Voth succeeds, Fedde struggles in Round 1 of competition

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Austin Voth, Joe Ross and Erick Fedde all sit next to each other in the Nationals clubhouse this spring. They all hang out together. They all want one another to do well.

And yet, each knows the harsh truth: Only one of the three is going to open the season in the Nats rotation. One other is likely to get a spot in the bullpen. Which means one is destined for the minor leagues.

"These two guys are my friends, and if I had it my way, I would want them on the team," Voth said last week. "But it doesn't work out that way and I've got to pitch for myself."

Yes, there's a competition to be waged over the next month, one of the few competitions you'll find in this camp. The Nationals need a No. 5 starter, and whoever pitches the best this spring out of that trio most likely will get the nod.

So if you're keeping running standings of this race, you can put Voth into the leading position for now, with Fedde behind him and Ross still waiting to make his debut and make his case.

Ross was supposed to pitch in relief of Max Scherzer on Saturday night, but a 93-minute rain delay and subsequent cancellation foiled those plans. He'll be pushed back to a game later this week. Voth and Fedde, though, each got a chance to start this afternoon in the Nationals' simultaneous split-squad games, and the former clearly outperformed the latter.

Facing an Astros lineup featuring one regular (Yordan Alvarez) and two other big leaguers (Kyle Tucker, Aledmys Díaz), Voth tossed two scoreless innings on 21 pitches, striking out three and allowing only one batter to reach base (a hit by pitch via a wayward curveball).

"Today was just another outing for me to show them what I have to offer," the 27-year-old right-hander said. "They've seen me before and they know what I'm capable of. I just need to go out there and show that."

Most impressive about Voth's outing today was his efficiency. He recorded three of his six outs on three or fewer pitches, twice on the first pitch of the at-bat. For a guy who has reached the sixth inning in only four of his 10 major league starts, it's an important step in his development.

"It's definitely big," manager Davey Martinez said. "He's come a long way. For me, it's about getting early outs in counts. And getting out of that four-inning, 75-pitch mark. And I think he can do it. Because he throws strikes. With two strikes, finishing hitters. We told him this spring that's what we want him to focus on. And he did a good job."

Voth's two scoreless frames were the highlight of the Nationals 2-1 victory over the Astros, which was capped by Brandon Snyder's walk-off single to center with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Twelve miles up the road in Jupiter, Fedde got the ball for the other split-squad game against the Marlins and wound up unable to complete his two innings before surpassing his pitch limit.

Fedde was charged with only one run, but he needed help to keep it there. After loading the bases in the bottom of the second on a single and two walks, he was pulled with his pitch count at 34. Reliever Ryne Harper escaped the one-out jam without allowing another run to score. The Marlins went on to win 5-2, scoring four runs in the eighth off Derek Self.

The Nationals have had high hopes for Fedde since using their first round draft pick on him in 2014. The 25-year-old has shown glimpses of his potential, particularly last summer, but he has yet to prove he can be successful on a consistent basis.

"When you're in the position I'm in, every time I get up there, it feels like it's a high-pressure situation," he said last week. "The big leagues is a difficult place. And the more you get used to it, the more comfortable you get. I'm learning how to keep my body right and my mechanics to be the best me."

There will be plenty more opportunities to compete and make a case over the next month. In the meantime, these three right-handers are trying to strike a delicate balance between friendship and head-to-head-to-head competition for a precious spot in a big league rotation.

"I think anybody in life knows how to put work and outside life apart," Fedde said. "We're all guys who know that we're part of a team. We all want to root for each other. And we realize through the course of the season, there might be a time where all three of us are in the rotation. We want everyone to be successful. And obviously, when it comes to myself, I want to take care of business and do well and hopefully make it really tough on the coaching staff."