The Perils Of A Prospect

Last December, the Nationals selected first baseman Matt Whitney in the Rule V draft, hoping in part to catch lightning in a bottle while also wanting a plan 'C' if Nick Johnson's health, and Dmitri Young's diabetes caused the team problems at first.

And oh, how they could have used him. It wasn't too long before Johnson ruptured yet another part of his body and Dmitri Young ate himself into oblivion, making second baseman Ronnie Belliard the team's every day first baseman until he too was hurt.  But once Johnson's questionable health seemed sound, Whitney was returned to Cleveland.

But guess what? Heeeeeeee's back.

After hitting .258-10-68 for the Indians' AA affiliate in Akron, he was signed once again by the Nationals as a minor league free agent.

But when the Nationals drafted Whitney last year, most of us weren't sure what to make of it. Certainly, he had a great year in 2007, batting .299-32-113 at Cleveland's two full season 'A' league teams. But with only 400 minor league games under his belt, did the Nationals really think he was ready to play at the Major League level?

And to make matters worse (for Whitney), the Nationals signed Aaron Boone to play backup at both third and first, his natural positions.

The Nationals picked Whitney because he was, at one time anyway, referred to as the Indians' "next Manny Ramirez."

Whitney was chosen by the Cleveland Indians in 2002 out of high school with a supplementary first round pick (33rd overall), gained by the loss of free-agent outfielder Juan Gonzalez.

He was considered one of the best pure power hitters to come out of high school that year. In 45 games with Burlington (Rookie A), Whitney batted .286-10-33, a solid power display for that level.

He was on the fast track to Jacobs Field.

That is, until the following spring. Playing a game of pickup basketball at the Indians Spring Training facility in Chain of Lakes Florida, Whitney broke two bones in his leg when he stepped on a sprinkler head.

He underwent two different surgeries that day and another one later that spring, wiping out his entire 2003 season. Nationals fans understand that broken legs don't heal very well—just ask Nick Johnson.

He returned to the diamond in 2004, though he was never completely healthy over the next three seasons, batting .230-21-96 in a combined 225 games. He struck out 275 times in 816 at-bats. He was forced to run awkwardly because of the pain in his leg, which led to other injuries in his back and neck.

No one was expecting the breakout season in 2007. Whitney says it was due to being healthy for the first time since 2002 as well as a lot of hard work and preparation. Kinston manager Mike Sarbaugh says that in addition to his good health, he shortened his stroke in 2007 and is now recognizing pitches much better.

"Last year, he head a tendency to chase some breaking pitches out of the zone that he's not doing this year (2007)," said Sarbaugh.

Indians' farm director Ross Atkins said that "not having your legs in any sport is not good, especially if you're a power hitter." Whitney can now—finally—plant his leg and drive the ball deep."

The Indians moved Whitney from third to first in 2007 to reduce the stress on his bad leg. Whitney had played both first and the outfield during high school, so the move seemed natural. Though he committed a league-high 20 errors at first, the Indians were convinced that Whitney would be a solid first-baseman at the Major League level.

Whitney, a 6'4", 220 pounder, bats right-handed and hits with a lot of power. That said, the 24 year old also strikes out a lot. He struck out 38 percent of the time at Kinston in 2006, though he was able to decrease that number to 22 percent last year.

If he remains healthy, Whitney could be a solid power hitter in the future. In his two healthy seasons, he would have averaged .296-32-110 over a 500 at-bat season. In his three injury plagued seasons, those same 500 at-bats would have produced only .258-21-81. Looks like he just might be a "player" one day.

No, he didn't have a great year in 2008, but he's very good at overcoming adversity. Look for him in Syracuse in 2009.

Will he ever make it to a big league club?

Maybe.

One thing's for sure, though. He'll never be "the next Manny Ramirez" as once thought.

In the long run, however, that's probably a good thing.