22ND ROUND PICK DANIEL ROSENBAUM IMPRESSING IN HAGERSTOWN

Since the first day that they arrived in town, the Washington Nationals promised that fixing the depleted farm system would be priority-one.

And since that first draft, 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 get," he said, "and then trade the excess for position players."

And for the most part, it has worked. Two members of the Nationals' current starting rotation--John Lannan and Craig Stammen--arrived that very first amateur draft in 2005.

But we've stopped watching for the quantity and are transfixed on the quality, last year's first rounders Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen. Because of them, we've stopped looking for the next Lannan or the next Stammen.

But they are there. And though it's important when the can't miss prospects suceed, it is far more fun when the late-rounders come out of nowhere and help solidify the team.

Like Daniel Rosenbaum.

Rosenbaum was drafted in the 22nd round of last year's amateur draft, an afterthought pick if ever there was one. He had a good-enough career at Xavier, but certainly nothing special. If he wasn't a left-hander, I doubt he would have even been drafted.

As a 21-year-old, Rosenbaum dominated his Gulf Coast League competition. He started 11 games, crafting a fine record of 4-1, 1.95. allowing just 7.1 hits and 2.2 walks per nine-innings while striking out 9.2.

That said, Rosenbaum was pitching against 18-year-olds. The Nationals would need to wait until this season when, playing for Class-A Hagerstown, he would compete against players of similar age and experience.

Turns out he's pitching even better.

In 28 innings, Rosenbaum is 1-0, 1.57, allowing 6.9 hits and 1.6 walks per nine-innings while striking out nearly eight per game.

So while it's fun to watch guys like Strasburg and Storen inch their way towards the major leagues, it is players like Daniel Rosenbaum--players who came out of nowhere--who can make a good team great.

WILL DREW STOREN MAKE BRIAN BRUNEY THE NEXT WALLY PIPP?

When the Nationals traded their Rule V pick last winter to the Yankees for reliever Brian Bruney, many thought it to be a solid addition to a woeful bullpen.

The 28-year-old veteran had a career record of 17-10, 4.31 and he seemed like a logical option to either be the team’s eighth-inning set-up man or perhaps even their closer.

But buried deep within his otherwise solid statistics is one glaring red-flag: Brian Bruney has trouble throwing strikes.

In 230 career innings, Bruney has averaged just 7.5 hits per nine-innings allowed but has walked an astonishing 6.3 batters per nine. For his career, he has struck out 1.3 batters for every walk.

Not very good.

Heading into Monday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs, Bruney had not had much success with his new team. He had walked nine in 8.1 innings while striking out just six.

So what happened last night against Chicago wasn’t a total surprise.

After Ryan Theriot opened the inning with a single, Bruney induced Jeff Baker to strikeout.

Then it became classic Bruney.

He walked Derrek Lee on four pitches and then allowed another single to former National Marlon Byrd.

The bases were loaded with just one out. Up stepped Aramis Ramirez.

Bruney threw four straight balls and the game was over.

Just like that.

Bruney has now pitched 9.2 innings in 2010 and has walked 12 batters.

The Nationals could have excused this type of pitching last year, perhaps even lived with it.

But not this year.

There are two many signals that the team is ready to make a run towards respectability to lose games this year like they did last year.

Now, I’m not blaming Brian Bruney. He has a career history of walking far too many batters. There is no reason to believe that he should suddenly find his control.

It’s not time to give up on Brian Bruney. But there will come a time when Mike Rizzo and Jim Riggleman will have to decide if the Nationals can be a .500 team—perhaps better—with Bruney walking a batter an inning.

Very soon, Drew Storen will be called up. He might replace Miguel Batista or Tyler Walker, neither whom are pitching particularly well.

But Storen is a one-inning guy, just like Bruney. My guess is, unless something changes quickly, Brian Bruney will be the odd-man out.

TOM MILONE COULD BE NATIONALS' NEXT JOHN LANNAN

I know, I know. You’ve never heard of Tom Milone. He’s just another no-name pitcher toiling somewhere within the deep recesses of the Nationals’ minor league system.

You’ve seen the various top-20 prospect lists for 2010 and he’s nowhere to be found.

*Yawn*

“Wake me when we get to the all-star break," you might be thinking.

Okay, you’ve never heard of Tom Milone; I got that. But I’m very sure that prior to his call-up in mid 2007, you had never heard of John Lannan either.

Trust me, here. You really need to know more about this 22-year-old from USC.

I have enjoyed watching Lannan pitch the last couple of years, partly because he’s good, but partly because I love it when underdogs succeed at the major league level.

An 11th-round pick in 2005 out of Siena College (17-5, 3.86), he was considered to be no more than another organizational arm who might one day become a lefty specialist out of the pen.

And in his first two seasons (Vermont and Low-A Savannah), that’s how he pitched. In 35 starts, Lannan was just 9-13, with a 4.89 ERA. In 2007, however, he blossomed. He cut his hits per nine-innings in half. He began hitting his spots.

In the span of just a couple of months, he was promoted to Double-A Harrisburg, then Triple-A Columbus, and finally to the major leagues where he started six games for Washington. He finished the season with a line of 12-3, 2.31, 6.6/3.0/5.3 (hits/walks/strikeouts per nine-innings).

Lannan’s 20-30, 3.89 career record with the Nationals is deceiving. Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum had 26 quality starts last season and former Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee had 23.

Lannan had 21.

In other words, he’s still young, still learning, and when he doesn’t spot his pitches well, he still gets clobbered.

With a bit more luck and a little more offensive support, Lannan should win a dozen or so games each year for the next decade. He’s an ideal No. 3 starter.

Milone, like Lannan, is a lanky lefty who must pitch to spots to be successful. He is eighth all-time in games started for Southern Cal. In 2007, he was named Pitcher of the Year in the prestigious Cape Cod League with a record of 6-1 and a 2.92 ERA. He struck out 46 and walked just seven in 52 innings.

His next summer was spent in Wenatchee, Washington pitching in a West Coast summer league. In 51 innings, Milone went 6-1 with a 2.61 ERA.

Against some of the best college hitters, Milone combined to go 12-2 (2.81 ERA) while striking out 101 in 103 innings. He walked just 13.

But a lack of a dominating fastball, and a so-so 16-17 career record with a 4.78 ERA at Southern Cal relegated Milone to a 10th-round afterthought in last year’s amateur draft.

Though major league scouts didn’t think much of his ability, Milone was confident that he would succeed.

Pitching for Vermont and Hagerstown, Milone crafted a record of 1-6 but with a solid 3.51 ERA. He allowed 10.3 hits per nine-innings but just 1.3 walks.

Nationals’ scouts saw enough to promote him to High-A Potomac for the 2009 season. And just like Lannan two seasons earlier, Milone blossomed.

After watching him pitch in a bullpen session early in the year, Potomac pitching coach Paul Menhart approached Milone about adding a cut fastball to his repertoire. Pitching to contact is fine, he said, but disguising his 87 mph fastball would help him greatly.

Milone’s cutter looks like his fastball but dives at the last second. Against right-handers, it first dives in, then away as it crosses the plate.

His ERA was 3.89 when he began to throw his new pitch in early July. By the end of the year, it had dropped to 2.91, best on the team. His batting average-against, .275 the season before, was just .252 with Potomac.

Milone’s fastball tops out at 87 mph but is usually in the 84-86 mph range. His curve is sharp and about 10 mph slower than his fastball, providing good separation. His change, though, is by far his best pitch, one he can throw wherever he wants and at any point in the count.

His control is remarkable. Over his minor league career, Milone has walked just 45 while striking out 155, more than a 3:1 strikeout to walk ratio.

Milone has trouble when he’s not hitting his spots. When facing a walk, he tends to throw his fastball down the middle of the plate, a bad place for a slow fastball. But that is a peril that all contact pitchers face. If you don’t have an “out” pitch, there just aren’t many safe pitches to throw.

Overall, Milone’s minor league numbers are very similar to those of John Lannan:

Record:
Lannan: 21-16 (.567)
Milone: 13-11 (.541)

ERA:
Lannan: 3.92
Milone: 3.08

Opponent’s Batting Average:
Lannan: .258
Milone: .261

Hits/Walks/Strikeouts Per Nine-Innings
Lannan: 8.7/3.5/6.3
Milone: 8.9/1.9/6.6

John Lannan and Tom Milone are very similar pitchers. One would think that Milone might have a major league career similar to Lannan, that of a mid-to-back of the rotation starter who can be counted to win 12-14 games a year.

Sure, Milone is not on any watch list and isn’t considered much of a prospect. But John Lannan didn’t show up as a true prospect until the 2008 season, after he had already pitched in the major leagues.

Milone has a prospect grade of “C” and is lumped together with a bevy of other non-prospect types like Taylor Jordan, Nathan Karns, and Pat Lehman.

I am in no way suggesting that Milone is going to repeat the success of John Lannan. But he has similar tools, has even better control, and at 22 was one of the younger pitchers in the Carolina League last year.

Lannan was also 22 when he pitched for Potomac.

Milone is currently pitching for Double-A Harrisburg, but another solid season there will probably pique the interest of Mike Rizzo and his minions.

Yes, it seems unlikely that a 10th-rounder will eventually make the Nationals’ starting rotation. But isn’t that the same thing we all said about John Lannan, the eleventh-round selection from Siena College?

Keep an eye on him in 2010. You just never know.

SCOTT OLSEN DAZZLES RED SOX, MAY HAVE REGAINED STARTING SPOT

When he reported to spring training, Garrett Mock was in a three-way battle along with J.D. Martin and Scott Olsen to secure the fifth and final spot in the Washington Nationals rotation.

A couple of weeks ago, he had outperformed both of them and the job was his for the taking. All he had to do was to not screw it up.

Since then, Mock has pretty much screwed it up while Scott Olsen has pitched brilliantly his last two starts.

If manager Jim Riggleman makes his choice based on pitching and not politics, then Scott Olsen will come north as part of the rotation.

In his last two outings, Mock has a 7.82 ERA, allowing eight runs in 9.2 innings, walking five and striking out three.

In his last two outings, Scott Olsen's ERA is just 1.78, allowing 12 hits in 10.1 innings, walking one while striking out 11.

Riggleman made it clear this morning that Mock could win the job even if Olsen pitched well against Boston, but it would be very difficult to send Olsen to Triple-A Syracuse while making $1 million this year while Garrett Mock has yet to have a successful stint as a major leaguer.

Perhaps Olsen was still not over his elbow surgery earlier this spring and perhaps he finally feels healthy and strong.

Perhaps Olsen will again become a 200+ inning pitcher like he was for the Marlins from 2006 through 2008.

Or perhaps he just happened to have two good games at the end of spring.

An effective Scott Olsen could make the Nationals a .500 team in 2010.

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