Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker told reporters Monday that exciting prospect and right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito would make his MLB debut Tuesday against the New York Mets.
On Tuesday, the Nationals made the call-up official, noting pitcher Rafael Martin was sent to Triple-A and that pitcher Taylor Jordan was released as part of the roster move.
According to MLB Pipeline, the 21-year-old Giolito is the top prospect in all of baseball.
It will be a bittersweet moment for the Nationals, as the excitement of seeing their top prospect in action will be tempered somewhat by the fact they called him up because Stephen Strasburg went on the 15-day disabled list with an upper back strain.
Any injury to Strasburg is a major concern, and for all of Giolito’s upside, he’s not equipped to replace one of the top pitchers in baseball. While the Nationals will hope that isn’t necessary and Strasburg will return to action shortly, the opportunity to see Giolito in action will nonetheless be intriguing.
Giolito has had some struggles in 2016, with Roman Stubbs of the Washington Post reporting that the young pitcher “has struggled with command this season.”
But while he got knocked around in his last start for five earned runs in 4.2 innings pitched, prior to that he was excellent. As “In a span of eight starts between May 9 and June 16, Giolito went 5-0 with a 0.94 ERA in 47.2 innings. He struck out 52 and walked 15.”
Indeed, it’s been an up-and-down year for Giolito. In 71 innings pitched and 14 starts this season, he has gone 5-3 with a 3.17 ERA, 1.423 WHIP and 72 strikeouts. While those aren’t elite numbers, Giolito has elite stuff, with an excellent fastball and curveball and a changeup that continues to improve.
Whether Giolito has consistent command of those pitches and the maturity needed to succeed at the MLB level remains in question. The talent is there. On Tuesday, many Nationals fans will get to see that talent on display for themselves. It’s an exciting moment for the organization, even if it’s one Washington probably would have preferred pushing farther into the future.
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