Justin Maxwell started in High-A and ended in the bigs in 2007, but he is likely back in the minors for 2008.

Austin Kearns. Adam Dunn. In general manager Jim Bowden’s time in Cincinnati, those were his only two draft picks of note during his entire tenure – the sad part of all that is that both players came in the same draft.

Of all of skills Bowden has, drafting has never appeared to be one of them. One might argue that there are very little skills Bowden has shown – for each step forward his organizations appear to take, the organizations also appear to take an equal step backwards. His Nationals have certainly followed that pattern, and one has to wonder when, or even if, the light at the end of the tunnel is finally coming.

The minor league system is showing a little light, however, as there are prospects to genuinely be excited about here. Maybe Bowden has figured out what the draft really is supposed to be for after all.

1. Chris Marrero, First Base

The Nationals’ first rounder in the 2006 draft, Marrero kicked off the 2007 season in the South Atlantic League. There, Marrero would appear in 57 games, picking up 222 at-bats. In that time, he would hit .293 with 14 home runs, 53 RBI, and 31 runs scored. Promoted to the High-A Carolina League, Marrero’s numbers dropped off. In 68 games, Marrero hit .259 with 9 home runs, 35 RBI, and 40 runs. The struggles there would seem to indicate a need to return to High-A to open 2008, but he should not be there for long.

2. Ross Detwiler, Starting Pitcher

The Nats’ first pick in the 2007 draft, Detwiler went from the Gulf Coast League to the Carolina League to the majors. Of course, that one major league appearance was simply a September reward for their first rounder, a meaningless appearance when the season was already essentially over, but he did pitch a scoreless inning and record his first major league strikeout. Detwiler is still very raw, and he will return to the Carolina League in all likelihood for 2008, but he is one to watch with 2009 or, more likely, 2010 in mind.

3. Michael Burgess, Outfield

The 49th overall selection in the 2007 draft, Burgess made his debut this past summer in the Gulf Coast League, where he hit .336 with 8 home runs, 32 RBI, and 22 runs scored in 128 at-bats. He would finish the season in lovely Vermont in the New York/Penn League, hitting .286 with 3 home runs, 10 RBI, and 10 runs scored in 70 at-bats. Burgess projects as a solid power hitter, and he should open up the 2008 season in Low-A.

4. Collin Balester, Starting Pitcher

Another solid young arm, albeit a lot closer to the majors than the aforementioned Detwiler, as he finished the season in Triple-A. Balester’s overall record of 4-10 is far from impressive, but one needs to keep in mind that the organization at the Triple-A and Double-A levels in 2007 was quite horrible, so no matter what he did he was going to end up with a losing record. Balester did plenty on his own, however, that was quite good. Between the two levels, Balester posted a 3.89 ERA and a 117:48 K/BB ratio over 150 1/3 innings. Balester might not open the season in the majors, but he will finish there.

5. Jordan Zimmerman, Starting Pitcher

The biggest problem for the Nationals is that Zimmerman is one of a few players on this list that spent the 2007 season in Vermont. Trust me, Vermont in the summer is wonderful, but not for an organization like the Nationals, as the New York/Penn League is just about as far as you can be from the majors. There is plenty to be excited about Zimmerman, even though he is still a little ways off. For one, there is his record of 5-2 and 2.38 ERA in 13 appearances, all but two as a starter. Then, there is his strikeout-to-walk ratio, as he struck out 71 and walked only 18 in 53 innings – quite impressive. Oh, and he held opposing batters to a .228 batting average. Overall, 2007 was quite a debut for Mr. Zimmerman.

6. Justin Maxwell, Outfield

A Nationals’ fourth round selection in 2005, Maxwell spent his first season in full season ball, and he capped the year with a trip to the bigs and a stint in the Arizona Fall League. A legit power threat, Maxwell hit 27 home runs in 437 at-bats between High-A and Double-A, along with 25 doubles. However, his average took a hit in the move from High-A to Double-A, and he hit just barely over .200 in the AFL. The Nationals will probably be a little more cautious with him this year, and he could return to Double-A to open the season.

7. Glenn Gibson, Starting Pitcher

Yep, another Vermont Lake Monster here, this one actually having returned after making three starts with the club in 2006. This time around, Gibson would go 4-3 with a 3.10 ERA in 12 starts, striking out 58 and walking only 15 in 58 innings of work. Opposing batters hit only .223 against him. Barely turning 20 during the season, Gibson should move up the ranks this year, likely Low-A to open the season.

8. Colton Willems, Starting Pitcher

Yes, at this point it is pretty much looking like I could have just watched the Lake Monsters to put this list together, but really that is where the talent was in 2007 for the Nationals. That is not a good thing, however, as we stated above. A first rounder in the 2006 draft, Willems made five starts in 2006 for the Gulf Coast League, but he pitched only 16 innings in those five appearances. 2007 though would see him pitch far more, as he made 12 starts and tossed 58 2/3 innings. In that time, Willems was 3-2 with a 1.84 ERA, but his control numbers had issues, as he struck out only 31 while walking 26. Willems has excellent stuff, however, and his control will improve with time.

9. Josh Smoker, Starting Pitcher

Another Vermont Lake Monster in 2007, Smoker was the 31st pick overall in the 2007 draft out of Calhoun High School in Georgia. A solid, but still quite young, lefty, Smoker made just two appearances for the Lake Monsters in 2007, striking out five and walking three in four innings. The lack of innings plus his age will likely have back in Vermont in 2008.

10. Adam Carr, Pitcher

We have him labeled only as a pitcher here, not a starter or a reliever, as we really do not know where he will end up. More a hitter than a pitcher at Oklahoma State, Carr had pitched exclusively out of the pen until the Arizona Fall League, where he made one start. Between High-A and Double-A, Carr made 48 appearances and he was 4-1 with a 1.78 ERA and a 78:47 K/BB ratio and .175 batting average against in 60 2/3 innings. Look for the Nationals to experiment more with Carr as a starter in 2008, but he could be the closer of the future here.