Nationals' Nasim Nunez: Wins Opening Day roster spot
Rotowire
Nunez is expected to begin the season on the 26-man roster after Trey Lipscomb was reassigned to minor-league camp Tuesday.
A Rule 5 pick from the Marlins, Nunez was a favorite to win a bench role when camp began, but Lipscomb's big spring created some uncertainty on how the Nationals would configure their infield. The 23-year-old Nunez stole 52 bases in 59 attempts at Double-A last season but slashed only .224/.341/.286, so he'll likely be limited to pinch-running duties in 2024 if he's able to stick on the big-league roster all year rather than being offered back to Miami.
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Nationals' Nasim Nunez: Joining Washington
Rotowire
The Nationals selected Nunez during the 2023 Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday.
Nunez was arguably one of Miami's top prospects, but the club still didn't add him to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. The 23-year-old spent the past two seasons at the Double-A level and had a .627 OPS with 52 stolen bases in 125 games last year. Nunez will need to be up with the Nationals all season to remain with the organization long term.
Marlins' Nasim Nunez: Best offensive production to date
Rotowire
Nunez his hitting .282 with a .412 OBP, three home runs and 16 steals in 33 games for Double-A Pensacola.
Known for his plus defense at shortstop and plus-plus speed on the bases, Nunez has been a below league average hitter at every stop except one prior to this season. His 131 wRC+ in 154 plate appearances is easily a career best, and his .097 ISO, .412 OBP and 17.5 percent strikeout rate also represent the best marks of his four-season career. If he can get on base enough to make up for his lack of power, Nunez's defense could earn him everyday playing time, in which case he could steal enough bases to be fantasy relevant.
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Marlins' Nasim Nunez: Leading minors in steals
Rotowire
Nunez has 11 stolen bases on 13 attempts through 10 games for Low-A Jupiter to lead all of minor-league baseball, Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald reports.
The 20-year-old swiped 28 bags in 30 attempts over 51 games in rookie ball in 2019, so his early display of speed this season is no surprise. Nunez was a second-round pick in 2019, but he hasn't yet shown a lot with his bat, slashing .171/.383/.171 this year with an 11:10 BB:K. His defense at shortstop is plus, so he could reach the majors as a bench option even if he never becomes an asset as a hitter, but he'll need to show something at the plate to be worth stashing even in deep dynasty formats.
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Marlins' Nasim Nunez: Gets big-league camp invite
Rotowire
The Marlins announced Monday that Nunez will report to big-league spring training as a non-roster invitee, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.
The 2019 second-round pick will get a chance to test himself against higher-level competition early in camp, but he'll presumably be reassigned to minor-league spring training after the first one or two waves of roster cuts. The 20-year-old shortstop split time between the rookie-level Gulf Coast and New York-Penn Leagues during his first professional season in 2019, slashing .200/.327/.238 over 185 at-bats.
