Top 5 Prospects for 2015: Washington Nationals

This 30-part series will look at the projected Top 5 freshman contributors for each big league club for the year ahead. The rankings take into consideration a mixture of ceiling, readiness and potential playing time allocation, which is to say some players with lower ceilings may be ranked ahead of others with higher ceilings because they project to have a greater impact in the coming season.

In a Nutshell: Both the outfield and the infield are mostly set in Washington, although there could be a hole at second base with Anthony Rendon earmarked for third base and Danny Espinosa looking more like a poor man’s Ben Zobrist (of the Tampa Bay Rays).

1. Michael Taylor, OF: The Nationals patience with Taylor is about to pay off. Veteran center-fielder Denard Span could become expendable as a result of this rookie’s development; Taylor offers power, speed and above-average outfield defense — at a fraction of the cost of the veteran. If he doesn’t open the season as the Nationals’ starting center-fielder, look for Taylor, 23, to acquire a permanent role in the second half of the year.

2. A.J. Cole, RHP: The Nationals boast an established, veteran starting rotation but Cole should be the first starter recalled from the minors if someone falters or gets injured. The 22-year-old right-hander is coming off of a season that saw him split his time between Double-A and Triple-A; he should be ready to make his MLB debut in 2015 as he works towards a future as a No. 3/4 starter.

3. Steven Souza, OF: A classic late bloomer, Souza may be most valuable to the Nationals as a trade chip to help fill a more glaring need than the outfield where the club boasts a solid trio of experienced ball players. The rookie outfielder will turn 26 in early 2015 and he has nothing left to prove in the minor leagues and he has an intriguing mix of power, speed, and ability to hit for average.

4. Austin Voth, RHP: Voth, 22, isn’t a big guy but he’s had little trouble with professional hitters since signing out of the University of Washington in 2013. He reached Double-A last season while compiling 133 strikeouts in 126.2 innings. He has a solid fastball with the potential for two average or better secondary pitches to go along with above-average command/control.

5. Sammy Solis, LHP: This former second round draft pick (2010) has a lot of potential but injuries have derailed his promising career and he’s missed much of the past two seasons due elbow injuries (both before and after Tommy John surgery). The burly southpaw also missed time last year with a back injury. If he’s healthy, Solis could help the Nationals in 2015 but it might come from the bullpen in an effort to keep him out of the infirmary.