Answering the Call

 

The Brewers' first main test after the end of the trade deadline, in which they bulked up with very clever moves, was to dominate the Nationals, who were already a last place team that, while only parting with one asset in Jeimer Candelario, weren't exactly going for a wild card spot. It was a series that was going well enough, with an even series through the first two games. 

But, ultimately, the series ended with a Nationals advantage. The 3-2 match was decided by a hit to the right place, not by a heavy hitter like Lane Thomas or a power bat like Dominic Smith. No. Alex Call.

Alex Call is the latest Nationals standout to be formed out of practically nothing. We had Yadiel Hernandez in 2021, and we had Joey Meneses last year, and though Call showed up at the end of 2022, this has been his year. A White Sox farmhand traded for Yonder Alonso, then waived by Cleveland, Call bopped around for a while before being utilized properly by a team. 2023 alone has been a prosperous year for Call, as he's working with a 1.0 WAR, 61 hits in 88 games, 32 RBIs and 6 homers. A handy guy to have around that can also be an impressive clutch piece.

Call illuminates a trend that may not immediately occur to you when thinking about the Nationals: the entire starting lineup is made up of people from other farm systems. Only one active hitter on the Nationals is actually a team product, that being Jake Alu, a Princeton product who's been a utility piece for the team. Just him and the oft-injured Victor Robles. Most of the rotation is non-Nats people as well, save for Jake Irvin. You can say it's because of how picked clean this team has been, but other ridiculously-pawned-off teams, such as the Athletics and Royals, are still starting team products right now. The Nats don't have a single one right now, and Alu really isn't a starter. There is a chance that Carter Kieboom makes the team this year and finally shows the Nats what he's been waiting nearly 5 years to showcase but, honestly, it'd be funnier if he didn't.

What makes the lack of homegrown guys somewhat palatable is how inexplicable a lot of these pieces can feel. The Nats can make impressive use out of people like Ildemaro Vargas, Stone Garrett and Jordan Weems, three players that didn't fit in other larger teams. They've also, thankfully, made stars out of Lane Thomas, Josiah Gray and MacKenzie Gore, three guys that could have been great in large markets but were sent away when their teams became overstuffed. Though not as successful as the Rays, the Nats are very good at making a good team out of whatever they have. It's something that can build once these larger pieces start building, and once the farm system begins to yield great players again [remember, we still have some pieces from the Soto deal waiting to develop].

There will be great pieces eventually in Washington, ones that can help this team compete again. But for now, there's always Alex Call.

Coming Tonight: Upon his call-up last year, pretty much everyone made the same joke. Thankfully, it's a funny joke.