Banged up Pineda looking to bounce back with healthy 2024

PROSPECT REVIEW: ISRAEL PINEDA

Age on opening day 2024: 23

How acquired: Signed as international free agent, July 2016

Ranking: No. 21 per MLB Pipeline, No. 21 per Baseball America

MLB debut: Sept. 11, 2022

Signing bonus: $450,000

2023 levels: Rookie-level Florida Complex League, High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg

2023 stats: 41 G, 153 PA, 142 AB, 12 R, 25 H, 4 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 14 RBIs, 0 SB, 0 CS, 9 BB, 45 SO, .176 AVG, .229 OBP, .268 SLG, .496 OPS

Quotable: “He's one of the kids we look at just in case. If something happens to Riley (Adams) or Keibert (Ruiz), he'd be the next guy. So hopefully, it's nothing serious, but we're gonna start looking at other options.” – Davey Martinez after Pineda’s injury in spring training

2023 analysis: Unfortunately for Pineda, his season was marred by early injuries.

The young catcher was struck by a pitch during a spring training game on March 4. Initially, it had looked like the pitch hit him in the helmet, but luckily, Pineda reacted fast enough to get his hand in the way, resulting in a pinky injury.

At first considered good news, the resulting fracture of his right pinky finger kept him out longer than he or the Nationals would have hoped. He was eventually able to swing a bat and catch behind the plate, but the effect on his throwing hand meant he couldn’t start a rehab assignment until May.

Pineda started the season on the Nats’ 10-day injured list and started a rehab assignment with Willmington on May 25. But then a left oblique strain popped up and sidelined him for another seven weeks until mid-July. Around the same time, he was moved to the 60-day IL to make room for Rico Garcia, who the Nationals had signed to a minor league contract a week prior and were selecting to the major league roster.

Pineda played two games in the FCL in July before rejoining Wilmington. He played 11 games with the Blue Rocks, going 8-for-39 (.205) with a .533 OPS, a double, a homer and four RBIs. He was reinstated from the injured list and optioned to Harrisburg at the beginning of August and hit .153 with a .429 OPS, three doubles, one homer and nine RBIs in 28 games.

Behind the plate between High-A and Double-A, he threw out 10 of 27 would-be basestealers for a 37 percent caught-stealing rate.

Currently in the Arizona Fall League, he is just 11-for-51 (.216) with a .640 OPS, two doubles, two homers and 10 RBIs while throwing out seven of 27 would-be basestealers (26 percent) in 13 games.

2024 outlook: Pineda has clearly been hampered by his injuries all year long as they continue to affect his production in the AFL. But once healthy, he should provide solid catching depth for the Nationals.

Between his last two full minor league campaigns in 2021 and 2022, he averaged 15 homers a season, a significant difference than the three hit his year with his fractured finger affecting his power.

Although he projects to be a right-handed power bat, he has shown he can hit better than this year’s limited numbers suggest. Between Wilmington, Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester in 2022, he hit .258 with a .783 OPS. That led to his promotion to Washington before the end of the season, where he only recorded one run, one hit and one walk in four games.

And despite early concerns with the injury on his throwing hand, Pineda’s defense behind the plate was as strong as ever. His caught-stealing rates were around his career average (and slightly better during his time with Wilmington) and scouts have noticed his pitch framing has improved. Perhaps a result of only being able to catch for the first couple of months of the season.

With a plus arm to go along with his average power and fielding, Pineda will battle with Drew Millas, who made his major league debut this year, as the next man up at the catcher position behind Keibert Ruiz and Riley Adams. After playing more innings in Arizona and coming to spring training healthy, Pineda and Millas could have a shot at making the Nats’ Opening Day roster depending on how Adams recovers from his season-ending fractured left hamate bone.

If not, they both will be waiting at Rochester, ready to jump back up to the majors in case something happens to either of their fellow backstops. Who gets the call first will depend on their own production.