Where the Nats' Top 30 prospects are starting the season

April 4th, 2017

With the 2017 season getting started, here's a look at where the Nationals' Top 30 prospects are projected to start the season:
1. Victor Robles -- Potomac Nationals (A Adv)
2. -- Harrisburg Senators (AA)
3. Juan Soto -- Hagerstown Suns (A)
4. Carter Kieboom -- Hagerstown Suns (A)
5. -- Harrisburg Senators (AA)
6. Sheldon Neuse -- Hagerstown Suns (A)
7. -- Washington Nationals (MLB)
8. -- Syracuse Chiefs (AAA)
9. A.J. Cole -- Syracuse Chiefs (AAA)
10. -- Syracuse Chiefs (AAA)
11. -- Extended spring camp
12. Jesus Luzardo -- Extended spring camp -- rehab
13. -- Syracuse Chiefs (AAA)
14. Drew Ward -- Harrisburg Senators (AA)
15. Anderson Franco -- Hagerstown Suns (A)
16. Blake Perkins -- Hagerstown Suns (A)
17. Osvaldo Abreu -- Harrisburg Senators (AA)
18. Kelvin Gutierrez -- Potomac Nationals (A Adv)
19. Tyler Watson -- Hagerstown Suns (A)
20. Jakson Reetz -- Hagerstown Suns (A)
21. -- Harrisburg Senators (AA)
22. Yasel Antuna -- Extended spring camp
23. Jose Sanchez -- Extended spring camp
24. Joan Baez -- Potomac Nationals (A Adv)
25. Nick Banks -- Hagerstown Suns (A)
26. -- Syracuse Chiefs (AAA)
27. -- Disabled list
28. Telmito Agustin -- Potomac Nationals (A Adv)
29. Daniel Johnson -- Hagerstown Suns (A)
30. Armond Upshaw -- Extended spring camp
Complete Nats prospect coverage on MLBPipeline.com/Nationals
Team to watch
Class A Hagerstown is teeming with impressive young hitters, but none more so than the 18-year-old Soto, last year's Gulf Coast League MVP. Shortstop Kieboom and third baseman Neuse -- the Nationals' respective first and second-round Draft picks last June -- give the Suns a dynamic left side of the infield, while Perkins and Franco are both viewed as potential breakout candidates in 2017.
Where baseball's top prospects are starting the 2017 season
Teams on MiLB.TV
Syracuse Chiefs
Harrisburg Senators
New faces
The Nationals spent well beyond their international bonus pool last July to sign a trio of 16-year-old shortstops in Antuna ($3.9 million), Garcia ($1.3 million) and Sanchez ($950,000). All three players stood out this spring in Washington's Minor League camp and will begin the season in extended spring camp before getting their first tastes of pro ball, likely in either the Dominican Summer or Gulf Coast Leagues.
On the shelf
More than a year removed from Tommy John surgery, left-hander Luzardo, the Nationals' third-round pick last June, will continue his rehab in extended spring camp with the goal of returning to the mound mid-summer. Marmolejos, the club's Minor League Player of the Year in back-to-back years (2015-16), will open the season on the 60-day disabled list with a strained left forearm.