Donovan Casey

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #16 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: A 20th-round draft pick out of Boston College in 2017, Casey has already provided outstanding pick value by riding a well-rounded skill set all the way to the upper levels of the minors. After hitting well in a repeat trip to Double-A Tulsa early in 2021, Casey was dealt to Washington as part of the Max Scherzer and Trea Turner blockbuster.
  
  Scouting Report: After not hitting for much power at Boston College despite having above-average raw power, Casey has had no such problem hitting for power in the minor leagues. He has holes in his swing, which has at times led to a high strikeout rate, peaking at nearly 40% at Triple-A Rochester last season. He’s an outstanding defender with a rifle for an arm, excellent athleticism and good speed. While in Tulsa, opposing managers in Double-A Central voted him the best defensive outfielder and best outfield arm in the league.
  
  The Future: By getting out of a loaded Dodgers system, the path to the big leagues, and regular playing time, has opened up a bit for Casey. He’ll be 26 on opening day next season, but he’s been productive at every stop so far and he provides tremendous defensive value. A big league debut in 2022 is on the table.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #141 prospect in 2017 draft
  Casey is yet another prospect among the two-way player phylum who could be drafted as either a pitcher or a hitter. The difference with Casey is he lacks the polish of upper-tier two-way players like Hunter Greene and Brendan McKay; he's more of a project. Primarily a right fielder for Boston College in his three-year career, the righthander threw a career-high 29.2 innings this spring, striking out 31 and walking 12 walks while posting five saves and a 3.03 ERA. Casey has plus arm strength and has touched as high as 95 mph on the mound but primarily sits in the low-90s. His breaking ball has potential, but it needs tightening. As a position player, Casey boasts dynamic raw tools with his plus arm, plus speed and plus athleticism. However, while he can show plus raw power in batting practice, he's shown very little power in games--slugging just .371 and homering just four times in 482 career at-bats. Scouts aren't convinced Casey has the hit tool or strike-zone awareness to project as a hitter at the next level. But a team that loves Casey's tools could give him a chance to hit with pitching as a solid backup plan.

• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 40/High
  
  Track Record: A 20th-round draft pick out of Boston College in 2017, Casey has already provided outstanding pick value by riding a well-rounded skill set all the way to the upper levels of the minors. After hitting well in a repeat trip to Double-A Tulsa early in 2021, Casey was dealt to Washington as part of the Max Scherzer and Trea Turner blockbuster.
  
  Scouting Report: After not hitting for much power at Boston College despite having above-average raw power, Casey has had no such problem hitting for power in the minor leagues. He has holes in his swing, which has at times led to a high strikeout rate, peaking at nearly 40% at Triple-A Rochester last season. He&#39s an outstanding defender with a rifle for an arm, excellent athleticism and good speed. While in Tulsa, opposing managers in Double-A Central voted him the best defensive outfielder and best outfield arm in the league.
  
  The Future: By getting out of a loaded Dodgers system, the path to the big leagues, and regular playing time, has opened up a bit for Casey. He&#39ll be 26 on opening day next season, but he&#39s been productive at every stop so far and he provides tremendous defensive value. A big league debut in 2022 is on the table.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: A 20th-round draft pick out of Boston College in 2017, Casey has already provided outstanding pick value by riding a well-rounded skill set all the way to the upper levels of the minors. After hitting well in a repeat trip to Double-A Tulsa early in 2021, Casey was dealt to Washington as part of the Max Scherzer and Trea Turner blockbuster.
  
  Scouting Report: After not hitting for much power at Boston College despite having above-average raw power, Casey has had no such problem hitting for power in the minor leagues. He has holes in his swing, which has at times led to a high strikeout rate, peaking at nearly 40% at Triple-A Rochester last season. He’s an outstanding defender with a rifle for an arm, excellent athleticism and good speed. While in Tulsa, opposing managers in Double-A Central voted him the best defensive outfielder and best outfield arm in the league.
  
  The Future: By getting out of a loaded Dodgers system, the path to the big leagues, and regular playing time, has opened up a bit for Casey. He’ll be 26 on opening day next season, but he’s been productive at every stop so far and he provides tremendous defensive value. A big league debut in 2022 is on the table.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Casey did not rank on the Dodgers midseason Top 30 prospects, but he would have ranked in other, less-deep systems. Casey's game is simple: he has big power, a big arm and swings and misses a ton. He has a 31% strikeout rate in Double-A this year, which is actually a slight improvement from his strikeout rate in 2019. Casey makes loud contact when he connects though. He has plenty of bat speed, has above-average power and is a good athlete with enough speed to be an effective basestealer. Casey's best tool is his right arm. It's a plus-plus cannon that is strong and accurate and allows him to make jaw-dropping throws to nail runners at third base and at the plate. He had 15 outfield assists in 2019 and only has three this year because opponents have stopped trying to run on him. His power, speed and defense give him a chance to rise as an extra outfielder and automatically make him a Top 30 prospect in the Nationals system.