Washington Nationals: Holden Powell the next home grown closer
The Washington Nationals have a habit of drafting and developing big league closers. Third-round pick Holden Powell will be the next name on the list.
In the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft, the Washington Nationals selected right-handed pitcher Holden Powell, out of UCLA. He will be groomed in the minor leagues and when he joins the big club, he’ll join a list of homegrown closers from the Nationals organization.
Chad Cordero, Drew Storen, Koda Glover, and soon enough we’ll be able to add Holden Powell to the list. Washington has selected college closers over the years who have ultimately made an impact on the major league team.
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Powell was taken with the 94th pick of the draft, a third-round choice, and quickly signed for $500K. Once the minor leagues get back up and running, Powell will hone his skills and fine-tune his mindset before becoming the next homegrown closer in Nationals history.
Cordero saved his first game for the Nats the year he was drafted in 2003 and would tally 128 saves in his career in Washington. He was an All-Star and led the majors with 47 saves in 2005.
Drafted in 2009, Storen saved his first game for the Nationals the following year. In six years with the team he saved 95 games and if it wasn’t for his own mismanagement by Nats brass, would have saved many more.
Glover was drafted in 2015 and made his debut a year later, winning two games in his brief time in the majors. In 2016 he was thrust into the closer’s role after a failed experiment of having Blake Treinen finish games. Arm troubles led to his premature retirement from baseball.
As a sophomore at UCLA, Powell saved 17 games while keeping his ERA below 2. In the shortened season this year, he locked down three saves while striking out twenty in nine innings.
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Holden Powell has a power arm and the mentality of a closer. He should debut in the nation’s capital in the near future.