The 2024 season was a magical one for the Fredericksburg Nationals. The Washington Nationals’ Single-A affiliate went 39-26 after the All-Star break to earn a playoff berth, then stayed hot throughout the postseason to win its first Carolina League championship since relocating from Woodbridge in 2020.
But roster turnover is a way of life in Minor League Baseball, and the FredNats aren’t immune. So, if they are to repeat as league champions this year, they’ll have to do so with a host of fresh faces.
The newcomers aren’t just on the field, though. The FredNats also have a new manager in former Major League Baseball outfielder Billy McMillon.
McMillon and the 2025 FredNats were introduced to the media on Tuesday afternoon at Virginia Credit Union Stadium, just three days ahead of their season opener at Carolina on Friday.
“I can’t imagine that there are too many facilities in the [minors] that compare to this,” McMillon said, standing in left field. “This is a first-class operation, that’s for sure.”
The 53-year-old McMillon played for the Miami Marlins, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers and Oakland Athletics over parts of six seasons between 1996 and 2004, batting .248 with 16 career home runs.
After his playing days ended, he coached in the Boston Red Sox organization for more than a decade, starting as hitting coach and eventually managing clubs at Low-A, High-A, Double-A and Triple-A. He led the Salem Red Sox to the Carolina League title in 2013, and his 2014 Portland Sea Dogs roster went 88-54 and included the likes of current Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Eduardo Rodriguez.
McMillon spent the past three years as the development coach for the Rochester Red Wings, the Nationals’ Triple-A team. He outlined the key differences between coaching at Triple-A and Single-A.
“You really have to put more of an emphasis on fundamentals at this level just because of the youth of the team,” he said. “At Triple-A, half of our roster had some major league time, so there was some seasoning there. So there’s a higher learning curve at this level.”
Draft picks ‘ready to make their mark’
Just eight of the 31 players on the FredNats’ roster saw action during the Carolina League playoffs last September. Among those is catcher Kevin Bazzell, the Nats’ No. 13 prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
“Expectation-wise, we still expect to win,” said Bazzell, who posted a .273/.433/.386 slash line with nine RBIs in 19 games after being selected in the third round of the 2024 MLB draft this past July. “A lot of guys got moved up, but I think our roster looks pretty good. There are a lot of new guys here who are ready to make their mark.”
One of the new guys is another 2024 draftee, infielder Jackson Ross. Ross slashed .280/.438/.492 with 11 doubles, 10 homers and 49 RBIs as a senior at Ole Miss before the Nats took him in the ninth round.
“I feel like my college career prepared me for pro ball as much as possible,” said Ross, who started at Pasco-Hernando (Fla.) State College before spending two seasons at Florida Atlantic and one at Ole Miss. “And we’ve got a lot of talent here and some good coaches, which will all push me to develop into a well-rounded pro. Hopefully I can be a big part of bringing another championship to Fredericksburg.”
Ross and Bazzell figure to be key pieces to the FredNats’ offense, especially with standouts Brandon Pimentel (.722 OPS, 85 RBIs), Elijah Green (13 HRs) and 2024 first-round pick Seaver King moving up to High-A Wilmington.
Arms race wide open
The FredNats’ most seasoned pitcher is Merrick Baldo, who posted a 4.20 ERA with 56 strikeouts, six saves and six holds in 45 innings of action a year ago. He missed the postseason after landing on the injured list in late August.
“I call my role ‘The firefighter,’” Baldo said with a sheepish grin. “They can put me in at any time during the game… It doesn’t matter if it’s the middle innings or the ninth, and I’ll clean up the mess. That’s where I thrive.”
McMillon said he will use Baldo as needed, just as former manager Jake Lowery did. But he added that much of the pitching rotation and the bullpen are “written in pencil,” and could change based on what he sees as the season progresses.
The battery won’t include Travis Sykora, who earned a promotion after leading the league in ERA (2.33) and WHIP (0.91), and all of Low-A in strikeouts (129) last season.
“I spent a lot of time with the position players during spring training, so I’m going to be learning the pitchers a lot more as the season goes along,” McMillon said. “But I have seen some guys with upper-level velocity and some that can control the running game, so there’s a lot to be optimistic about.”
However McMillon handles the pitching staff, one thing is certain: a handful of 2024 draft picks will have an opportunity to shine. Davian Garcia (6th round), Robert Cranz (7th), Merritt Beeker (11th), Alex Meckley (12th), Yoel Tejada (14th), Gavin Bruni (17th) and Ryan Minckler (19th) have all arrived in Fredericksburg.
Following a three-game series at Carolina this weekend, the FredNats will make their home debut on April 8, when they open a six-game set against Salem.
“There’s a lot of things to be intrigued about with this team,” McMillon said. “I think we’re going to have a nice blend of speed, power and athleticism. I can’t wait to see the stadium full of fans.”
