Washington Nationals

A few days ago, an MLB.com report noted that the Washington Nationals have expressed interest in the Astros ace, Roy Oswalt.

The Nationals are currently 24-23 in the extremely competitive NL East, and with all five teams having a shot, the addition of Oswalt to any of the five would push them to the top of the division.

In Washington's particular case, though, Oswalt would make a perfect addition.

Here’s a short list of the minor league super-prospects that have been on my radar (and a lot of other people’s) in a big way.

Buster Posey, C Giants.  After 45 AAA games, Buster is hitting .343 with a .973 OPS.  My feeling is that he needs another fifteen games at AAA, at which point, if he’s still has an OPS of at least .950, it’s time to call him up. 

When was the last time that a baseball card created any headlines in the last 20 years?

More than likely you remember Wayne Gretzky purchasing the Honus Wagner card in 1991 for a staggering $451,000. Upon further investigation, that same card was sold again in 2007, for a reported $2,350,000.

To be honest, I remember in seventh and eighth grade, being driven to flea markets by my mom, trying to get that ever-elusive Ken Griffey Jr. No. 1 Upper Deck rookie card.

How fun was that?

Remember the Beckett price guides!?

With the lack of excitement and appeal that surrounds Major League Baseball every May, draft talk begins to dominate all conversation in baseball realms— and rightfully so. 

In his first three Triple-A starts, Stephen Strasburg did not allow a run—earned or otherwise—while blowing away the more seasoned hitters in the highest minor league.

You may have heard some rumblings about this Stephen Strasburg guy. Allegedly, he's pretty good.

Check that: he must be good, as usually the only time a Washington National warrants media attention is in relation to a comedy of errors (cough, cough, Nyjer Morgan , cough, cough).

I woke up this morning and decided to make a change. Not the kind of change that would make my parents proud like getting a paying job or removing myself from their payroll, but more of a change that affects only me.

I expect to get a lot of well-deserved criticism from my father and friends for switching my MLB fan allegiance from the Chicago Cubs to the Washington Nationals at this point in my life.

The arrival of Stephen Strasburg in the big leagues has to be one of the most anticipated stories of 2010.

The 21-year old phenom is cruising through the Minor Leagues with a 6-1 record, posting a god-like 0.89 ERA. With 49 strikeouts in 40.1 innings, Strasburg is the most dominating pitcher in the Minor Leagues.

He hasn't allowed a run yet in Triple AAA Syracuse and doesn't look like he is going to slow down any time soon.

Will Strasburg be answer to the Washington Nationals prayers? Or will he be just another draft bust?

Since the first day they arrived in town, the Washington Nationals promised that restocking the team's depleted farm system would be their top priority.

And since that first draft in 2005, the team has been stocking their farm system with talented young pitchers. Then general manager Jim Bowden said that was the way to do it. "You draft as many pitchers as you can find," Bowden said, "and then trade the excess for position players. Pitching prospects are always worth more."

New York Mets (19-21) at Washington Nationals (20-20)  7:05 p.m.

R.A. Dickey (0-0, -.–) vs Livan Hernandez (4-2, 1.46)

TV : SNY   Radio : WFAN

What to watch : Dickey makes his big league season debut after pitching really well at Buffalo. He was 4-2 with a 2.23 ERA including two complete games and a 1.04 WHIP. You can’t do much better than that.

Hernandez is pitching better than we’ve seen from him in years. He beat the Mets on April 11, throwing seven shutout innings.