Taylor Jordan

For the third straight year, Jordan bounced between the minor leagues and the Nationals' staff, but despite an apparently successful season at Triple-A he might be further away from winning a regular spot in the rotation than ever before. His impressive ERA and WHIP disguised a declining strikeout rate, and his 5.3 K/9 at Syracuse isn't going to land him on any sleeper lists. At his best, the 26-year-old right-hander pounds the bottom of the strike zone with a fastball that can creep into the low-90s along with a slider and changeup, but the profile is more that of an extra arm than a staff stalwart, and his best chance at a big-league job might come from the organization moving him to the bullpen full-time, where his fringy fastball might gain a bit of velocity. The Nats have gotten value out of similar pitchers, such as Craig Stammen, in the past, but it still leaves Jordan with a very low ceiling.