Jacob Young, not currently on the Roster! after announcing his resignation from the team..
The Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins on Sunday afternoon by a score of 12-9 down in Miami.
With the win, the Nationals are 13-14 on the year. The injury-plagued Marlins are down to a lowly 6-23 and have actually passed the White Sox for the worst record in all of baseball.
For the Nats, rookie outfielder Jacob Young continues to make a strong impression. Getting regular playing time now, the University of Florida product stole two bases, which continued to ascend him up the baseball history books.
Per Sarah Langs of MLB.com:
most consecutive SB without being caught to start career (since CS tracked in both lgs, 1951):
Young now has 10 steals this season in 10 chances, after having 13 in limited action in 2023.
Given the rule changes before the 2023 season that increase the emphasis on the running game, Young will have plenty of chances to run in 2024. With this skillset, he should also have an easier time sticking on a Major League roster despite the fact that he doesn’t offer much in the way of power.
Young went 3-for-5 on Sunday with the two steals, three RBI and two runs scored. He’s hitting .333 so far on the season.
The Nationals will finish out their series with the Marlins on Monday night. First pitch from South Beach is set for 6:40 p.m. ET as Jacob Irvin (WSH) pitches against Trevor Rogers.
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Young went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, two RBI and a stolen base in Monday’s win over the Twins.
The 24-year-old center fielder’s ability to flip the lineup over from the bottom of the order was a key part of the Nationals’ 12-run eruption Monday. Young has hit safely in five straight games and is up to 15 steals in 17 attempts on the season, but his overall numbers have sagged in May — he’s slashing .208/.304/.271 through 56 plate appearances.
Jacob Young will have to figure this out. Third basemen now park at the lip of the grass. Shortstops charge his groundballs with more haste. Pitchers throw more fastballs once he’s on base. It’s a simple equation: The defense can always find a faster way to get the ball to the base. He can’t exactly run any harder.
24-year-old Jacob Young is quickly making a name for himself among Nationals fans. Lightning speed and tremendous effort make for an exciting baseball player to watch. Young brings a refreshing skillset to the Nationals’ lineup and one they have lacked for the past few seasons. The emergence of Jacob Young gives coach Davey Martinez a problem; where does Victor Robles fit in the team?
Victor Robles, 26 years old, seems to have received more chances than most players to succeed in the Majors. At one point in his career, Robles was “untouchable” from any trades due to being such a highly regarded prospect. That has not panned out for Victor or the Nationals, as he has a .238 career batting average. In his eighth Major League season, he still has the base-running errors of an inexperienced player. Robles is a high-caliber center fielder, though, which is likely Davey Martinez’s reasoning for playing him so much. But does Victor Robles fit in the Nationals’ current lineup?
To his credit, in an albeit very small sample size over the past two seasons, Victor Robles has looked much better at the plate, chasing significantly less than he did before. The power he was touted to have as a prospect has not returned, but his hit tool has returned somewhat, so it is not to say Robles would provide no value.
The Nats currently rank tied for first in the Majors with 57 stolen bases. In 2022, the Nats ranked 20th in the league with 75 stolen bases. The brand of baseball has changed in Washington, and for the better too as the offense has really struggled primarily due to the lack of power in the lineup. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. The Nats are currently 17-17 after today’s win against the Blue Jays and are overachieving in the eyes of some baseball experts. Would replacing Jacob Young with Victor Robles change everything? I don’t think so, but it would change the dynamic of the lineup. What do you think, Nats fans?
