The Nationals are going to rely on Rule 5 decide Evan Reifert to be a bit of their bullpen. He has the stuff to be a high quality reliever, however has lacked consistency within the minor leagues. Nonetheless, he was glorious in 2024, and the Nats hope he can construct on that Double-Successful on the large league stage.
Merely put, Evan Reifert was approach too good for Double-A, and his numbers confirmed that. He put up a 1.96 ERA in 41.1 innings, piling up 65 strikeouts, and holding hitters to a .155 batting common. The one cause he was there within the first place was because of the glut of arms within the Rays group.
2024 was a giant bounce again for Reifert, who completely misplaced the strike zone in 2023. He put up a Trevor Rosenthal-esque 15 walks in 7.2 innings. Nonetheless, he acquired his management below management in 2024, strolling 16 in 41.1 innings. He’s by no means going to have elite management, however all he must do is throw sufficient strikes to let his stuff shine.
His arsenal is headlined by a 70 grade slider, which hitters managed a .117 common in opposition to. It’s his major pitch, throwing it 52% of the time final season. The slider had a ridiculous 70% whiff fee at double-A final yr. The pitch has the potential to be one of many higher sliders in all of baseball. It’s the kind of pitch you’ll be able to spam time and again, whereas nonetheless fooling hitters. Each the attention check and pitch fashions completely adore his slider.
His fastball is strong, however it’s nearer to a median pitch. It has mid-90’s velocity, like most relievers at this level, however doesn’t have particular traits. In 2024, he confirmed a sinker with some promise.
The important thing to Reifert’s success revolves round that slider, and entering into advantageous counts to make use of that elite slider. It’s a true cash pitch, and it’s a meal ticket for large league success.
So long as Reifert’s command doesn’t implode once more, he needs to be a slider heavy center reliever for years to return. Choosing up a strong reliever without cost within the Rule 5 draft is nice work by Mike Rizzo. He needs to be prepared for medium leverage work this season. If he’s the man he was final yr, Reifert will not be the kind of Rule 5 decide you need to disguise on the roster like a Thaddeus Ward or a Nasim Nunez. He has the power to be a contributor, even when he isn’t a better. The 25 yr previous was a shrewd pickup that will probably be large league arm if his command is even near common.
