April 15: Washington officially recalled Parker to start tonight’s game. The Nats also brought up catcher Drew Millas from Triple-A Rochester and placed Keibert Ruiz on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to April 12, because of the flu. Washington also reinstated Nick Senzel from his season-opening IL stint and optioned infielder Trey Lipscomb.
April 14: The Nationals will call up left-hander Mitchell Parker on Monday to make his Major League debut. Grant Paulsen of 106.7FM Radio (X link) reported the news earlier today, and Nats manager Davey Martinez confirmed to reporters that Parker will start Washington’s game against the Dodgers. Right-hander Amos Willingham was optioned to Triple-A today, which makes room for Parker on the 26-man roster.
Parker was a fifth-round pick for the Nats in the 2020 draft, and was added to the team’s 40-man roster last November in advance of the Rule 5 draft so another club couldn’t select the 24-year-old. MLB Pipeline ranks Parker as the 21st-best prospect in Washington’s farm system, while Baseball America puts the southpaw 29th.
The strikeout potential has always been there for Parker, who has a 28.88 K% over his 329 2/3 career minor league innings. Parker’s top pitch is a 55-grade fastball that averages roughly 93mph with a ton of break, and he also has a plus curveball that works particularly well as a complement to his fastball. However, controlling either of these pitches or his other offerings has been Parker’s biggest challenge, as his 11.6% walk rate is on the high side. Parker has pitched in only four Triple-A games, with an underwhelming 7.53 ERA over those 14 1/3 innings with Rochester.
Some evaluators feel his ultimate future is in the bullpen, but Parker has started 72 of his 76 games in the minors, and the Nationals figure to at least give him a trial run as a starter before deciding on a possible turn to relief pitching. Facing the star-studded Dodgers lineup is quite a way to hit the ground running as a big leaguer, but Parker will get an opportunity as the Nats are still figuring out how to manage their rotation.
Josiah Gray was placed on the 15-day injured list last Tuesday, leaving MacKenzie Gore, Trevor Williams, Patrick Corbin, and Jake Irvin as the District’s starting four. It seems possible that Jackson Rutledge might’ve gotten the call ahead of Parker, but Rutledge might not be 100 percent after being hit by a comebacker earlier this week.
I guess you go with what you have, but with that high of a walk rate he’s not destined for much time in the majors. Anyone who knows of this guy from his college days, was he always a command issue guy?
In 2018-2019 he struck out 111 in 64.1 innings while walking 45 and giving up 34 hits. The next season was lost to COVID and then he was drafted.
FG DC projects him for a 19.6% K rate, 11.5 % BB rate and 4.75 ERA and 5.12 FIP
Surely there was a better option than a guy with a 7.53 ERA in AAA and a high walk rate. Against the Dodgers.
dclj
They do
The promoted a guy with a FG DC projection of a 4.84 ERA (5.22 FIP)
Sacrificial lamb
Up for a cup of coffee … black … with the Dodgers adding the heavy CREAM. Hang in there young fella!
Nice…
Love watching the younger kids we have…good or bad we have to see what they have…
I’m glad we didn’t give up on C.J. Abrams after his play when he started…Now he’s a kid getting better and better both at the plate and in the field…looks like a cornerstone player to me…
Give these kids a chance…he might take to the major leagues better than the minors..u never know.
Just to get lit up by the buy-everyone Dodgers because of course Josiah Gray (ex-Dodger farmhand) is injured.
But it’s not like Gray has been injury prone over the almost 2 years he’s been with the Nats. He’s been quite durable until now.
I think, as the article stated, he is destined to be a bullpen piece. In the pen, his power stuff should play up. We’ll see. I thought the same thing, about Rutledge, though. Now I am not totally sure. He might be a down the rotation piece.
Like how both Mitchell and Parker are both commonly used/known as a first or last name.
Second time they called up Millas in the last week. At this rate they’ll hit his 5x-optioned limit before Memorial Day.
And as I said yesterday…give these kids a chance…
Tremendous Debut by Parker!!!
And a Nice win for the Nats.,,
Abrams keeps on Showing off and Garcia too…
Can’t wait for House and the rest of the other boys come up later in the year!!!
Nats Baseball Excitement is Back!!
Loving these comments. Just coming here to reminisce. Plaster these doubters and doomsdayers up on his HOF plaque. Mitchell Parker is Greg Maddux reincarnated.