40 in 40: Stone Garrett
From career farmhand to cult hero.
Editors Note: This is the latest in our player profile in our 40-man breakdown series that we have started here at the Nats Report. Check our other player profiles.
Player Name
- Position: Outfielder
- Current status: Second pre-arb season, Arb eligible in 2026, free agent in 2029.
- How acquired: Signed as a free agent in November 2022
- 2023 Grade: A
- 2024 Opening Day Projection: Injured List
- 2023 stats: 89 G | 271 PA | 9 HR | 40 RBI | 82 SO | 26 BB | .269/.343/.457 | 3 SB 1 CS | 1.2 fWAR | 1.9 bWAR
2023 Analysis: Stone Garrett broke out in a big way in 2023, going from not making the team out of camp, to a part-time platoon bat, to the middle of the order power bat that pushed the Nationals to victory during their summer run. When Garrett knocked in a run last season, the team was 17-5. Without that RBI, the team was 54-86. Sure, it’s a tiny sample size, but Garrett was monumental for team success last season. He was the fourth-best position player by fWAR, and his .801 OPS ranked second among Nationals with at least 200 plate appearances. His strikeouts prevent him from being an everyday player long-term, especially with the tremendous outfield depth in the Nationals system, but he was a good bat to plug into the middle of the lineup until the prospects arrive.
Garrett’s fractured fibula took the wind out of the sails of a scrappy Nats team last season, and it looks like it will delay his 2024 debut as well.
2024 outlook: With Garrett’s injury potentially delaying him from starting the season with the club, the Nationals went out and signed Eddie Rosario and Jesse Winker to minor league deals. Both are expected to break camp with the team at this point, which leads to questions about Garrett’s playing time once he is healthy. The likeliest player Garrett replaces is Joey Meneses, especially if he starts the season slow.
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