Brady House has been sold as the third baseman of the future for several years. But at that point his performance level has risen and fallen. He shows a flash of glow, but still there are some twists to iron. This spring has been a positive so far. The 21-year-old Mibaseman is sure to knock down the door someday this season.
The Washington Nationals have drilled a big hole in the 3 base that enters the offseason. But the only third baseman they brought in was Paul DeJohn in a cheap one-year deal. This shows the amount of faith the nation still has at Brady House despite being in the lower ranks of less than 2024.
The house was extremely durable in 2024, struck 19 Homer, but there were some red flags. He had sub .700 OPS and sub .300 OBP last season. The house really struggled with AAA, with a WRC+ of 66 and an incredible 43% tracking rate.
But he looked really good this spring. House hits .389 with an .920 OPS. At 224 AB, I walked the house seven times in AAA. This spring he already has three bats in 18/18. That is a very good sign for young people. He also made some lovely plays in the glove.
As a former shortstop, House is a 3 base boundary and defender. He has great arms and is a natural mover. The house has a Matt Chapman starter kit in many ways. He is the third greatest defender with big time power. However, he is a bit whimsical and doesn’t walk much. He still has a way to reach that ceiling, but the physical attributes are there.
Now, the question is when should House be in the big leagues? My guess is that Nats put him on a similar timeline that he did with James Wood last year. Paul DeJohn will be third in the start of the season, giving House a master of AAA levels. But if the house thrives and DeJong struggles, the young people can wake up sometime in June.
Unlike Wood in 2024, House has a triple-A experience heading into the season. However, he did not thrive accurately on the level. The Nationals should not do house break camp with their teams, but it’s great to see him thrive this spring. There are still some warts in his game, but it is abundantly clear that Brady House is talented. It is with the people that refine their talent and transform the home into a high quality daily third base.
Triple-A Rochester, including Brady House and Robert Hassell, will be a fun team to follow to start the season. Many people there are hungry and ready for their shots on the show. It’s up to the MLB players to continue their work and fight these hungry young people.
