Brian Goodwin

Goodwin spent spring with the Royals before he was surprisingly waived just before teams broke camp. The Angels claimed Goodwin to fill in for Justin Upton. Upton's absence dragged into mid-June. In his stead, Goodwin slashed .289/.349/.446. Goodwin's playing time waned before he was shelved in early July after being hit on the wrist by a pitch. He returned in mid-July, resuming a reserve role, but playing frequently as Upton and Mike Trout battled injuries over the second half. Goodwin's production dipped precipitously; he fanned at a 23% clip as a starter compared to 35% as a reserve. Last season's final slash of .262/.326/.470 is a fair baseline. Goodwin's 2020 playing time is tied to how soon uber prospect Jo Adell is called up. If Goodwin is playing regularly to begin the season, he's mixed-league worthy in deep formats. Just be ready to find a replacement when Adell debuts.

Goodwin has been on the Triple-A-to-MLB shuttle the past few seasons, teasing with speed and athleticism but with inconsistent results to show for it. He did well plugging injury gaps in the Nationals' outfield in 2017, slugging .498, but did so with a low on-base percentage. He was not afforded the same opportunities in 2018, and his production dropped back to that of a fifth outfielder and someone only rosterable in single-league formats. His overall offensive production has been right about league average for the first 500 plate appearances of his career, and at 28, it is still too early to write him off, but athletic outfielders with potential are a dime a dozen. This one comes with a high strikeout rate (career 27.9%), a low on-base percentage (career .315) and does not run much on the bases. Kansas City is a place that can give him one more chance, so keep him in mind in the endgame in AL-only leagues.

Goodwin began the season at Triple-A Syracuse where he was slashing a middling .256/.327/.367 when he was summoned on May 8. Initially, Goodwin played sparingly, backing up Michael A. Taylor who took over in center field after Adam Eaton was lost for the season. In mid-June, Goodwin took over for the injured Jayson Werth, not missing a game between June 20 and August 13, when he was put on the disabled list for the duration of the season with a groin injury. When healthy, Goodwin exhibited some pop, slugging a robust .498, including 21 doubles and 13 homers in 278 plate appearances. In general, Goodwin looked more comfortable than his cup of coffee in 2016, fanning an acceptable 25 percent of the time with a reasonable 8.3 percent walk rate. With Eaton back, and Taylor worthy of regular playing time, Goodwin is earmarked for backup duty. However, Eaton, Taylor and Bryce Harper aren’t known for their durability, making Goodwin an intriguing endgame play in NL-only.

Things really seemed to click for Goodwin following the 2015 season, when he batted .316 in 154 plate appearances over 35 games in the Venezuelan Winter League. He then followed that up with a strong campaign back in the states, slashing .280/.349/.438 in 492 plate appearances over 119 games with Triple-A Syracuse before earning a promotion to the big leagues in the fall, where he batted .286 in 44 plate appearances. That batting average can essentially be thrown out altogether, as it was accompanied by a .429 BABIP and 31.8 percent strikeout rate. Additionally, he had been a below league-average hitter at Triple-A in 2014 (92 wRC+) and at Double-A in 2015 (81 wRC+), so the fact that he finally succeeded against upper-level minor league pitching last season may have had more to do with his age (25) than anything else. He will compete with Michael Taylor and Chris Heisey for a bench role, and is likely to open 2017 back at Triple-A.

Goodwin struggled through a tough season at Triple-A, and couldn't repeat the gains he had seemingly made at the plate the year before. Injuries limited him to 81 games, which didn't help, but based on who they called up when needed, it looks like the Nationals now view Michael Taylor as the more viable long-term option for the organization in center field. Don't write off Goodwin just yet, though. His package of tools is as impressive as any player in the organization, and when he's got everything working he can display power, speed, plate discipline and solid defense, a profile which is more than major-league quality. A return engagement at Syracuse, and a chance to prove that he can take that next step in his development, will be crucial for his future. If the 24-year-old picks himself up, he'll be right back in the Nats' plans. If not, he could be stuck for a while in the Triple-A wilderness.

Goodwin is still a work in progress, but there were some very encouraging signs in last season's performance. He maintained a strong walk rate, while beginning to tap into his power potential, and although his 121 strikeouts in 457 at-bats look bad, it was actually an improvement over his 2012 rate at Double-A. He'll likely always struggle to hit for a great batting average, but otherwise, he has every tool you could want in a center fielder. The Nationals don't have a problem promoting prospects when the organization feels they're ready, so if Goodwin finally pieces it all together, Denard Span could become expendable in a hurry.

Goodwin's pro debut went as well as the Nationals could have hoped as he torched Low-A pitching before getting jumped two levels (and, admittedly, closing out the year with much less impressive numbers). The club now views the 2011 supplemental pick as their center fielder of the future, and it's easy to see why given the combination of power, speed, plate discipline and defense he is capable of displaying. There are still questions to be answered in the high minors, and the Nats do not need to rush him, but if he puts together another strong performance he will be knocking on the door of the 25-man roster as a potential fourth outfielder in 2014.

Goodwin was the Nationals' sandwich-round pick in the 2011 draft and is ready to start his pro career at Low-A or High-A in 2012. There is some debate as to whether he would be best suited at the top or in the lower half of a batting order, but there is no doubt that his bat speed and plate discipline could allow him to develop into an above average hitter. His speed in center field is very impressive, but there are questions about whether he could play the position every day. Don’t expect a trip to Washington until 2014.