Washington Nationals Call Up Closer Of The Future, Drew Storen

Lost in all the Stephen Strasburg hype, is the fact the Washington Nationals drafted another really good pitcher just nine picks later in last year’s draft. The Nationals took RHP Drew Storen with the 10th pick with the goal to make him the closer of the future.

Storen was called up by the Nationals

For the Nationals and Storen, the future is now.

The Nationals called up Storen from Triple-A yesterday to help bolster their bullpen. With Matt Capps having an All Star caliber season as the Nationals’ current closer, look for Storen to start off working the sixth or seventh innings and work his way up from their. If Storen impresses, he along with Tyler Clippard and Capps, could give the Nationals a lethal back-end of the bullpen.

The Nationals are 20-18 and are right in the thick of the NL East as well as the Wild Card race. They firmly believe that they can win this year will not hesitate to call up their top prospects to do so. The Nationals are hoping Storen can be another piece to their playoff puzzle.

Here are some other facts about Drew Storen:

Age: 22

Bats: Both

Throws: Right

College: Stanford University

Drafted: 10th overall in the first round of the 2009 Draft

Minor League Stats:

2009 Single A, High Single A & Double A: 11 saves with a 1.95 ERA, 49 K’s, and a 0.78 WHIP in 37 IP

2010 Double A & Triple A: Four saves with a 1.12 ERA, 15 K’s, and a 0.94 WHIP in 16 IP

Keith Law Ranking and Analysis:

Ranking: No. 92 out of 100 best prospects in baseball in 2010

Analysis: “Storen was a draft-eligible sophomore in 2009 because he was already 21, and the Nationals popped him with the 10th overall pick, signed him immediately, and had him in Double-A by the end of the summer, putting him on track to debut in the big leagues in 2010. He’s a three-pitch reliever marked by good command and outstanding control.

Storen’s two-seam fastball will sit 90-94 mph and occasionally touch a little higher, and it has hard tailing life down and in to right-handers. He varies his breaking ball but most are 82-86 with solid tilt, although he can drop the velocity slightly and get a little more curve-like action on it.

He walked just eight men all spring at Stanford, three in one forgettable outing, then walked eight more in 37 innings in the minors, most of which came in AA in August. (Odd fact about Storen’s walks in pro ball: Only one of the eight came with a man on base.) On stuff and control, he could make the Nationals’ club this spring and be one of their better relievers, but a half-season to rip through Double-A and Triple-A wouldn’t hurt his development, especially since the Nationals are still in building mode.”

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