Carter Kieboom

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #1 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Carter became the second Kieboom to play for the Nationals when he made his debut on April 26 and homered in his first major league game. His older brother Spencer is a catcher who played for the Nationals in 2016 and 2018. The younger Kieboom spent two weeks in the majors when Trea Turner was injured before returning to Triple-A Fresno for the rest of the season, where he ranked in the top 10 in the Pacific Coast League in on-base percentage (.405) despite being one of the circuit's youngest players. He was a Futures Game selection for the second straight year.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Nationals manager Davey Martinez noted that all the skills are there for Kieboom to succeed and that it's just a matter of time until the game slows down enough for him to succeed in the majors. Kieboom is a patient hitter who habitually gets into good counts and punishes fastballs over the plate. He has a steady, consistent approach and never seems overwhelmed. He hits to all fields and recognizes breaking pitches well, grading as a future plus hitter with blossoming power that will be average or better. He has a steady heartbeat and flourishes in big situations. Kieboom is a fringe-average runner, but he has the hands and range to be an average defensive shortstop. He pushes the ball on his throws due to an irregular arm action, affecting his accuracy just enough for most evaluators to prefer him at second base. He played a career-high 41 games at second base with Fresno and is still learning the angles and shifts for the position. He plays under control at second base and could have above-average arm strength for the position, with the reflexes, hands and arm to handle third base as well.
  
  THE FUTURE: Where Kieboom plays in Washington depends largely on need, but his ability to play all over the infield has put him in a good position. He projects as a No. 2 hitter with the potential to grow into enough power to hit in the middle of a lineup one day. He should get his first extended exposure to the big leagues in 2020, where the Nationals could have openings at second base and possibly third base now that Anthony Rendon has departed as a free agent.
• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #2 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: A 2016 first-round selection out of Walton High in Marietta, Ga., Kieboom made the most of his first healthy full season in pro ball in 2018, advancing to Double-A Harrisburg at age 20, more than four years younger than the average Eastern League hitter.
  
  Scouting Report: The Nationals wanted to see the normally selective Kieboom get more aggressive on fastballs in the strike zone in 2018, and they were happy with the results when he started to figure that out. After hitting .198/.308/.347 during the first month of the season with a 14 percent walk rate, Kieboom went on to hit .301/.370/.469 during his final 99 games, with a 9.5 percent walk rate. Kieboom has excellent balance at the plate and the ability to hit to all fields. He also started to tap into his plus raw power with a career-high 16 home runs. Kieboom improved his consistency at shortstop and showed a strong internal clock, reliably soft hands and a solid first step to go with above-average arm strength.
  
  The Future: While Kieboom has shown he could handle shortstop, he will get reps at second base to increase his versatility and provide a more clear path to the big leagues--with Trea Turner and Anthony Rendon entrenched on the left side of the infield--where he could provide an impact bat in the middle of the order.
• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #4 prospect in 2018
  The 28th overall pick in 2016, Kieboom had his full-season debut at low Class A Hagerstown shortened thanks to a hamstring injury, which forced him to the disabled list in mid-May and ended a torrid 29-game start in which he hit .333/.398/.586 with six home runs. After rehabbing and making his way back to the South Atlantic League, Kieboom hit just .235 the rest of the way--though he managed to show the same selective approach by walking 18 times compared to 15 strikeouts. He has a chance to turn into a middle-of-the order hitter, with impressive bat speed and a short swing. He shows the ability to drive the ball to all fields and could develop above-average power. Kieboom is an average defensive shortstop who projects to be more of a bat-first player. His high baseball IQ should help him in the field, where positioning and solid hands could be enough to make up for a lack of first-step quickness and an average arm. He showed improvement with his throwing in 2017, however. Kieboom should be ready for an assignment to high Class A Potomac in 2018. Even if he slides to second base, he could become a big league regular.
• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #8 prospect in 2017
  Kieboom helped lead Walton High to a 2016 state championship and scored the winning run in the decisive game. A few weeks later he joined his older brother Spencer in the Nationals organization after they selected him 28th overall. He dealt with minor injuries after signing but still held his own in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League during his pro debut and was fully healthy in time to participate in instructional league. Kieboom is a steady, solid all-around player. He stands out for his bat speed and timing at the plate, though he struck out in nearly 28 percent of his plate appearances in the GCL. He employs a gap-to-gap approach at the plate, and projects to hit for average power as he physically matures and learns to drive the ball more consistently. Kieboom is a solid runner and has good first-step quickness on defense. He has above-average arm strength and good infield actions, giving him the tools necessary to continue to develop as a shortstop. Spencer Kieboom made his major league debut in 2016, and Carter should one day join him in the big league fraternity. The younger Kieboom has the potential to deliver more impact than his brother, who has a backup catcher profile. He should be ready for low Class A Hagerstown in 2017.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #44 prospect in 2016 draft
  Kieboom comes from a baseball family; his older brother Spencer is a prospect in the Nationals' system, and his brother Trevor plays at Georgia. Carter is the best prospect of the brood. He showed impressive timing and bat speed at the plate throughout much of the showcase circuit leading up to his senior year, though he had a rough week at the WWBA tournament in Jupiter, Fla. This spring, Kieboom showed impressive first-step quickness and range at shortstop, leading some evaluators to believe that he can stick at the position, at least early in his career. Kieboom's selective approach offensively is ahead of his years, but not necessarily conventional for his gap-to-gap skill set. He has some rough edges to him, but has done enough to push himself into day one consideration. Earlier in his high school career, he pitched ambidextrously, though his future is a shortstop. Kieboom is committed to Clemson.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #4 prospect in 2019
  The PCL’s youngest position player on Opening Day, Kieboom finished sixth in the league in walks and seventh in on-base percentage, showing a promising mix of patience and extra-base power. He made his major league debut in April before returning to Fresno in May. "I like his maturity level,” Reno manager Chris Cron said. "For a young kid, he handled himself well around older players for the first time. He looks the part.” Kieboom improved defensively at shortstop, but an irregular throwing motion affects his accuracy and makes him a better fit at second base, where he played a career-high 41 games this season.
• 
  Ranked Carolina League #2 prospect in 2018
  Kieboom was both one of the youngest shortstops in the league and one of the most productive hitters. After starting in the league’s all-star game, he earned a midseason bump to Double-A Harrisburg. At the plate, Kieboom puts together consistent at-bats. He has good balance at the plate and plate discipline to go with solid average power, although at this age, his home run power is largely limited to clearing the left field fence. A generation ago, Kieboom would have little chance to stay at shortstop, as he’s not twitchy or particularly rangy. But with the shifting and pitch-by-pitch positioning, he has a chance to stay at shortstop as an average defender with an above-average arm. It’s still more likely he’ll slide to second or third base long-term where he projects as an above-average defender, but he’s improved enough to make shortstop a possibility.
• 
  Ranked Arizona Fall League #8 prospect in 2018
  The Kieboom name was certainly familiar to die-hard AFL fans as older brother Spencer, also a Nationals farmhand, previously spent two seasons in the Arizona Fall League. While some observers were lukewarm on the younger Kieboom early in the fall, he’s the kind of pure ballplayer that takes time to grow on you. Splitting time between both middle infield positions for Salt River, Kieboom hit a solid .295/.427/.372 for the Rafters while drawing 17 walks.

  The type of player who will consistently play above his tools, Kieboom has a good feel for hitting and a selective approach at the plate. AFL scouts are mixed as to whether he stays at shortstop or is better suited for second base, but he’s an instinctual defender who projects to be at least an average defender at shortstop.

• 
  Ranked Eastern League #5 prospect in 2018
  Kieboom and system-mate Juan Soto both missed much of 2017 with injuries. In 2018, both showed their true potential and then some. Soto rocketed to the majors, and Kieboom was impressive in what turned out to be his first true full season. Kieboom showed skills befitting a bat-first shortstop while making it Double-A at the same age as a college junior. Managers and scouts saw a player who could hit for average and power, and he certainly lived up to that billing in the high Class A Carolina League before experiencing a drop off in the more advanced EL. Kieboom faces questions about whether he can stick at shortstop, but he played there all season. The Nationals will continue giving him reps at shortstop until he proves he has to move. If Kieboom does move he will stay in the dirt, with third base a possibility because of his strong arm. No matter where Kieboom lands, he looks like a bat-first infielder.
• 
  Ranked South Atlantic League #8 prospect in 2017
  A significant hamstring injury almost wiped out Kieboom's season. He missed three months, but did return to action in mid-August showing some rust but logging just enough at-bats to qualify for the Top 20. But pre-injury, Kieboom showed the potential to be a middle-infielder with above-average offensive production. He has plenty of bat speed, the advanced baseball IQ that could be expected out of a baseball rat from a baseball family (his brother Spencer is a catcher in the Nationals' system).
• 
  Ranked Florida Complex League #14 prospect in 2016
  The Nationals drafted Kieboom No. 28 overall and signed him for $2 million, putting him in the same organization as his 25-year-old brother Spencer, a catcher at Double-A Harrisburg this year. After a long high school season, Carter played through some minor physical issues, first with shoulder soreness and later on some hamstring tightness, but in spite of that he held his own during his pro debut. Kieboom has a steady mix of solid tools with a chance to stay in the middle of the field. He has good bat speed and body coordination--he used to pitch ambidextrously earlier in his career--though he showed more swing-and-miss than expected in his pro debut. Scouts highest on Kieboom believe in his hitting ability and polished approach for his age. He showed surprising pop in his pro debut and could have average power. Kieboom improved his defense as a high school senior, showing better first-step quickness and range that carried over into the GCL, so he should develop the next few years as a shortstop, where he makes the routine plays even if he's not flashy.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #15 prospect in 2020
• Ranked Baseball America's #41 prospect in 2019

• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Carter became the second Kieboom to play for the Nationals when he made his debut on April 26 and homered in his first major league game. His older brother Spencer is a catcher who played for the Nationals in 2016 and 2018. The younger Kieboom spent two weeks in the majors when Trea Turner was injured before returning to Triple-A Fresno for the rest of the season, where he ranked in the top 10 in the Pacific Coast League in on-base percentage (.405) despite being one of the circuit’s youngest players. He was a Futures Game selection for the second straight year.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Nationals manager Davey Martinez noted that all the skills are there for Kieboom to succeed and that it’s just a matter of time until the game slows down enough for him to succeed in the majors. Kieboom is a patient hitter who habitually gets into good counts and punishes fastballs over the plate. He has a steady, consistent approach and never seems overwhelmed. He hits to all fields and recognizes breaking pitches well, grading as a future plus hitter with blossoming power that will be average or better. He has a steady heartbeat and flourishes in big situations. Kieboom is a fringe-average runner, but he has the hands and range to be an average defensive shortstop. He pushes the ball on his throws due to an irregular arm action, affecting his accuracy just enough for most evaluators to prefer him at second base. He played a career-high 41 games at second base with Fresno and is still learning the angles and shifts for the position. He plays under control at second base and could have above-average arm strength for the position, with the reflexes, hands and arm to handle third base as well.
  
  THE FUTURE: Where Kieboom plays in Washington depends largely on need, but his ability to play all over the infield has put him in a good position. He projects as a No. 2 hitter with the potential to grow into enough power to hit in the middle of a lineup one day. He should get his first extended exposure to the big leagues in 2020, where the Nationals could have openings at second base and possibly third base now that Anthony Rendon has departed as a free agent. Risk: Medium SCOUTING GRADES Hit: 60. Power: 50. Run: 45. Field: 50. Arm: 55. BA GRADE 60
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Carter became the second Kieboom to play for the Nationals when he made his debut on April 26 and homered in his first major league game. His older brother Spencer is a catcher who played for the Nationals in 2016 and 2018. The younger Kieboom spent two weeks in the majors when Trea Turner was injured before returning to Triple-A Fresno for the rest of the season, where he ranked in the top 10 in the Pacific Coast League in on-base percentage (.405) despite being one of the circuit's youngest players. He was a Futures Game selection for the second straight year.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Nationals manager Davey Martinez noted that all the skills are there for Kieboom to succeed and that it's just a matter of time until the game slows down enough for him to succeed in the majors. Kieboom is a patient hitter who habitually gets into good counts and punishes fastballs over the plate. He has a steady, consistent approach and never seems overwhelmed. He hits to all fields and recognizes breaking pitches well, grading as a future plus hitter with blossoming power that will be average or better. He has a steady heartbeat and flourishes in big situations. Kieboom is a fringe-average runner, but he has the hands and range to be an average defensive shortstop. He pushes the ball on his throws due to an irregular arm action, affecting his accuracy just enough for most evaluators to prefer him at second base. He played a career-high 41 games at second base with Fresno and is still learning the angles and shifts for the position. He plays under control at second base and could have above-average arm strength for the position, with the reflexes, hands and arm to handle third base as well.
  
  THE FUTURE: Where Kieboom plays in Washington depends largely on need, but his ability to play all over the infield has put him in a good position. He projects as a No. 2 hitter with the potential to grow into enough power to hit in the middle of a lineup one day. He should get his first extended exposure to the big leagues in 2020, where the Nationals could have openings at second base and possibly third base now that Anthony Rendon has departed as a free agent.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  The PCL’s youngest position player on Opening Day, Kieboom finished sixth in the league in walks and seventh in on-base percentage, showing a promising mix of patience and extra-base power. He made his major league debut in April before returning to Fresno in May. "I like his maturity level,” Reno manager Chris Cron said. "For a young kid, he handled himself well around older players for the first time. He looks the part.” Kieboom improved defensively at shortstop, but an irregular throwing motion affects his accuracy and makes him a better fit at second base, where he played a career-high 41 games this season.
• August, 2018 Scouting Report
  The Kieboom name was certainly familiar to die-hard AFL fans as older brother Spencer, also a Nationals farmhand, previously spent two seasons in the Arizona Fall League. While some observers were lukewarm on the younger Kieboom early in the fall, he’s the kind of pure ballplayer that takes time to grow on you. Splitting time between both middle infield positions for Salt River, Kieboom hit a solid .295/.427/.372 for the Rafters while drawing 17 walks.

  The type of player who will consistently play above his tools, Kieboom has a good feel for hitting and a selective approach at the plate. AFL scouts are mixed as to whether he stays at shortstop or is better suited for second base, but he’s an instinctual defender who projects to be at least an average defender at shortstop.

• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  Kieboom earned a promotion to Double-A on June 21 after hitting .298/.396/.494 with 11 home runs in 61 games with high Class A Potomac. After a slow start, he made an adjustment with his plate discipline within the strike zone and has been rolling ever since. He probably will never be an above-average defensive shortstop, but he’s more comfortable at the position this year and scouts say he can stick there.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The 28th overall pick in 2016, Kieboom had his full-season debut at low Class A Hagerstown shortened thanks to a hamstring injury, which forced him to the disabled list in mid-May and ended a torrid 29-game start in which he hit .333/.398/.586 with six home runs. Scouting Report: After rehabbing and making his way back to the South Atlantic League, Kieboom hit just .235 the rest of the way--though he managed to show the same selective approach by walking 18 times compared to 15 strikeouts. He has a chance to turn into a middle-of-the order hitter, with impressive bat speed and a short swing. He shows the ability to drive the ball to all fields and could develop above-average power. Kieboom is an average defensive shortstop who projects to be more of a bat-first player. His high baseball IQ should help him in the field, where positioning and solid hands could be enough to make up for a lack of first-step quickness and an average arm. He showed improvement with his throwing in 2017, however. The Future: Kieboom should be ready for an assignment to high Class A Potomac in 2018. Even if he slides to second base, he could become a big league regular.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Kieboom joined his older brother Spencer in the Nationals organization after they selected him 28th overall in 2016. He dealt with minor injuries after signing but still held his own in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League during his pro debut and was fully healthy in time to participate in instructional league. Scouting Report: Kieboom is a steady, solid all-around player. He stands out for his bat speed and timing at the plate, though he struck out in nearly 28 percent of his plate appearances in the GCL. He projects to hit for average power as he physically matures and learns to drive the ball more consistently. Kieboom is a solid runner and has good first-step quickness on defense. He has above-average arm strength and good infield actions, giving him the tools necessary to develop as a shortstop. The Future: Spencer Kieboom made his major league debut in 2016, and Carter should one day join him in the big league fraternity. The younger Kieboom has the potential to deliver more impact than his brother, who has a backup catcher profile. He should be ready for low Class A Hagerstown in 2017.