Washington Nationals Promote Another Top Prospect in Addition to Dylan Crews

Another top prospect in the Washington Nationals pipeline earned a promotion as he got himself closer to the MLB level.

Alabama base runner Andrew Pinckney (21) connects for a triple to right at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday June 4, 2023. Alabama defeated Troy 11-8 in the winners bracket game of the NCAA Regional Baseball Tournament. / Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK

There is a lot of excitement surrounding the Washington Nationals taking on the New York Yankees on Monday.

Not only are they welcoming back Juan Soto for only the second time since they traded him away in 2022, but one of the future faces of this franchise, Dylan Crews, has been promoted for his highly-anticipated Major League debut.

Nationals fans are now able to see what their outfield could look like for years to come with emerging star James Wood in left, Crews either in center or right, and potential Gold Glover Jacob Young patrolling as well.

But while all the attention is on their 2023 first round pick making his debut, Washington has also promoted another one of their top prospects to a higher affiliate level.

The Washington Nationals are promoting Andrew Pinckney to the Rochester Red Wings (AAA), per @_chaseford. pic.twitter.com/kVSa8WrOpk

— Milb Central (@milb_central) August 26, 2024

23-year-old Andrew Pinckney will be appearing in Triple-A for the first time in his career during his first full season of professional baseball.

Taken in the fourth round of last year's draft, the outfielder is also a fast riser similar to what Crews has done during his short time in the Nationals' pipeline.

Pinckney played in 41 games during 2023, starting with two at rookie ball before spending 17 with their Single-A affiliate and 18 with their High Single-A team. He then got in four Double-A games before the end of that season.

The scouting report on the youngster says he has plus speed to impact the running game and man the outfield, but there are some long-term concerns about his viability at the plate with his inability to hit off-speed pitches on a consistent basis that causes his chase rate to be high.

So far, Pinckney has been formidable enough at the plate to earn another promotion.

In 114 Double-A games this year, the only affiliate he has been with in 2024, he has slashed .259/.328/.366 with seven homers, 30 extra-base hits, and 44 RBI.

Still, his strikeout rate is concerning. He's been wrung up 130 times while only drawing 36 walks.

How Pinckney looks at Triple-A will largely determine if he's going to be in the mix for Washington going forward, or not.