“
I'm just grateful to be here. I'm blessed to play this game, and I try to remember that baseball is still a kid's game. I want to have fun while continuing to work hard and improve.”

Miguel Sime Jr.

THE NATS REPORT

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(Wilmington, DE) When Miguel Sime Jr. arrived in Wilmington, he stepped into a dugout filled with players that had already taken the next step he’s trying to take.

The No. 17 prospect in the Nationals organization was promoted on Monday is slated to started on Friday and at 19 years year-old he’s also the youngest pitcher on the Blue Rocks roster.

Sime also posses one of the most electric fastballs in all of baseball, but being the hardest thrower in the minors isn’t the goal for Sime. For Sime, the goal always has been improving. It was never about trying to throw the hardest.“I think everybody wants to throw 100 mph growing up.

Once I got there, I wasn't really chasing a specific number anymore,” Sime said in an exclusive interview with the Nats Report. “The extra velocity came naturally through training, getting stronger, and improving my mechanics. My biggest goal is staying healthy and maintaining my velocity throughout the season.”

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Command and Consistency: The Next Phase of Sime’s Growth

Being a complete pitcher is the aim and trying to manage his control and limit the walks is first on Sime’s checklist. “Being more consistent in the strike zone and becoming a more polished starting pitcher,” Sime said. “Just continuing to attack the strike zone, learning as much as I can from the coaches and pitching staff, and taking things one day at a time.

”For all the attention his fastball receives, Sime believes his future depends on refining the pitches around it.Just two days in to his stint in Wilmington, Sime can tell he’s in a much different environment then he’s been in before.

“There are definitely some familiar faces, but it's a different environment,” Sime said. “There are more experienced players here, and Wilmington is different from Fredericksburg as a city and organization.”

Miguel Sime Jr. RHP · Wilmington
NATIONALS No. 17 Overall Prospect

10 GP

4.44
era

26.1
IP

54 S0

0-2

.613 OPS

Born: 5/08/2007 in Cambridge, MA

High School: Poly Prep, Brooklyn, NY

No. 111 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft

Ranked No. 17 Washington Nationals Prospect (MLB Pipeline)

Currently playing for the Wilmington Blue Rocks

Another member of the 2025 draft class Riley Maddox has helped Sime learn the ropes of being a Blue Rock.“I've talked a lot with Riley Maddox. We were drafted in the same year, and he's been here longer, so I've asked him a lot of questions,” Sime said. “He's a college guy with more experience and has been really helpful.”

Understanding your catcher is a massive part of pitching. If pitcher and the catcher aren’t on the same wavelength things can go wrong.

For Sime, he has already thrown with each catcher on the Blue Rocks roster.“I knew Kevin Bazzell, [Caleb] Farmer, [Matt] Suggs, and [Nate] Rombach. It was pretty good to have a relationship already.

They're all great guys” Sime said.

Handling Velocity: Catchers Prepared for Sime’s Heat

Another positive for Sime is that no matter who’s apart of his battery, they should be ready for his velocity. Laughing, Sime said, “I think so. Those guys are really good, and I have a lot of trust in them.”

One thing that Sime has understood since he began his pro career is that he isn’t just a ball player, he’s also a student of the game. It’s hard to learn a lot in just two days but Sime is all about getting better one percent everyday.

Sime also recognizes the step up not just with competition, but the demeanor of his teammates is different then anything he’s used to.“The professionalism,” Sime said. “Everybody takes their work seriously. The preparation that goes into each day is impressive. You see how much work position players and pitchers put in before games. There's a lot more that goes into being a professional than people realize.”

Maturity Beyond His Years: Sime’s Rapid Rise

Sime show’s maturity and a willingness to learn which in baseball is the only way to get better.The way Sime operates is mature beyond his years, but he’s had to grow up fast.

The 19-year-old went from playing high school baseball in Brooklyn and attending showcases with top high school prospects to now being one of the most talked about prospects in baseball.“I think I've handled it pretty well,” Sime said.

A lot has happened for Sime in the last 12 months. He was drafted 111th overall in the fourth round of the 2025 MLB draft. He was give a $2,000,000 signing bonus almost triple the average bonus for his draft slot.Sime also committed to play college baseball at LSU.

This left Sime with a dilemma, a good problem to have, but nonetheless he had to make a decision.“I was pretty unsure leading up to the draft. LSU is an incredible program, and I was excited about either path,” Sime said. “If the draft went well, I'd start my professional career. If not, I'd go to school. I was happy either way.”

Things did work out for Sime so far, but it hasn’t a solo effort, Sime’s family has been in his corner ever since he picked up a baseball.

What’s Next: Sime’s Path to Becoming a Complete Pitcher.