Washington Nationals: Mike Rizzo, president of baseball operations and general manager. Grade: B.
The Nats are a team on the move. A year ago at this point, the Nationals were 15 games under .500 and 21 games out of first in the division. This year, they’re pushing .500 and in contention for a Wild Card spot.
Give Rizzo’s farm system a bunch of the credit. That system this year has produced Mitchell Parker, 5-3 with a 3.30 ERA in 13 starts. That’s good for a +0.9 WAA.
It’s also produced center fielder Jacob Young, whose defensive prowess and plausible offense is translating to a slightly positive WAA. Overall, the farm has netted five Nats this year with a combined 2.1 WAA impact on the team. Only the Guardians have had a better impact from their first-year callups.
Overall, Rizzo has made moves affecting 22 major league personnel, 11 of which have broken for the Nats against eight negatives.
Score: +1.9. Grade: B.