Washington Nationals Prospect Ranked Among Top 10 Pitchers on MLB Pipeline
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MLB Pipeline has wrapped up their top prospects at every position with the pitching groups coming most recently, split into LHP and RHP.
When it comes to the left-handed pitching group, there are some significant names there, and one of the prospects who made the cut was Alex Clemmey of the Washington Nationals. Among the best, Clemmey came in ninth place in those rankings.
The up-and-comer was a second-round selection in the 2023 MLB draft by the Cleveland Guardians and received a deal that was above slot value at $2.3 million. He would be later involved in the trade sending Lane Thomas from the Nationals to the Guardians, after pitching in 19 games for the latter of the two at the single-A level.
In those 19 games, he would start each one, pitching 69.1 innings for a 4.67 ERA, 1.442 WHIP, 97 strikeouts to 47 walks, and accruing 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings. Overall, not a spectacular start, but also not bad for a prospect who was only 18 years old at the time.
He would follow that up with six more games to wrap up the 2024 season after the trade had occurred, pitching for single-A Fredericksburg. In those six starts, he would pitch 23.0 innings, with a 4.30 ERA, 26 strikeouts to 16 walks, 1.304 WHIP, and 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
While his ERA improved it was a smaller sample size, and his strikeouts were slightly decreased in terms of how many he threw per game.
Age and experience are huge factors in his potential. However, as he only just recently turned 19-years-old he only has about one full season of experience under his belt.
MLB Pipeline made it clear that this was the case in their projections as well, stating, "Standing at 6-foot-6, Clemmey still gets low down the bump with good extension and can generate a tough approach angle that gives hitters fits.
"His 92-96 mph fastball plays up in the top of the zone as a result, and there’s plenty of projection remaining to get him more velo as he works through pro ball."
They also believe he has the potential to become a Number 2 or 3 starter in the big leagues, and frankly, that is a fair projection as he has shown solid development over the course of that first season.
He has been a key component in Washington's farm system improving in general consensus rankings over the past few months, and now being ranked amongst the likes of Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith. Clemmey has shown his immense potential and is being noticed. Hopefully he can develop and debut in the next few seasons, as the youth movement with the Nationals is in full effect.
Jeremy Trottier started his writing journey with WBLZ Media, and has worked through multiple publications with 247Sports, USA Today, Fansided, SBNation and others. He is an avid fan of motorsports and most sports in general, and has completed a degree in sports management to further understand the sports industry. During his time with sports media, he has been credentialed for coverage of Boston College sports, and can often be found attending their football and basketball games as well as expected coverage of their men’s soccer team in the near future. Sports are a large part of his life and career, as he looks to pursue a full time role within the industry someday.