Marmolejos Breaks Through For Nats

WASHINGTON—First baseman Jose Marmolejos transformed himself from a nondrafted free agent to the Nationals’ minor league player of the year in 2015.

Therefore, this season will be all about building on that success.

---

Marmolejos, who signed with Washington in June 2011 out of Broward (Fla.) CC, made the low Class A South Atlantic League postseason all-star team in 2015. He hit .310/.363/.485 with 11 home runs and 87 RBIs in 124 games at Hagerstown. He led the system’s full-season minor league batters in average, on-base percentage and slugging.

Farm director Mark Scialabba said the 6-foot-1, lefthanded batter has “developed a very effective, consistent approach at the plate and showed the ability to thrive with runners on base.”

While at South Broward High in Hollywood, Fla., in 2010, Marmolejos was an all-county selection as an outfielder. He also went 2-0 as a pitcher.

At Hagerstown, Marmolejos played 84 games at first base, one in left field and 39 more at DH, but the 23-year-old has helped himself with the glove.

“Over the past year and a half, he’s become much more physical,” Scialabba said, “and his work ethic has helped him on the defensive side, where he’s made strides with both his foot work and glove work at first base. We are expecting Jose to continue on the same path (next season).”

Since hitting just .223 in 184 at-bats in the Dominican Summer League as an 18-year-old, Marmolejos has a .294 average over 1,098 at-bats. In his final 64 games of 2015, he hit .339 with 28 extra-base hits.

He played sparingly for Licey in the Dominican League this winter.

“Jose had an impressive year, especially in the second half,” Scialabba said. “He’s an instinctual hitter who possesses the ability to barrel the ball consistently, looks to hit the ball where it’s pitched and uses all fields.”

CAPITAL GAINS

• Brian Daubach will be the hitting coach at Triple-A Syracuse in 2016 after managing at Double-A Harrisburg the past two seasons.

• Syracuse second baseman Cutter Dykstra re-signed with the Nationals about a month after being granted minor league free agency.