Change Is Good For Austin Voth

WASHINGTON—After Austin Voth improved his changeup in the Arizona Fall League, Nationals officials are looking forward to seeing what he can do in 2017.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound righthander had a solid season at Triple-A Syracuse, going 7-9, 3.15 with 133 strikeouts and 57 walks in 157 innings. That workload ranked fifth in the International League, but he went to the AFL to refine his secondary pitches. In each of his final three starts with Glendale, he pitched five scoreless innings.

Voth “improved the feel and command of his changeup throughout the course of the Fall League and really built the confidence needed to use it in any count,” farm director Mark Scialabba said. “With some minor adjustments during this time, Austin was able to demonstrate the ability to command his fastball and effectively mix speeds and keep hitters off balance with both his changeup and curveball.”

After struggling early, Voth, 24, allowed just eight hits in his last 15 innings to finish 3-2, 5.16 in 30 AFL innings. His pitching coach with Glendale was Sam Narron, who held that same position with low Class A Hagerstown in the Nationals’ system in 2016,

“Going from the season and taking six weeks off and then having to pitch, there’s going to be some rust,” Narron said of the 2013 fifth-round pick from the University of Washington. “But once he got through that, he made slight mechanical adjustments that freed him a little bit. He had a lot of early-count outs, and he did what he always does: attack the hitters.”

The turnaround in the AFL was no surprise to the organization, which placed Voth on the 40-man roster this offseason.

“He’s a very smart kid and a very good pitcher,” Narron said. “When something needs to be done, he makes the adjustments and rarely even has to ask about what changes to make.”

CAPITAL GAINS

• The organization traded 22-year-old righthander Mario Sanchez to the Phillies as the player to be named later for reliever Jimmy Cordero. Sanchez went 5-0, 3.46 with 62 strikeouts in 78 innings for high Class A Potomac.

• Potomac is hoping its home county of Prince William, Va., will fund the construction of a replacement for Pfitzner Stadium by raising $35 million in municipal bonds. InsideNova.com. Under the plan, the ballpark would open in 2019 and the team would then repay the county over a 30-year lease and through annual rent.

— Lacy Lusk is a writer based in Falls Church, Va.