The Future: The Drew Millas Conundrum

Good Morning, and welcome to The Future,

Here is what is happening around the Washington Nationals minor leagues for August 13, 2024.

Leading this Morning's Briefing: The Drew Millas Conundrum

Ah, Drew Drew Millas.

Acquired by the Washington Nationals in a July 2021 trade with the Oakland Athletics, Drew Millas has steadily climbed the minor league ladder. After a strong finish to the 2021 season with the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks, he split time between three minor league levels in 2022.

Millas continued his development in 2023, earning a promotion to Triple-A Rochester in May. His impressive performance there led to a September call-up to the major leagues. After a brief stint in the majors, he began the 2024 season back in Triple-A before being recalled by the Nationals in April.

Drew Millas has been shuttling between Triple-A Rochester and the majors, primarily filling in as a spot starter. Despite limited major league action, appearing in just 11 games, Millas has struggled offensively. He's batting a mere .167 with a disappointing .519 OPS, a .300 slugging percentage, one home run, and one RBI.

With the Rochester Red Wings, Drew Millas is hitting a robust .303 with a .848 OPS, 29 RBIs, seven home runs, and 57 hits with the Rochester Red Wings.

Compared to the Nationals' current starting catcher, Keibert Ruiz, who is hitting .223 with a .346 slugging percentage and a .604 OPS in 90 games, Millas presents a compelling case. While Ruiz has a 45.1% framing rate, Millas boasts a slightly higher 47.1% rate, suggesting superior pitch-framing abilities. Given Millas's offensive production and defensive metrics, he appears to be the more complete catcher. However, the Nationals have invested significant resources in Ruiz, complicating the situation.

When rosters expand in September, the Nationals should consider giving Millas an extended opportunity to showcase his talents in the majors. A strong finish to the season could position him for a more permanent role in 2025. Ultimately, Millas's performance in Triple-A demands a chance to prove himself at the highest level.

Fredericksburg's Sykora Makes History, Wins Back-to-Back Pitcher of the Week Awards

In a dominant stretch, Fredericksburg Nationals starting pitcher Travis Sykora has been named the Carolina League's Pitcher of the Week for two consecutive weeks, becoming the first pitcher in the league to achieve this feat this season.

Sykora, a third-round draft pick by the Washington Nationals last year, is on fire. On Friday night, he threw six more hitless innings, extending his current streak to a remarkable 11 innings. This stellar performance led the FredNats to their first-ever nine-inning no-hitter against the Carolina Mudcats. Sykora struck out 10 batters and faced the minimum for the second start in a row.

Since his promotion to Fredericksburg in May, Sykora has solidified himself as a top Carolina League pitcher. Over his last six starts, he's allowed a mere four earned runs in 28 innings, boasting a phenomenal 1.29 ERA. Opposing hitters are baffled, managing only a measly .088 batting average against him. He's struck out 49 batters in 100 at-bats in this stretch, surrendering just nine walks.

Sykora's dominance extends beyond this recent stretch. For the entire season, he averaged an impressive 13.64 strikeouts per nine innings, racking up 96 strikeouts in 63.1 innings pitched.

The excitement continues as Sykora and the FredNats return home for the second half of their two-week home stand, facing off against the Salem Red Sox.

What do you think? Let us know on X at TheFutureNats

Welcome to Fredericksburg

Yesterday afternoon, the Fredericksburg Nationals, announced that Catcher Caleb Lomavita and SS Seaver King will be making their Fredericksburg Nationals debut tonight against the Salem Red Sox in Fredericksburg.

Catcher Caleb Lomavita out of the University of California, Berkeley, was selected with the №39 pick overall by the Washington Nationals in the second round of this year's MLB amauter draft . Lomavita hit .322 with 13 doubles, one triple, 15 home runs, 52 RBI, 12 walks, 12 stolen bases and 51 runs scored in 55 games in 2024. He posted a .395 on-base percentage, .586 slugging percentage and was one of eight catchers in NCAA Division I with 10 or more stolen bases and 10 or more home runs. His led his team with 133 total bases, which ranked fifth-most in the Pac-12.

The №18 draft prospect and top catching prospect according to Baseball America, Lomavita was a Dick Howser Trophy (top collegiate player) semifinalist, garnered First-Team All-Pac-12 and All-Pac-12 Defensive Team honors, and was named a Perfect Game Third-Team All-American following his junior season.

SS Seaver King out of Wake Forest University was selected with the №10 overall pick in this year's MLB draft. King, hit .308 with 14 doubles, three triples, 16 home runs, 64 RBI, 25 walks, 11 stolen bases and 59 runs scored in 60 games as he helped lead Wake Forest to the Greenville Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. He posted a .377 on-base percentage, .577 slugging percentage and recorded a hit in 48 games, including 24 multi-hit performances. King recorded 21 multi-RBI games including eight games with three or more. He reached base safely in 31 straight games during the 2024 campaign (April 2-May 25), posting an 11-game hit streak (April 6–23) and a 16-game hit streak (April 27-May 24) during that span.

Rochester Red Wings - Triple-A Affiliate

The Rochester Red Wings have announced their 2025 Regular Season schedule, featuring 150 games set to begin March 28 in Buffalo. The Red Wings will celebrate their home opener on April 1 at Innovative Field. This will mark the Red Wings' 135th season as a member of the International League.

 The Red Wings will play their first home game on Tuesday, April 1, facing off against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phillies) for the second earliest start in team history (first: March 31, 2023). The 2025 Championship season will conclude on Sunday, September 21, on the road against the Worcester Red Sox (Red Sox). 

 The Red Wings are set to play 24 six-game series (Tuesday - Sunday), with two three-game series mixed in, one to open the season (March 28-30) and one to follow the end of the All-Star break (July 18-20). Rochester will also split a six-game set with Buffalo, playing July 1-3 in Buffalo and returning home to play July 4-6 in front of the Rochester faithful. 

Up tonight: The Rochester Red Wings will welcome the Syracuse Mets this week at Innovative Field. Tonight's first pitch will be at 6:45 p.m. Pitching matchups for the series have yet to be announced.

Harrisburg Senators - Double-A Affiliate

The Harrisburg Senators will welcome the Richmond Flying Squirrels this week at FNB Field. Tonight's first pitch will be at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Pitching matchups for the series have yet to be announced.

Wilmington Blue Rocks - High-A Affiliate

This week, the Wilmington Blue Rocks will welcome the Brooklyn Cyclones to Daniel S Frawley Stadium. Tonight's first pitch will be at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Pitching matchups have yet to be announced for the series.

Fredericksburg Nationals - Low-A Affiliate

The Fredericksburg Nationals will welcome the Salem Red Sox to Virginia Credit Union Stadium. Tonight's first pitch will be at 7:05 p.m. EDT. Pitching matchups have yet to be announced for the series.

Now that we have gotten some business out of the way, I want to introduce The Future.

Join us every morning as we deliver a concise and informative roundup of the most important news and developments from the Nationals farm system. We've covered you, from top prospect performances to injury updates, roster moves, and game recaps. From the Fredericksburg Nationals up to the Rochester Red Wings.

The Nats Report already delivers top-notch coverage of the Nationals farm system. We hope that you will find our Morning Briefing enjoyable and that you will walk away every morning up-to-date on the latest happenings around the Nationals minor leagues.

You'll also deepen your knowledge of the Nationals' minor league system and its potential impact on the major league team to impress your fellow Nationals friends and family.

Welcome to The Future.