http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071012&content_id=310509&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp Maxwell shows off power, Lannan stifles opposition By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com The page is beginning to turn. That much was obvious this year, right from Washington down to Vermont. The Nationals are finally a team in transition, and the swing toward respectability is gaining momentum. There are several interesting players in the Washington system that bear watching, players who can have the type of impact that will help lift the Nats into the upper-echelon of the National League East. As limited as it has been in the past because of ownership problems, Washington's system is already better than some in the league -- and the division -- so it's a start. Throw in the fact that the parent club now has Manny Acta, who demonstrated this year he knows how to manage, running things and all the youngsters that are barreling up through the system will receive a warm reception upon reaching the Major League clubhouse. So, without further adieu, here's a better look at what went on with the Nats' farm system this season. Organizational Players of the Year PRESEASON PREDICTIONS Kory Casto, 3B: The assumption was that Casto would make a seamless transition to Triple-A this season. But, the jump up in competition -- he also appeared in 16 games for Washington -- didn't seem to sit well with Casto, who saw his production decline for the third consecutive season. He hit .246 with 11 homers and 55 RBIs at Columbus. Audio: Casto hits a homer Collin Balester, RHP: The Californian had mixed results this season, splitting time between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Columbus. He was 4-10 overall, but had a 3.89 ERA, which was a better indication of how well he pitched. Balester will get to spend a full season at Columbus next -- hopefully -- and perhaps, with some experience on which to rely, he'll put up the win total that most folks are expecting. Audio: Balester strikes out his eighth Mud Hen POSTSEASON SELCTIONS As chosen by the author, not the organization Justin Maxwell, OF: The temptation would be to give the award to Brandon Watson because of his phenomenal hitting streak this summer. But the decision to name an MVP was based on the season he had plus where he fits into the team's future. The belief is that Maxwell, at least in this corner, has a brighter upside. He stayed healthy this season for the first time in his career, hitting .281 with 27 homers and 83 RBIs while splitting time between Hagerstown and Potomac. He also held his own in 15 games with the Nats, hitting .269 with two blasts and five RBIs. Audio: Maxwell talks about life in the Majors Audio: Maxwell cranks walk-off blast John Lannan, LHP: The New York native went to Sienna, a small MAAC school in upstate New York. The Nats took a flier on him in the 11th round in 2005 and through two seasons, he was an unspectacular 9-13 with a 4.92 ERA. But he blossomed this year, going 12-3 with an organization-leading 2.31 ERA while pitching for Potomac, Harrisburg and Columbus. He also made six starts for the parent club, going 2-2 with a 4.15 ERA. Audio: Lannan fans his fifth for Potomac Climbed the Ladder Colton Willems, RHP: The long, lean kid from Florida's Treasure Coast did what was expected of him and more at Vermont. He went 3-2 with a 1.84 ERA for the Lake Monsters, including posting a 1.11 ERA in his final five starts. He allowed two homers in 58 2/3 innings. The former first-round pick won't turn 20 until July, but figures to split the upcoming season between at least two of Washington's full-season clubs. Audio: Willems whiffs his fifth Muckdog Shairon Martis, RHP: He led the organization with 14 victories at Potomac and was second to Balester with 108 strikeouts. His 4.23 ERA was certainly not the best in the organization, but it was in the top 10. A native of the Netherlands Antilles, Martis turned 20 this season and figures to see time in Harrisburg, Columbus and perhaps Washington next year. Audio: Martis' sixth strikeout Adam Carr, RHP: The Oklahoma State product had a splendid season, splitting time between Potomac and Harrisburg. He went 4-1 with 12 saves and a 1.78 ERA in 48 appearances. In 60 2/3 frames, he fanned 78 and limited the opposition to a .175 batting average. A former first baseman in college, Carr seems to have found a niche on the mound, even though he didn't pitch as a senior. Audio: Carr notches his first save Kept Their Footing Chris Marerro, OF: Like Willems, this 2006 first-rounder had a good first full season in pro ball. What kept him from being in the "Climbing the Ladder" category was that when he did climb the ladder this season, he struggled a bit. Overall, his .275 average with 23 homers and 88 RBIs is impressive. He hit .293 with 14 homers and 53 RBIs in 222 at-bats for Class A Hagerstown in the South Atlantic League. When he got bumped up to Potomac of the Carolina League, he hit .259 in 255 at-bats with nine homers and 35 RBIs. He also struck out 63 times as opposed to the 39 whiffs he had in Hagerstown. Audio: Marerro hits a solo shot Ian Desmond, SS: The former third-round pick (2004) seems to have finally found out how to hold onto the ladder. He hit a career-best .264 in 129 games at Potomac with 13 homers and 45 RBIs. What stands out is that he hit .364 (48-for-132) over the final six weeks of the season. His 32 errors tied for most among Carolina League shortstops, leaving his status as Ryan Zimmerman's future running mate on the left side of the Washington infield in doubt. Still, he showed enough down the stretch to keep interest piqued. Audio: Desmond goes deep Rogearvin Bernadina, OF: The Curacao native made the jump to Double-A Harrisburg this season and hit .270 with six homers, 36 RBIs and an organizational-best 40 stolen bases. This was his sixth season with the Nats, but he got a taste of life in Columbus at the end of the year and could figure in as a fourth or fifth outfield fill-in with Washington in an emergency next summer. Audio: Bernadina blasts a grand slam Slipped a Rung Kory Casto, 3B: Casto's reputation as a disciplined hitter took a bit of a whack this year when he struck out a career-high 106 times in 411 at-bats at Columbus. He also saw his walk total drop from 81 to 54 while his on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS also continued to go down. He needs to reestablish a presence at the plate if he's to start moving back up the ladder. Zech Zinicola, RHP: A 1.65 ERA in 33 innings spread over three levels -- including 10 innings at Double-A Harrisburg -- had folks salivating in Washington following Zinicola's rookie season. But he struggled this year, posting a 5.46 ERA in 57 2/3 frames with Harrisburg. He started out the season as the club's closer, but after converting two of five opportunities -- his ERA was 8.84 in April and May -- he became more of a setup man after working his way back into the closer's role in August. Clint Everts, RHP: Everts was given a bit of a pass in 2006, his first full season returning from Tommy John surgery. But his road to returning to top-prospect status got bumpier this year, his second in the Carolina League. He went 4-10 with a 4.81 ERA and was bumped from the rotation after going 1-8 to start the season. On the plus side, he may have found some life in the bullpen, going 3-2 with a 3.02 ERA in 41 2/3 frames. He seems better suited for short work. His ERA was 2.63 in the first and second innings, but was 10.03 in the third and fourth, much of that coming as a starter. On the Radar Glenn Gibson, LHP: The fourth-round selection in the 2006 draft pitched six scoreless innings during his initial foray into pro baseball, hardly enough to form a judgment. Gibson, though, started 12 games this season for Vermont and gave a glimpse as to what he can bring to the table. He was 4-3 with a 3.10 ERA, averaged a strikeout per inning and held the opposition to a .223 batting average. Audio: Gibson strikes out his seventh Spinner Esmailyn Gonzalez, SS: Gonzalez didn't turn 18 until last month, so when viewing his Gulf Coast League numbers, that should be taken into consideration. He hit .245 in 106 at-bats, but he had more walks (19) than strikeouts (18) and had a .382 on-base percentage. He committed seven errors in 122 total chances, but he has a good first step and seems to have good judgment on the field. Draft Recap 1. Ross Detwiler, LHP: The sixth overall pick in the draft went from the Gulf Coast League to the Carolina League to the Major Leagues this summer. He appeared in a game at Atlanta on Sept. 7, pitching a scoreless inning and striking out a batter. Detwiler was 2-2 with a 3.51 ERA in 33 1/3 Minor League frames. Audio: Detwiler's third strikeout for Potomac 2. Josh Smoker, LHP: The 31st-overall selection allowed two runs while fanning five and walking three in four innings for the Vermont Lake Monsters. The Georgia high school product holds the state record for strikeouts (137) in a season. Audio: Smoker strikes out the side 3. Michael Burgess, OF: He comes from Hillsborough High in Tampa, the same institution that produced Dwight Gooden, Gary Sheffield and Elijah Dukes. Burgess hit .336 in the GCL with eight homers and 32 RBIs before moving up to Vermont, where he hit .286 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 70 at-bats. Audio: Burgess launches his second homer Others of note: RHP Jordan Zimmerman (second round, Wisconsin-Stevens Point), a Division III phenom, went 5-2 with a 2.38 ERA at Vermont. He struck out 71 and walked 18 in 53 innings. ... Jake Smolinski (second round, , Boylan Catholic HS, IL) hit .305 with 16 RBIs in 105 GCL at-bats. He stole seven bases and drew 13 walks. ... Steven Souza (third round, Cascade HS, WA) hit .194 with 46 strikeouts in 144 at-bats in the GCL. ... LHP Patrick McCoy (10th round, Sahuaro HS, AZ) went 1-2 with a 3.81 ERA in 10 GCL games (five starts). ... RHP Adrian Alaniz (eighth round, Texas) went 8-2 with a 2.39 ERA in 13 games (eight starts) for Vermont. He fanned 62 and walked eight in 60 1/3 innings, holding the opposition to a .187 average. ... RHP Brad Meyers (fifth round, Loyola Marymount) had an 0.30 ERA in 29 2/3 frames in the Gulf Coast and South Atlantic Leagues. He was bumped up to Potomac, where he had a 5.06 ERA in 10 2/3 innings. --

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