).

Top 10 Vermont Lake Monsters Prospects

1. Justin Maxwell OF: The 22-year old 2005 4th rounder out of Maryland is one of the few five tool guys in the Nationals farm system. He has among the best raw speed and baserunning instincts in the organization. In 74 games in Vermont, Maxwell was 20/25 in SB attempts. Adding to his speed, Maxwell projects out as a 270-280 hitter with 20-25 HRs, he batted 269/346/376 over 271AB for the Lake Monsters. He needs to improve on his strikeouts, as he K’d 61 times. What Maxwell needs right now is playing time. A 2007 start in Potomac is not out of the question, but more likely he’ll begin the season in Hagerstown with a quick promotion to Potomac if he proves himself capable.
2. Glenn Gibson LHSP: Gibson was the last of the first six high schoolers drafted as well as the last one signed (2nd rounder Sean Black did not sign). The Central Moriches (NY) grad is all about projectability. He is already the owner of a high 80s fastball that in time should be low 90s, this is complemented by both a projectable changeup and curveball. Gibson only made three brief appearances for Vermont but showed signs of what drew the Nats to him (6IP 2H 0R 0BB 7K). A return to the replacement for Vermont is likely in 2007.
3. Jack Spradlin LHSP: Spradlin was an 8th round selection in 2005 draft. He is the purest definition of a finesse pitcher as his game is predicated not on his mid to high 80s fastball as much his above average slider and a deceptive changeup. In 48IP for Vermont, he had a 1.69ERA, 1.04WHIP, 5.8K/9, 1.9BB/9, and 0.6HR/9. Spradlin’s game is based upon his great command as well as a funky motion. Refining his slider and changeup will be his focus in 2007, likely in Potomac.
4. Mike Daniel OF: The 22-year old UNC gradauate was a 2005 7th round selection with a smooth swing and solid mechanics. The lefthanded Daniel hit 304/376/431 in 53 games for Vermont with a nice balance of extrabase power (14/55 hits) and speed (13/17 in SB). Daniel needs to refine his eye at the plate where he struck out 52 times while only walking 16 times. A 2007 start in Hagerstown seems most likely but the opportunity to jump to Potomac would not be out of the question by mid-season.
5. Zech Zinicola RHRP: Drafted in the 6th round of the 2006 draft, the 21-year old Zinicola shot up the organization finishing the season in AA Harrisburg. Zinicola has a low 90s fastball along with a developing slider and a changeup with splitfinger action. He projects as a RH setup man with an upside as a closer. Zinicola could crack the 2007 season in the Washington bullpen, but expect some seasoning in AAA Columbus.
6. Ryan Delaughter OF: The 19-year old Delaughter was a 5th round selection in thee 2005 draft out of high school. Delaughter was a two-way star for his Texas high school team, but the Nationals saw the most promise as an OF. Scouts compare his makeup to former major leaguer Jay Buhner, as Delaughter has both amazing raw power and a cannon for an arm in the OF. In 203AB, his offense is still a work in progress (227/293/300) compounded by an alarming 75 strikeouts, but he shows flashes of a HR bat that the Nationals hope develop in time. He may return to the same level in 2007 with an eye on developing Delaughter alongside 2006 first rounder Chris Marrero.
7. Cory VanAllen LHSP: VanAllen was selected in the 5th round of the 2006 draft of Baylor after bypassing signing in the 3rd round of the 2003 draft. VanAllen has a low-90s fastball that needs more movement, as well as a developing slider and changeup. All three pitches need work, but VanAllen is considered highly projectable by scouts as ideally a middle of the rotation starting pitcher. In 14 games, he threw 57.67 innings with an 4.06ERA, 1.20WHIP, 6.4K/9, 2.5BB/9, and 0.8HR/9. He should start the 2007 season in Hagerstown but could be challenged with a placement in Potomac.
8. Francisco Guzman OF: The 22-year old OF is all about power. He led the Lake Monsters with 5HR in 2006 and has shown the HR bat that the Nationals hope progresses up the organization. He batted 261/312/383 in 230AB. Much like most of his Vermont teammates, Guzman needs to work on his eye at the plate (48/15 K/BB ratio). He’s likely to spend the 2007 season in Hagerstown.
9. Zach Baldwin LHP: A 31st round 2006 draft pick, the 23-year old Baldwin split time between starting an relieving for the Lake Monsters. In 54.33 innings, the soft-tossing lefty had a 3.81ERA, 1.34WHIP, 6.6K/9, 2.5BB/9, and 0.5HR/9. His fastball tops out at about 88mph, but is complemented by an assortment of a changeup, slider, curveball, and splitfinger. He is not going to blow guys away, but could develop into a finesse lefty a la Jamie Moyer. Hagerstown is his likely 2007 debut.
10. Aaron Jackson RHSP: A 2004 22nd round draft pick, the 20-year old Jackson continued the trend of finesse pitchers in Vermont. In 63.67IP, he had a 3.11 ERA, 1.27WHIP, 6.8K/9, 2.3BB/9, and 0.1HR/9. Soft-tossing RHPs have a tough road, but Jackson has done enough in 2006 to likely earn a promotion to Hagerstown in 2007.