• Nats Report+
  • All News
  • Contribution
  • Subscribe
The Nats Report
Contribute
  • Quicknotes
  • The Rochester Red Wings Report
  • Nationals News
  • Washington Nationals Minor League
    • Fredericksburg Nationals
    • Wilmington Blue Rocks
    • Harrisburg Senators
    • Rochester Red Wings
  • MLB News
No Result
View All Result
The Nats Report
  • Quicknotes
  • The Rochester Red Wings Report
  • Nationals News
  • Washington Nationals Minor League
    • Fredericksburg Nationals
    • Wilmington Blue Rocks
    • Harrisburg Senators
    • Rochester Red Wings
  • MLB News
Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Nats Report
No Result
View All Result

The Curious Case of Carter Kieboom; The Prospect that the Nationals Need

Brandon by Brandon
March 24, 2021
in All News, Featured, Perspectives
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
0
The Curious Case of Carter Kieboom; The Prospect that the Nationals Need

Image via Carter Kieboom Twitter

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterEmail to a friend

With new additions to their lineup in Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber and their mainstays of the last few years in Juan Soto, Trea Turner, Victor Robles, etc., the Washington Nationals have quite the roster makeup going into the 2021 season. Although the signings of Bell and Schwarber are solid additions to the lineup, Washington is losing something on the defensive side of the game.  This comes as the Nats are still trying to replace the bat and glove of one of the top-three third baseman in baseball in Anthony Rendon, who left via free agency after the 2019 season.  Insert the kid, Carter Kieboom.

A first-round pick in 2016, Kieboom was called up for a short time in 2019 to help out at shortstop due to a Trea Turner injury and showed some signs of life at the plate despite defensive struggles. Fast forward to the 60-game sprint that was the 2020 season. In Spring Training, Dave Martinez confidently stated that the starting job in the hot corner would be Kieboom’s to lose, but Asdrubal Cabrera got the start over him on Opening Day. Kieboom had a season mostly full of disappointment, but that’s not to say there is no hope for him in that spot. 

In all, Kieboom has 165 plate appearances batting .181, with a.309 OBP, a .282 SLG%, and an OPS of .541. Not at all ideal for a starting third baseman, especially one who is replacing one of the best in the game. Taking a look at his defensive play, the 23-year-old has 41 games with seven errors and a fielding percentage of .945, just below the league average of .963 through 2019 and 2020. Cutting down on errors over a 162-game season and making the easy plays will go a long way in cementing Kieboom as a solid everyday third baseman. 

Download and Subscribe to In the Clubhouse with the Nats Report

Now the toughest part of this story: offense. The right-handed hitting Kieboom has shown some pop off the bat, but it has not translated into consistent performance. Last season, he did end up with a pretty significant groin injury that we were unaware of as well. I do believe that working with hitting coach Kevin Long, offseason LASIK surgery and having a normal offseason should help immensely with him improving at the plate. Plus, one thing Rizzo constantly reinforces is that Kieboom has a major-league ready bat. Taking a rough look at the top 20 third basemen and averaging out the stats of numbers 10 and 11, we can paint a picture of what a top half/ average third baseman should give us at the plate. 

What I came up with were these numbers (2019 and 2020): 

  • AVG: .262
  • OBP: .334
  • SLG%: .469
  • OPS: .795

Kieboom over this same time frame, as mentioned above, was:

  • AVG: .181
  • OBP: .309
  • SLG%: .232
  • OPS: .541

On the surface, Kieboom appears to have a long way to go to hit some of these benchmarks, BUT Dave Martinez would be doing him and the team a disservice if he wasn’t given a chance to improve under semi-normal circumstances in 2021. Given what they already had and have added this offseason, if he can give the Nationals a production level similar to what the “average” third baseman does, they should be set up to have a very productive lineup. 

Previous Post

The Morning Briefing: Patrick Corbin feeling more like himself

Next Post

Perspective: Is Luis Garcia the real deal?

Next Post

Perspective: Is Luis Garcia the real deal?

Latest on the Nats Report

Nationals Park, Washington D.C.

Quick Notes: Nationals claim Joe La Sorsa

June 8, 2023
Quick Notes: Washington Nationals recall right-handed pitcher Cory Abbott from Triple-A Rochester

Quick Notes: Washington Nationals recall right-handed pitcher Cory Abbott from Triple-A Rochester

June 7, 2023
Quick Notes: Oakland A’s have a strong interest in Vegas strip site for a baseball stadium

Quick Notes: Major League Baseball Owners to waive relocation fee for Athletics’ move to Vegas

June 5, 2023
Florida Complex League

Quick Notes: 2023 Washington Nationals Florida Complex League Roster

June 5, 2023
2023 Dominican Summer League

Quick Notes: Washington Nationals Dominican Summer League Roster

June 5, 2023
Washington Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg

Quick Notes: Stephen Strasburg is completely shut down from physical activity again via Washington Post

June 4, 2023
Game Preview: The Washington Nationals’ future is on full display in Bowie, MD

Game Preview: The Washington Nationals’ future is on full display in Bowie, MD

June 1, 2023
Quick Notes: Game Recap: Rochester Red Wings Hang On To Win Series Finale, 3-2

Quick Notes: MLB and MLB Players, Inc. Form New Partnership to Increase Player Marketing

June 1, 2023

CATEGORY

  • All News
  • Breaking News
  • Business of Baseball
  • Editor's Picks
  • Fan Favorites
  • Fan Shots
  • Featured
  • Game Recaps
  • GameNotes
  • In the ClubHouse
  • Interviews
  • Lockout 2022
  • Major League Baseball News
  • Minor League Baseball
  • Minor League Baseball News
  • Minor League Baseball Prospects
  • Perspectives
  • Player Profiles
  • Politics
  • Quicknotes
  • Random
  • Series Preview
  • Special Reports
  • Technology in Baseball
  • The Morning Briefing
  • The Rochester Red Wings Report
  • Washington Nationals Minor League News and Headlines
  • Washington Nationals News
  • Washington Nationals Prospects

SITE LINKS

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepage
  • Quicknotes
  • Washington Nationals News
  • Subscribe

Get the latest headlines, news, anaylsis and more about the Washington Nationals and thier minor league affliates delievered to your inbox every morning with the Morning Breifing.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Go to mobile version