Lucas Giolito focuses on improving athleticism in 2016

One big question regarding top Nationals prospect Lucas Giolito is when the first-round draft selection from 2012 will make his debut with the major league club.

The 21-year-old right-hander has continued to make very good progress and movement in the minor league system. Giolito pitched for high Single-A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg in 2015. He combined to go 7-7 with a 3.15 ERA over 19 starts (21 games). He twirled 117 innings and struck out 131 batters.

The focus at instructional league this season was to build Giolito's endurance for later in his starts. Can he maintain his velocity and pitch control in the fifth, sixth and sometimes seventh innings?

Nationals pitching coordinator Paul Menhart said the organization established a regimen to improve Giolito's athleticism in his 6-foot-6, 255-lbs. frame.

"He needed to repeat his delivery better and get a little more athletic, so we had an athletic enhancement program that Landon Brandes ran, our strength and conditioning coordinator (in Florida)," Menhart said. "He was definitely a part of it. He's such a big bodied guy."

Menhart said the reason for this particular strength improvement was to build on Giolito's core flexibility. Being such a big guy, it takes a lot to make sure his delivery is mimicked from pitch No. 1 all the way to pitch No. 100 in each of his starts.

"We believe the more athletic you are and the stronger your core is, the easier it is to repeat his delivery," Menhart said. "That was the thing that pleased me besides his demeanor and his take charge (attitude). He showed a really good grasp of being able to repeat his delivery and all three pitches were executed extremely well during that time. So he went into the offseason feeling pretty darn good about himself."

Now that Giolito is already at Double-A, he could reach the Nationals in 2016. With his core and athleticism improved, Giolito will now be able to handle the rigors of high-leverage major league situations late in games and become the formidable starter the club envisioned in that selection three and a half years ago.