The Nationals are going to have a number of position battles this spring. Not many spots on the pitching staff are secure, and it is anyone’s guess as to who the first baseman will be. However, the camp battle that intrigues me the most comes at the catching position.
Keibert Ruiz has been the full time starter since 2022, and has a contract that runs through the 2030 season. However, the last two seasons have been disastrous for Ruiz. His combined OPS since the start of 2024 is only .610, which is an issue for a bat first catcher. With the trade for top catching prospect Harry Ford, Ruiz is fighting an uphill battle to be the starting catcher.
It is telling that the first major transaction Paul Toboni made in DC was trading for a catcher. When speaking to fans yesterday, Toboni said there are no limits on Ford. He said the trade was a unique opportunity for the Nats that was only possible due to the fact the Mariners have such an elite catcher.
While Toboni has said all the right things about Ruiz, his actions tell me that he is high on Ford and has questions about Keibert Ruiz. If the organization had things their way, I think they would want Ford to win the job. That does not mean the job will be handed to the youngster though.
Ford is going to have to earn the job. While he has made his MLB debut, he is not proven enough to have a job handed to him. The Nats are committed to both players, so this will be a real competition. Ownership is committed financially to Ruiz and the new front office is committed to Ford because they are the ones who traded for him.
One interesting twist in this competition is the World Baseball Classic. Harry Ford will be playing for Great Britain during the event. It is a great honor for Ford, who has British parents, but it also could cost him in this competition. This could be a major opportunity for Ruiz or even Drew Millas to impress the new staff while Ford is away.
Great Britain play their first exhibition on March 3rd, and their last group phase game is on March 9th. That means Ford will be gone for at least a week of Spring Training. Britain is in a group with the US, Brazil, Italy and Mexico. The top two teams in the group will advance. America will be a shoe in, but the second spot will be up for grabs. With Ford and Jazz Chisholm on the team, Britain has a chance to advance. If they do, Ford will be out even longer.
Despite this, I still think Ford should be considered the favorite to be the starting catcher. He has already proven he can do it at AAA. Last season, Ford hit .283 with an .868 OPS at the highest level of the minors. If the Mariners did not have Cal Raleigh, Ford would probably have more MLB experience by now.
The Nats are a young team with low expectations. That is the perfect spot for a player like Harry Ford. He will get the chance to learn on the job and get MLB reps. Unless he struggles mightily this spring, I have a hard time believing he will not be on the roster.
Another thing to consider is how the playing time will be split. Davey Martinez really rode his starting catchers hard, especially Keibert Ruiz. The new regime is probably going to be more open to playing two catchers. It would not be surprising if we see Ford catch 60% of the games and Ruiz catch 40% of them. That timeshare will be important for Ruiz in particular, who has suffered the wear and tear of being an everyday catcher.
The Nats also have depth options behind these two. Drew Millas has never been given an extended run of playing time, but has always looked good in his chances. He is also the best defender of the group. Despite being DFA’d, Riley Adams remains in the organization and has plenty of big league experience. He also has some interesting power upside that has not quite been realized yet.
With the addition of Ford, the Nats catching situation should be much better than it was last year. To be blunt, the production the Nats got behind the plate was abysmal. Toboni saw those numbers and knew he could not roll with the status quo. He added a young hot shot in Ford, while keeping the door open for the catchers on the team last year.
Developing catchers has become a real art, and it is something the Nats have not been good at in recent years. Hopefully the new regime can improve the Nats catchers, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
If I had to bet, I think Harry Ford will be the Nats starting catcher. However, he is not going to be playing every day like Keibert Ruiz was under Davey Martinez. That will keep him fresh and give Ruiz one last opportunity to try to live up to his contract and potential. This is the happiest I have been about the Nats catching situation in quite some time.
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